Rant/Question/Problem. Drinks on dancefloors.

[dehayco]

I understand the whole drinks spiked excuse for if its a public even, however at a wedding or any other family party for that matter its just a rubbish excuse.

[par6]

I doubt though,even at a wedding, everybody knows everybody.

[Jonathan Ford]

Just to clear a few things up, the guy wasnt a "pikey" (traveller/gypsy) and 17 stitches is more than a few.
However, was the guy who slipped to blame, probably not, are the hotel to blame, probably not. It's a tricky one. I wonder if the claimant will just put it down to being an accident, probably not.

Just to clear things up from my end, I didn't realise that "pikey" meant traveller. I've always used it as a generally disrespectful term, and in this case used it to confer my utter loathing of these tossers that have an accident and their first thought is that there might be a few quid in it. I'd happily put them all, and the ambulance chasing cretins that indulge them, on a ship....then sink it. In suitably shark-infested waters.

Your last sentence sums the whole thing up....in my opinion, the claimant should regard it as an accident and get on with his life.

[Larry B Entertainment]

Drinks on dancefloors ? What can be done ?

[Twinspin]

Students can be quite bad for not taking any notice when you ask them politely not to. As Peter mentioned earlier on in this thread.

It was an occasion where I picked up the mic and told them to keep their drinks off the dancefloor and Peter picked the mic up a bit later and told them as well.

I have had a lot worse i will say and that was a Gypsy wedding i think a couple of years ago or last year it was. Peter might know it might of been last year. But they was a lot of smashed glasses on the dancefloor that night and spillages.

[mattydj50]

I to hate drinks near my kit, and always gently guide a drink laden hand away from the gear when punters come to make a request. However, I tend to view whatever happens on the dance floor as a venue problem, rather than my problem, no matter how unsafe or irritating. Consequently, I can't remember the last time I made an announcement about drinks on the dance floor. I do on occasion approach venue staff and point a problem out to them, or let them know of any spillages.

Good call Jonathan. I too, if requested by the venue management make one or two announcements about no drings on the dancefloor then I give up. I'm only the messenger, I'm not there to police it too. And like you, I discourage drinks coming over into my space. It does help being 6ft 3in tall and rather large and imposing to boot.

[Excalibur]

I'm only the messenger, I'm not there to police it too

Aha! And to now expand the topic, aren't we the ones designated to police it? We're the ones on the spot, and the venue have said "Can you tell them not to bring drinks onto the dancefloor " ?

Thus are we not the guardians of the dancefloor? I can foresee in the present claim culture where a venue is sued by a guest who slips on spillage and suffers serious injury.
The venue then turns to the DJ and/or his insurers, and says " Well it's all your fault, you didn't tell them not to bring their drinks on the floor, and you didn't stop the music."

We have discussed this before, but I reckon it will bear another airing. Your thoughts?

[DazzyD]

That post just about sums up the state we're in at the minute. Some pikey has an accident requiring a few stitches, and has to sue...heaven forbid he write it off as "one of those things" after slipping on a drink that one of his own friends (maybe even himself) had spilt! Next, everyone that has a skin full must have had their drink spiked. IMpossible that they've just imbibed to freely.... etc......

So, if you were working at a venue and you slipped on spilled drink and crashed in to a badly put together stage and you needed 17 stitches, you would just think "Oh, well. These things happen.". Course you would!!

Just to clear a few things up, the guy wasnt a "pikey" (traveller/gypsy) and 17 stitches is more than a few.
However, was the guy who slipped to blame, probably not, are the hotel to blame, probably not. It's a tricky one. I wonder if the claimant will just put it down to being an accident, probably not.

To be fair, the venue has a duty of care with regards to the safety of customers, staff and anyone else that has to be in the building. On this occasion, I would consider that they failed in their duty of care. They can only blame themselves, really.

Aha! And to now expand the topic, aren't we the ones designated to police it? We're the ones on the spot, and the venue have said "Can you tell them not to bring drinks onto the dancefloor " ?

Thus are we not the guardians of the dancefloor? I can foresee in the present claim culture where a venue is sued by a guest who slips on spillage and suffers serious injury.
The venue then turns to the DJ and/or his insurers, and says " Well it's all your fault, you didn't tell them not to bring their drinks on the floor, and you didn't stop the music."

We have discussed this before, but I reckon it will bear another airing. Your thoughts?

I, too, can see this happening. That is why it is important that we have PLI in place.

[paulg]

I tend to think my role is guardian of the dancefloor both for safety and tidyness. I can't square up the idea that we all strive to "pack the dancefloor" without assuming some responsibility for what occurs thereafter.

Where drinks are brought onto the dancefloor I always ask what the venue's policy is (prior to the event) and then inform the customers during the event. If the danceloor becomes dangerous to me, venue staff or customers the music and lighting is turned off, house lights are raised, the problem is rectified and we start all over again. This kind of interruption usually gets the message across.

Where equipment is threatened by spillage and it is likely to be an ongoing problem, we pack up and leave and never go back to that venue. Only 3 weeks ago I pulled out of a venue for this reason. Drink and and cream from a gateaux! made the floor like a skating ring. I subsequently wrote to the owners pointing out the dangers and explaining my actions.

[Jonathan Ford]

So, if you were working at a venue and you slipped on spilled drink and crashed in to a badly put together stage and you needed 17 stitches, you would just think "Oh, well. These things happen.". Course you would!! .

Roll your eyes all you want...would and have. I was injured around 8 years ago at work, and ended up having six weeks off with back problems. Eventually I had to leave the job. The accident was due to slipping on a wet floor, that was only wet because of a) faulty equipment and b) poor working practices. A couple of weeks later I got a call from some ambulance chasers (who wouldn't tell me how they got my number or how they knew the circumstances of the accident), telling me that I could be in for an award of several thousand pounds. I told them to jog on. Yes, the floor was wet and shouldn't have been, yes, the working practices to identify and mitigate the hazard were unsatisfactory...but I should have watched what I was doing.

My stepmother has a claim going through at the minute, as part of a window display fell on her leg in a glazing showroom. You can bet I've told her my opinion (ship, sharks etc).