While dealing with drunken patron’s emotional problems, sneaky underage kids and vomit, Uptown doormen hold — and sometimes withhold — the key to Athens’ nightlife.
Alan Moyer has been working the door at Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, 24 W. Union St., for about a year and a half, and he’s already seen it all.
“People puking on themselves, if someone is upset you’re stuck talking with them because you’re working the door and can’t really go anywhere,” Moyer said, explaining some of the more colorful aspects of his job. “People try to sneak their own alcohol in and people trying to jump over the patio fence.”
Jonathan Holmberg, bartender at Jackie O’s and chairman of the Athens Clean and Safe Halloween Committee, said doormen tend to get overlooked, yet they hold a lot of responsibility at the bar by maintaining security and collecting money.
“Doormen don’t have a long lifespan because it’s a tough job,” Holmberg said. “You have to pick a person you trust because they are going to be handling money and there is no way to know how many people come through the door unless the door guy is honest; there is a lot of responsibility that comes with it.”
Holmberg said doormen served a different purpose when he was a student at Ohio University because they had no need to check w when the drinking age was 18. He also said they never served as “bouncers” because fights happened less often and there was a greater sense of community, as doormen knew everyone’s names.
However, some still keep ahold of those community ties.
“You have to recognize everyone’s face,” said Andre Sun, a bartender and former doorman for a year at Lucky’s Sports Tavern, 11 N. Court St. “You never know; some regulars don’t mind getting IDed, but some people hate it because they think it’s their bar.”
Sun has a daunting stature, which he said is likely part of the reason he was hired as a doorman, as he could effectively break up fights as they occurred.
Holmberg said Jackie O’s rarely has to worry about fights breaking out among patrons, which allowed them to have several women work the job when the bar was O’Hooley’s.
But fewer fights hardly means the Jackie O’s doormen have calmer nights than others.
“My favorite story is probably from last Palmer Fest when I caught four dudes in the bathroom stall,” Moyer said. “I told them ‘I don’t care what you’re doing in there but you got to get out of there right now,’ and they all came out with makeup on.”
And though patrons head home at closing time, it’s still early for the doormen.
“People might think our night ends at 2 o’clock, but I guess the real job starts at 2 when we have to shut down the bar,” Moyer said. “I always say, ‘You guys had your fun but it’s time for us to have our fun.’ ”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
@Wilbur_Hoffman
