None whatsoever in my great state of Maine. Other states might.
Additionally, your Finnish sensibilities might be appalled to know that I and all non-felon adult residents of Maine don’t need a permit of any kind to carry a loaded handgun, let alone some measly pepper spray.
And for the record, I do NOT carry any of my firearms on the job.
Otherwise good stuff that definitely lines up with how I view the job. Its mostly about being a cool guy who is respected and respectful.
But you do need a permit to purchase a gun or at least have to register it? Also how strong is are the pepper sprays you can buy in the USA? Here we only have limitations to how much OC it actually contains which is 5% max. If you wanted, would you be allowed to carry a gun on the job?
Aye, that’s how I do my job and I have actually avoided a lot of unnecessary conflicts. Even with pretty tight regulations, we still have a lot of guys in the business whose first response to any kind of confrontation is a chokehold.
Certain states require permits, but I imagine Maine doesn’t. Registration occurs if purchased from a licensed firearms dealer, but even then there are ways around it.
Depending on what state you’re in, it can really be the wild west, haha.
Just. Damn. I’m personally not for extremely strict gun control since criminals will always get their hands on illegal ones but that if anything is prone to produce more illegal guns from legal ones. Here you have to go through a lot of paperwork with the police until you get a license to purchase a gun and then you have to bring the gun to the station to be inspected if it matches the specs you applied for. Some local stations are extremely strict like my hometown which sucks donkey dong but it’s better than no control.
I will say that I was way more polite while driving when I live in North Dakota and I assumed everyone had a gun versus living in California now, where I imagine few people do, haha. There is something to be said about an armed society being a polite one.
I guess it’s a cultural thing. We aren’t allowed to carry guns unless we are on our way to a range, hunting, retrieving the gun or taking it to a shop or something or moving it because we need it at work. But even then, instances of road rage are pretty damn rare in here.
To be fair, your country got to get a lot of it’s rage out during it’s Viking age. America is still young; we need to be Vikings, too, haha.
No permit is required for firearms ownership in Maine unless you wish to own a class III firearm (full-auto, suppressed and/or a short barrel rifle). Up until a few months ago a permit was required to carry concealed, but not openly. No firearms registry is maintained by Maine authorities. The feds keep track of class III owners.
As with everywhere in the US, you must fill out ATF form 4473 and pass a background check to purchase from a licensed firearms dealer.
On a somewhat related note, Maine consistently ranks as one of the least violent states in the country and it is probably among the most peaceful places to live in the world.
Bouncers, of course, will remain in-demand regardless of such statistics.
I’m a fan of the state because they brought us Clutch. But that’s cool too, haha.
No, but if we remember the lessons from Red Dawn we know that the red invaders will go looking for those forms shortly after parachuting into the middle of the continent.
I was expecting St. Patrick’s day to be rowdier, but only one drunken fool and his harmonica needed to be asked to leave. Luckily he had a sober brother I worked with to get him out the door. That was a much better outcome than me dragging his ass to the street, which almost certainly would have taken place if he was there by himself.
What Chris Colucci and Furius said. I worked in a club for around three years and got more done by being friendly and respectful than guys who were all attitude. But, when push comes to shove, the last thing you should do is hesitate. Know what to do and do it.
What I have never understood is that if someone is “too drunk to stay in the bar”, why the hell do so many bouncers have such a hurry to remove the guy? Roughly 50% of all wrestling matches I have witnessed have been because the guy was pissed for not being allowed to finish a beer he had just bought.
Because they’re either dickheads or thickheads. Tell him he’s got to leave once he’s finished his drink. Check on him after 10 minutes. Remind him. Nicely. Check after another five to 10. If he’s still there, tell him his time is up. Most will walk.
Exactly. It’s funny how some people don’t seem to grasp this. Another thing I have always despised are bartenders who say “we have a person ready to go here” on the radio and once I get there, the bartender points the guy out and says he’s drunk as hell. I talk to the guy and he’s the fuckin’ driver of the group sober as can be. Thank Odin the current bar chain I work in only call “can you guys come check this guy out” and that’s it.
We still believe in freedom here, for now…
The whole gun control issue is a very wide and complicated one. I think we have gone too far here but I don’t believe the exact opposite would be the solution either. And no matter what the local law is, suddenly going to the other extreme is always a poor choice.
I filled in as a bouncer many years ago, in both Israel (where my parents owned a beach side bar and I primarily tended bar) to college a couple of times. But my advice is from owning a portion of several large clubs in NYC that vary from snotty, to normal, to rough, to “get me out of here before I get killed.”
Drugs are a frequent problem. If they start getting sold in the bar where you work, they will arrest everyone and sort it out later.
Learn the colors/dress of local gangs and things like “rockers.” Deny entry unless colors removed. This is normally not a problem, but they can invade your bar for a night for random reasons. Even if peaceful/good guys they will attract people who are not.
Work in teams.
Cheat when fighting. Have signals worked out that there might be a fight. See no. 3.
A MagLite flashlight is your multi-purpose tool.
If anyone creeps you out, follow your instincts. G-d gave you those for a reason.
Overly drunk women are almost always the source of fights, either because they are bitches or because perverts are trying to date rape them. Remove them promptly.
Try to work in interracial pairs. Lots of reasons for this, too long to get into here. But it’s a good idea.
A woman checking IDs with you behind her prevents a lot of arguments. No idea why. I think people don’t want to be dicks to women.
As noted, be nice. Don’t throw your weight around. Don’t drink on the job.
Thanks Jewbacca, I’m glad you’re still on the site. Your advice is always golden.
Unfortunately, assembling an interracial bouncing team is problematic in a place like Maine. I suppose we could recruit a Somalian refugee but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Somalian man over 150 pounds. The best I could probably do is find a Francophone hockey goon to team up with.
Take the biggest guy in the world, shatter his knee and he’ll drop like a stone.