If you're 21 years old, with a fully functioning and current ID, there's no reason why you should be turned away from the bar. Obviously, it's time for some of the Main Line bars around Villanova to hire new bouncers.
Every Villanova student knows what the go-to move is for nightlife here on the main line: the bars. For a long time, the Courts were the social hub of the Villanova experience; however, since the Courts party life was shut down, Villanova students have flocked to the bars in an increasing effort to salvage what little of a party aspect there is left at this school.
For those who remain under 21, the struggle is real. From house parties getting busted, and the risk of underage citations, to getting turned away from the bars, it's hard to plan an evening without having anxiety about what might happen. There is hardly a consistent place for these students to go out and have fun, and this situation only gets worse each year.
Does it get any better if you are 21 or over? You should be free of the stresses that haunt your underage friends, who either go out and hope that their night won't turn into a huge disappointment, or stay in to avoid just that. Are you actually free of these things?
The short answer is no, especially when some of the Main Line bars are turning away 21 year olds. I am rarely one to single out people or places, but my experience the other night at Maloney's, in Bryn Mawr, was dismal. After my friends and I waited in line for 20 minutes to get in, the bouncer took a very brief glance at my ID and denied me entry because I did not have back-up ID. He proceeded to deny my friend entry even with her back-up ID. Both of us are 21 years old with current state IDs.
There are several issues here. First of all, if you have a real trained bouncer (which Maloney's appears not to have), this bouncer can easily tell the difference between real and fake IDs, and they can tell if the person in the picture resembles the person standing in front of them without the need of a back-up ID. Bouncers that are employed in professional environments rarely ever ask for a back-up ID because they can easily figure out what's what from the first ID. Furthermore, even if they are unsure, the standard procedure is to ask a list of questions pertaining to the ID, and observe how the person reacts to this questioning to help determine if they are who they claim to be. None of this was done at Maloney's. It would also help if the bouncer looked at the ID for more than two seconds, but it's quite evident that there has been no formal training in this area. Almost as soon as I handed him my ID, he denied me and I was told to get out.
When you don't know what you're doing, you lose business, and you end up making people really angry. Needless to say, I won't be frequenting Maloney's as often as I used to, especially if I get better treatment at other places.
As the year kicks off, it will be interesting to see if this happens at any of the other Main Line bars. In the meantime, a message to Maloney's -- please get it together!
