Interview with the Bouncer: Shaun Davis of Poleng Lounge
(Davis at center.)
Shaun Davis a.k.a. “Muscles from Brussels”
Head Security at Poleng Lounge
By Jackie Lopez
Shaun Davis and his crew of five guard Poleng Lounge from the all too familiar hotheads of the Bay Area every night. On a recent evening, we chatted him up about life on the job...
When did you start?
In 2002. I did Gravity, Dolce, Apt 24, the Velvet Lounge, Cigar Bar, 443 Broadway, Sip Lounge, Fluid and now Poleng.
And how did you get started?
I’ve done this for six years now. I needed extra money and got offered a job; I thought it was good money while I was still in school. It still is.
What’s your biggest pet peeve, being a bouncer?
Drunk people, anxious people, “I didn’t know there was a line,” or “Is the line gonna move?” or “Seriously, you're gonna check my ID?” Oh, and people who don’t leave. Man, they need to leave when its done.
Describe the nightlife at Poleng.
Hectic. I work all over the place. I check IDs, stay at the door, answer stupid questions, go in and out with the crowd. The most important thing here is crowd control.
How many bouncers are there at Poleng?
There are five of us here any given night...Uhm, they’re a group of good guys...(all the bouncers chuckle) Fine. Fine. They’re filthy savages.
So, what’s the technique for controlling the crowd here?
If it comes down to it, being passive aggressive always works. (They all nod their heads.)
How do you like the scene here?
I like it better here. There’s not as much street traffic, and it’s a nice diverse crowd. But it’s a diverse crowd anywhere in this city.
What's the worst fight you had to get in the middle of here at Poleng?
There was a 15-person fight that spilled onto the streets this summer. A bunch of kids who weren’t regulars here started some trouble. It's hard controlling a drunk crowd in the streets with people cheering it on and others trying to stop it. When everyone’s mad drunk, no one will listen to anyone so you have to use force sometimes.
Yikes.
It’s stupid that I have to put myself in harm's way for someone else’s business. But hey, I’m after the safety of the rest of the people in here, not some guy who thinks fighting is a way to solve something.
What do you do outside of being a bouncer?
I have class. I work on cars. I’m a personal trainer. I train in Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu.
Give the clubbers a tip so as not to get on the bouncer's bad side.
The same rules apply for all clubs. If you come to a different club, expect the same rules.
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