How to go out

Drinking
without getting the
tripe beaten out of you
Going out

The vast majority of people go out drinking

and have a good time without ever coming
to any harm, but . . . at sometime in your
life you will probably be in a situation that
could lead to violence.

Research has shown that in a fight between somebody with

a baseball bat and somebody with an amusing booklet full of
cartoons, the person with the baseball bat has the advantage.

This booklet is not a self defence manual. It will show some

of the common situations that can lead to confrontation and
suggest some ways of avoiding them escalating into violence.
Alcohol
This booklet is not anti alcohol as most of us wouldn’t dream
of going out without having a drink. Nor is it about sensible
drinking (whatever that is). What’s the point of drinking alcohol
all night if you don’t get drunk? For most of us alcohol helps us
relax and have a good time. Whether it’s a glass of Chardonnay
from a wine bar followed by the opera or fifteen pints of bitter
followed by a kebab, we enjoy drinking and we enjoy ignoring
all advice about moderation and staying in control.

Alcohol can make you aggressive and vulnerable. Most people

who commit and are victims of violence are young (18 to 24)
and most are drunk when it happens. Alcohol clouds your
judgement and makes you do things you wouldn’t dream of
doing when sober (one of its main attractions). The problem is,
when you have drunk so much that your judgement is clouded,
it seems like a really good idea to drink a load more...
TOP TIP: it usually isn’t.
Drugs
Just as alcohol can increase
your chances of becoming
involved in violence, so can
drugs. Different drugs have
different effects and risks.
Back in the old days people went out to a club, took ecstasy,
drank water rather than alcohol and hugged perfect strangers
they had no intention of shagging. It didn’t last long. Britain
has become a polydrug culture, where pills and lines are
washed down with designer high octane booze.

Not all drugs make you aggressive. It is unlikely for instance

to find somebody stoned on cannabis starting a fight (let
alone winning one), but the more you lose control the more
vulnerable you become. Combine alcohol with any other drugs
and you increase the likelihood of violence.

Mixing drugs with alcohol has

a chapter on its own in the book
‘Really Dumb Things To Do: Vol 1’.
Cocaine does not turn people into violent psychopaths. But it can
make you over confident, paranoid and aggressive, an extremely
unpleasant combination that makes violence more likely.

Amphetamine is a drug that can encourage you to drink vast

amounts of alcohol. You don’t then realise how drunk you have
become. You get the effects of the amphetamine: non stop
talking shite and over confidence and the aggression and loss
of judgement from the alcohol. A sure fire recipe for disaster.

GHB, GBL are drugs you should never mix with alcohol as
you will rapidly become unconscious. If you are with somebody
who has become unconscious with either drink or drugs, put
them in the recovery position (lay on their side). This is vital
as they can choke to death on their vomit if they pass out when
on their back. Call for an ambulance.

The Recovery Position

It is vitally important that you tell
the ambulance crew what they
have taken as this information
could save their lives.
Around town
There is more to being streetwise than
studying an A to Z. Being streetwise is not
about how hard you are, it involves knowing
how to spot trouble looming and avoiding it.
You should above all trust your intuition.
It may be an unpleasant fact of life, but
being a bit cynical, suspicious and on your
guard is the safest thing to be.

Knowing your territory

Knowing your territory is important. Try and plan out in advance
where you are going. If you want to go out wearing nothing
but a loaf of bread on your head, that’s OK providing you go to
somewhere appropriate.

Nobody is suggesting you don’t try new places or talk to

strangers. But try and pick the right venue for whatever it is
you want to do. If you want a rowdy night club full of young
people or a quieter wine bar full of designer labels, fine, there
are plenty of those around. But act appropriately and try and fit
in with the mood of the place. If you feel uncomfortable or out
of place, go somewhere else where you feel more at home.
Student venues
In towns and cities with large numbers of students, there are
usually bars and clubs which cater to students. Students are
often new to the area and are often at an age when they are
new to the joys of drinking. Student bars and venues often
tolerate student behaviour (silly haircuts, having an opinion in
a posh accent, paying for a round with a cheque). Outside of
these venues, it is good advice to try and fit in and not make
yourself stand out so much. Try and find a local student who
can advise you on places to go where you’ll have a good night.

Red light district

Unless you are looking to use the services of a prostitute,
avoid walking into a red light district just to be nosy. Don’t
bother the prostitutes and they won’t bother you. Red light
areas are usually down back streets and a bit away from the
centre of town. If you walk into one accidently (honest officer),
turn round and walk back where you came from.

Gay bars
Often some of the liveliest venues in town are gay bars and
clubs. Some of these places welcome people who are straight,
providing you show respect to the gay men and lesbians who
may be there. Some venues may be strictly gay and they won’t
let you in if you’re straight (blag it, if you’re desperate).

Unfortunately, in many places

hate crimes against gay men
still occur. So it is wise to be
careful, and unless you are
confident of the area, be a
little discreet when leaving
gay bars and clubs.
Hot spots
Chucking out time
Trouble frequently occurs after people
have left pubs at closing time when
they are milling around looking for a
club to get into or buying a bag of chips.
Try and get from the bar to the club as
quickly as possible or call a taxi from
the bar. Avoid milling around the city
centre at closing time. Another risky
time is after the clubs shut and people
are still milling around or trying to get
a taxi.

Taxi queues
Taxi queues are frequent causes of
arguments. If you’re in a taxi queue
and somebody pushes in, think about
it before you start an argument. Whilst
you may be totally in the right, is it
worth getting into a fight over an extra
couple of minutes wait. Being assertive
and having self respect is one thing,
but it is difficult reasoning with an
unreasonable drunk. It is easier for
you to just ignore it.

On a weekend, try and leave a bit earlier,

as you’ll only end up queuing for ages if
you don’t. Ring for a minicab from a bar,
club or restaurant or better still book it
in advance as it can take ages getting
through at chucking out time.
What causes
fights?
Most fights involve people who have
been drinking and usually start over
something petty. Somebody bumps into
somebody, stares at them or takes
their drink by mistake. The easiest way
of stopping any conflict starting is by
apologising. There are however some
situations that are more likely to lead to
trouble than others.

Stag/Hen nights
There are some restaurant /bars that specialize in or will book
a room for stag and hen nights, where you can eat drink, dance
and where you are safe to enjoy the debauchery of hen and
stag nights.
Groups
If you’re out with a group of mates you feel confident and
safe. With a few pints in your belly this can spill over into
over cockiness and a pack mentality amongst even the mildest
mannered groups. If trouble starts with somebody from
another group it is all too easy for it to turn into a mass brawl.

If you’re in a group and there’s someone more drunk than the

others (and there always is) who is getting out of hand, look
after them. Sit them down, buy them only soft drinks and try
and calm them down. If they are so out of it they are a danger
to themselves or at risk of getting you into trouble, try and
persuade them to go home. If you feel really noble take them
home, but at the least put them in a taxi. The evening will only
end in trouble or you’ll all get refused entry into a club unless
you do something about it, and after all it’s what you would
want your mates to do for you.

If you’re in a very large group, it is often better to split your

group up into smaller groups and then move between groups
during the evening.
The lone nutter
There are some people whose idea of a good
night is to start a fight with someone
else. Most of the time you need to give
them very little reason to start a fight,
so follow the advice in the rest of this booklet and
try not to give them an excuse. There is also a type who will
approach a table of people and just start being offensive. Try
and ignore them if possible, telling them to fuck off usually
escalates the situation, it rarely makes them leave you alone.
If ignoring them doesn’t work go and tell the bar/security staff.
They will usually chuck them out.
Chatting up
Being chatted up can be a nice experience, even if you don’t
fancy the person doing the chatting up. At least it proves
somebody fancies you. At other times it is unpleasant to have
somebody with a face like a baboon’s bum leering at you and
asking for a shag. The temptation is to be blunt in case they
carry on bothering you. Polite but clear refusal is always better
than belittling somebody “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested”.
If people feel humiliated it can turn nasty. If they are really
bothering you, touching you or won’t leave you alone, say
clearly “Please, go away and leave me alone”. If they carry on,
tell the bar staff to ask for the manager. It is their job to deal
with bar room pests.

Getting a knock back when attempting to chat somebody up

is never a pleasant experience, but try and take it with good
grace and not get aggressive. If you are attempting your best
chat up lines and a boyfriend or girlfriend appears a simple
apology should normally diffuse any trouble. “Sorry, I didn’t
know you were together, I’ll leave you in peace”.
Getting involved
As a general rule try not to get involved in
somebody else’s fight if you can possibly
help it. Even if you are trying to break up a
fight it is easy for you to become involved.
Letting bouncers or bar staff sort it is a
safer option. If you see a serious fight in
the street report it to the police.
Calling the police
If you need to call the police
and haven’t a mobile or there are
no telephone boxes about, black cabs
are very good at radioing for the
police. You could also try asking fast
food places to ring for help.

Arguments between friends

Calming down a confrontation between friends is often hard
as arguments tend to be about things less trivial than those
with strangers. If you’re in a group and the argument is getting
overheated, keep them sitting down and keep them apart. Try
and distract them, change the subject or make an excuse for
one of them to give you a hand at the bar then talk to them in
private and try and calm them.
Couples fighting
A man and a woman are arguing and it turns violent. What do
you do? You shout or try and stop it and the man could turn
on you.

It can also be the case that you try to intervene to stop the
man hitting the woman and the woman attacks you. Ignoring
it could mean that a woman is badly beaten (and it is usually
the woman who is being attacked) while you stood by and
did nothing.

It all depends on the situation. If one or more of you feel

confident enough to step in, ask the woman if she is OK. If
she tells you to fuck off, then leave well alone. If you feel
intervening would just cause you to be involved in the fight,
call the police and let them sort it. If it looks really serious try
shouting from a distance that the police have been called or
try and get other people’s attention.

If you are a woman involved in a fight or being attacked, make

it clear to strangers what is going on. Either tell other people to
stay away if you don’t want them to intervene or ask for help.
Shout at people directly “Oi you in the blue shirt, help me”.
Avoiding
confrontation
Respecting personal space
In British culture, personal space is very important.
A stranger getting too close or touching us is often
seen as a threat. Try and respect other people’s space.
If you’re in a bar or club and there is a small amount
of room to sit, ask permission from the people sitting
there, “would you mind if I sat here”. This is polite and
friendly. You will either get an aggressive response in
which case you wouldn’t want to sit there anyway or
people will say they don’t mind. It is often a good way
of striking up a conversation with a stranger.

Who you looking at?

If you are staring around a bar and you meet
somebody’s eyes, scratch your nose and pretend you
are admiring the decor. Staring at some people can be
seen as a challenge. Most fights start over very minor
incidents, like bumping into somebody. Apologising is
the best response. If you spill somebody’s drink, offer
to buy them another, it’s what you would expect in
return. Even if you think you are in the right a simple
apology is the easiest way of diffusing any situation.
Remember that you are bumping in to somebody who
has been drinking and may be looking for an excuse
to start a fight. Even if somebody is rude and half your
size, apologise. After all even if you win a fight, you’ll
get chucked out, it’ll ruin your evening and you never
know if they have a group of friends who could join in.
 Keep your gob shut
There is nothing wrong with having a laugh and humour can
often diffuse situations. But witty retorts or clever comments
can often lead to trouble when made to the wrong person
especially when drink is involved. A recent incident that led to
a murder, saw a young student argue over who was next in a
taxi queue. He was threatened and walked away, but turned
round and said “Why don’t you just grow up”. For this he was
chased and beaten to death. If you get involved in arguments
with strangers, what you may think of as a witty retort may
humiliate somebody so that they feel they have to kick off to
save face.

Most fights start with a verbal argument or threats. Don’t get

involved in these or if it starts break off, say something like
“All right, I’m sorry, I don’t want any trouble, let’s just leave it
there”. Try not to threaten people to leave you alone as this
only works with people who were never going to fight in the
first place.
Stopping it starting
If it looks like somebody is ready to start a fight, slowly put
your hands up, palms out in a passive way, say in a loud voice
that you wish to avoid violence, “Look I don’t want any trouble,
I don’t want to fight”. This lets any friends of the other person
and security staff know you are not the aggressor and they may
well intervene. If they have a weapon again make it public “He’s
got a knife, I don’t want to fight”. Try reasoning, “Look if we kick
off, we’ll both get kicked out and we’ll both end up in the cells,
let’s just forget it”. If they push or prod you, say again, “Don’t
touch me, I don’t want to fight”. Sometimes distracting tactics
may work, “This is a pub full of people out for a quiet drink; my
wife is over there; the police have been called, etc”. If they back
off walk away slowly keeping your eyes open but not staring
them out.
If it kicks off
You have the legal right to defend yourself if attacked, providing
you do not use excessive force. If you are in a situation where
there are more people involved try not to let it escalate. If you
can, get away and out of the place, don’t hang about in the
toilets waiting for round two.

To leave or not to leave?

If you can leave safely it is often the best way of getting out
of a confrontation. Get out quickly and go somewhere else,
don’t hang around outside. If you have been involved in an
incident that has resulted in violence, you will probably be
chucked out anyway. If there is a risk in leaving, for instance
if you think you will be followed or they have been thrown out
or are waiting to attack you outside, try and explain the risk
to the staff or bouncers. Try and ring for a taxi to take you
somewhere else and try and get the manager or staff to escort
you to the door. After all it is not in their interest to have it kick
off outside their place. If you really think you are in danger and
getting a taxi is not feasible try and call the police.
Bouncers
Bouncers should all be trained and registered, all door supervisors
should wear a badge with an ID number. If you are assaulted
or treated badly you should complain or report them to the
manager, or police if it is more serious. Having said that,
being a ‘bouncer’/security staff is not the easiest job in the
world. It is often unclear who is the aggressor in any conflict.
All a bouncer may see is trouble in the bar or club, and their
response is to quite naturally get it sorted and get all those
involved in the trouble out of their premises. If you are rude
and aggressive to a bouncer you can expect to be met with a
fairly aggressive response. If you are innocent or in danger
if you are chucked out, try to explain the situation calmly.
In any case being polite to a bouncer is going to get you a
better response than shouting and screaming.
Weapons
If you carry a weapon, you are not only breaking the law, but
you are upping the stakes. You will find that you will be met
with equal force or have the weapon taken off you and used
against you.

Gangsters
If you walk in to a place and a group of gangsters is in
residence or you’re already inside and a group walk in, get
your coat on and walk out. Even if you have paid good money to
get in, get out. Write to the manager and tell them that you and
your friends will not go there until they sort the problem out.
There is no easy solution to the problem of gangsters in clubs
and bars, but if all decent customers boycott the places until it
changes, the management and police will have to deal with it
or they will go out of business.
Getting home
Driving
If you are driving, do not drink or take drugs at all.

Taxis
Either use a black cab from a rank or ring for a minicab.
Unlicensed taxis are unregulated and risky. They will not have
insurance that covers you should there be an accident, and you
could be stepping into a car with a very dodgy individual.

Taxi ranks have been mentioned as trouble spots, so leave a bit

earlier to avoid the queues. It is worth remembering that taxis
will not take you if you are too drunk or look as though you are
going to puke.

Buses, tubes, trams and trains

Find out in advance if there are late night buses, trams, trains
or the tube. They can be rowdy, so if other passengers look like
trouble, sit away from them or near the driver if on a bus.

Most of these vehicles have

emergency buzzers and
will respond if there is any
trouble. There are usually
emergency buzzers at
stations as well.

Stations are often

covered by CCTV. If
you are in trouble
don’t walk away
from the station
if it is late at
night. Ring the
station emergency
buzzer and wait for
them to send for
the police.
 Police
As we explained at the beginning of this booklet, the vast majority
of people will go out and have a good time without coming to
any harm. If there is trouble there is often a reluctance to report
things to the police. Either through some sort of mistrust or a
belief that they will not bother to do anything about it. Unless you
report it, somebody else will be next.

If you experience a serious assault, report it immediately to the

police, any delay may lose forensic evidence. The police may be
able to get witnesses or CCTV evidence. Even if you are drunk
or have taken drugs, report it.

For advice and information

about drugs or drinking contact:

code A24 | version 1.2

Print date 04/2014 | Review date 04/2016

aims
To look at common causes of alcohol related
violence and suggests ways of avoiding them.

audience
Students and young people aged 16+

content
Some swearing. Cartoon images
of drug taking and violence.

funding
Self-financed.

To re-order go to exchangesupplies.org
Published by: Exchange Supplies, 1 Great Western Industrial Centre,
Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1RD. Tel. 01305 262244

Text and illustrations by Michael Linnell. With Thanks to: Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester
Pub and Club Watch, Manchester Students Unions, Healthy Gay Manchester, Manchester City Council.