The Red and Black

I have seen white people who were not within the dress code denied admittance to Bourbon Street before. Their policy seems to be pretty evenly enforced among people of all races.

Couple of points;

First of all, there are similar dress codes for numerous establishments all of the country. Whether your in Atlanta, NYC, Birmingham, or Statesboro. Most establishments do not want men wearing jewelry inside. You can cry racism about baggy pants, sweats, jerseys, etc, but bottom line is that as long as the policy is applied equally to all people, the establishment's owner is free to control his/her crowd the way they wish.

Second, the reason most places will not simply allow a person to take the chain off is because nine times out of ten they'll put it right back on once they're inside.

Finally, I was at Bourbon St a few years ago when Bam Margera was denied entry for many of the criteria above. He politely said he understood and that it was not the first time he had been told this. If you choose to walk around in clothes that don't fit or with your hat turned to the side, expect to be treated like some one who is walking around in clothes that don't fit with their hat turned to the side.

This sounds more like a case of sour grapes to me than anything else. Is it that hard for a man to go out in clothes that fit correctly with the sleeves still attached and no jewelry on? Is it that hard to put your hat on the way it was meant to be worn?

Thanks to the two comment posters above, who have applied some common sense to this issue. Playing the race card for everything is just not going to work anymore. Wake up and fly right!

I am a white male who works at a popular bar downtown and I routinely refuse entry to many people who violate dress code policies. I've also been refused entry to Bourbon Street as well for pants that are too baggy. I don't have a problem with this because Chris has a business to run and he can run it any way he pleases and can deny entry to anyone for any reason. It's private property and it drives me nuts that people think they have some sort of "right" to be at a bar. They don't. It's that simple.

I work the door at my bar and refuse entry to plenty of people on a nightly basis. I do it evenly among all races and it never fails that a minority will usually be the one to pull the "race card" on me. Call me a racist all you want, but I know I'm not. If you dress respectably, then you'll be treated with respect. If you dress like a thug, then expect to be treated like a thug.

Pulling the race card is weak. It's even weaker that this article actually made it onto the paper.

I think the point the guy is making is the fact that the guy's chain could have been removed, taken to a car, and the rest of the dress code fit accordingly. At that point it's ridiculous that he didn't get in and I could see why someone would think it was racist. With that said, I've seen whites and blacks get turned away from bars in town because of the dress code, obviously in a dark place where people are drinking baggy clothes aren't necessarily safe because weapons can be concealed. I do understand where the writer is coming from though.

This particular writer wishes to place great weight on the issue of racism and yet treats labeling others this vile term with little or no concern for accountability. Was any research done before this exclamation? Probably none. Did he contact any of the bars he writes about, citing only Bourbon St.? Not likely. Was any sort of control conducted with a number of people, all dressed the same, trying to gain entrance? Much easier just to scream racism. Be careful how callously you identify others. I hope that if the favor is ever returned, that person does not have a newspaper in which to do so.

The real question is, what kind of self respecting man wears a necklace anyway.

I think anyone that has grown up outside of the south knows that there is a different "racial" atmosphere in a place like Athens...if you've spent your entire life in metro-atlanta and then move to Athens, chances are this article is "pulling the race card."

I'm a black male that has lived here in Athens for 15 years and have done the bar scene since my freshman year in '91. I've adjusted to being the touch of color in most downtown bars a while back, but I have noticed that bars needing a dress code are usually the most notorious for excessive/fake ID drinkers and cramped quarters. This atmosphere breeds stupidity from the patrons and the management. The clients are going to be rowdy and the staff won't be able to control them if something happens. Unfortunately, when cultures collide it gets ugly. Imagine a drunk frat boy walking up to a "thug" as someone stated earlier, saying, "whazzup my nigga." Someone is going to get hurt. The bars are out to make money so I'm guessing they would rather deal with just obnoxious kids than have to do damage control in a mixed bar. That's fine, I understand the business logic. What's stupid is listing an obviously targeted dress code of what not to wear that gets longer each year. Just say "dressy casual" with out any hats and let it be. That way the line is drawn without the bar looking like a complete a-hole. At the current rate, there will be a 5 page list of prohibited fashion in several more years that will read more like military requirements than a dress code. By the way, are male peircings or uncovered tattoos banned yet?