Oi! Oi! (Clubbing in general)

Member Name: Claribella

Product:	Clubbing in general
Date:	08/12/08 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excuse to dress up and look nice

Disadvantages: Alcohol, men and much more

When I was 15 years old I was allowed to go clubbing for the first time. I got my glad rags on and spent ages doing my hair and makeup then met with my girly friends and off we went. I loved it! I drank and I got eyed up by all the men and the drinking enabled me to have so much confidence that I spent half the night on the dance floor. From that moment on I was hooked. Every weekend I'd go through the same ritual for years on end.

When I got to the age of 19 years old my eyes were finally opened to the reality of this life I had been leading. I looked back on all of the nights out I had been on and a few things dawned on me.

Firstly I had spent so much money I could have bought a cottage in the countryside with a plot of land and some animals. Not only did I have to pay for drinks and taxis fares but it also cost a small fortune to get into a club. On average I was paying around £5-£10. I know it costs more in London and places like that but to us humble Plymothians that's a fair bit of dosh. I also used to buy a new outfit for almost everytime I went out because god forbid anyone would see me in the same clothes!
At one point I was out almost every night of the week so you can imagine the amount of money that just disappeared.

Secondly the whole scene is like a meat market. A lot of the people are there for one thing and one thing only. (For me it was the alcohol and nothing else. It gave me a confidence that I didn't have)They are hoping to get taken home by someone and some people are happy to do it there and then or in a back alley. I would get ogled at constantly (that's not being big headed because all of the men were eyeing up anything in a skirt) and on many occasions I would be walking around the club and getting touched by random hands. I was so drunk (by this time I had a bit of a reliance on alcohol, I wouldn't move from the bar until I could barely walk) I had no control over what my body was doing let alone what other people were doing to it.

Thirdly the clubs get so packed that you can barely move let alone dance. I don't understand how some of my friends say that they only go out to have a good dance. I don't think you can really dance because the dancefloor is rammed with so many bodies and if you bang into each other then half the time it ends in a fight. This leads me on to my next point.

The violence is ridiculous. I never actually got into a fight myself but I have come close. My brother who is in the height of his clubbing life at the moment has been involved in tonnes of fights and I have seen so many people get bottled or badly hurt because they are so fuelled up on alcohol that a wrong look can start an argument.

Not only is the drink a problem in the clubbing environment but the drugs have a big part to play too. In our area there was one club which was renowned for being a 'druggy club'. I never went in because it cost far too much and my brother has a drug problem so I steered clear but it was closed down a few years ago. The police raided it for drugs and found there was a ridiculous amount in pocession.
So many of my friends have had their drinks spiked and not even remembered how they got home. That's so scary to me! There wasn't much chance of this happening to me because as I said earlier I wouldn't leave the bar without being drunk. I never put my drink down because it was gone in one go.

Regardless of all the negative points I have mentioned I do think that the younger generation in this country need to experience the clubbing life. It is such a big culture in England and I know if I wasn't allowed to do it then I would have done it anyway. It's one of those situations where most children will probably feel that they are missing out on something spectacular if they don't do it. I'm not saying I approve of it and I really wouldn't want my boys doing it and if I had a girl I would feel even more strongly about her not going clubbing. In this country it seems to be a part of growing up and whether we like it or not it's there.

I went through a lot of bad experiences whilst clubbing but it has made me a stronger and wiser person. When I started going clubbing I was having a hard time in my life so the environment was a release from my problems. When I was doing it I loved it. Looking back now I realize I was very insecure and unsure of myself so the affirmation I got from other men in the clubs was what I thought I needed and the booze gave me a new found confidence. I'm not saying this is the case for everyone but I'm sure a lot of girls want to be loved and wanted so enjoy the attention they get from the men in the clubs.

I am happy to say that I have left this part of my life behind. I am happily married with two baby boys. I am so content with my life now and would be happy if I never went clubbing ever again in my life.

Summary: A meat market that is out of control