By Teja Pisk
Two weeks ago, one o’clock in the morning found me sat on the ground outside my front door, holding a soggy portion of Efe’s chips, failing to fight back the tears as I waited for someone, anyone to arrive and let me in because my keys were inexplicably no longer in my bag. It was my birthday, I had been refused entry into Ziggy’s, and I was in a cow-print onesie.
I hadn’t intended to get so drunk that I wouldn’t be allowed into my planned destination. Believe it or not I did actually want to spend the night with my friends rather than Mr. Efe. Sometimes though (like this time) alcohol can sneak a victory. It happens to the best of us. The reason most people don’t mind taking a friend home at 11.30 p.m. or holding someone’s hair back while throw up is because they’ve most likely been in the same situation at least once in their lives.
Yes, we all should know better, should know our limits, should respect our bodies, our bank accounts and our dignity, but as an individual who has been known to let the occasional ill-advised treble vodka diet coke tip them a little too far over the edge I have nothing but sympathy for anyone who finds themselves riddled with embarrassment following a night of, well…who really remembers what exactly happened?
At venues where shots are £1 or a treble can cost the same as a single (Rumours, I’m looking at you) the staff are undoubtedly well aware of the fact that the overwhelming majority of the people they serve are, at least mildly, inebriated. I’m not saying that this should entitle us to sympathy and kindness from staff – drunk people can be utterly impossible to deal with – however, there should be at least a degree of responsibility attributed to those members of staff in positions of power, and in a club the DJ does have a fair amount of power. It’s one thing to remove a dangerously (or just embarrassingly) drunk person from a club, it’s another to encourage drunk and therefore vulnerable students to put themselves in compromising, embarrassing and potentially even damaging situations.
DJs should be there to ensure that club goers have a good time. Encouraging simulated sex on a stage or persuading two girls to make out for alcohol is exploitative and certainly should not be part of their job description.