I thought they HAD to be grumpy assholes...

biggest offender...Jarrods Place.

I worked the door here and there in Boston between, say, 1994 to 1997.

At a place like Boston Billiards, the premise was pretty simple. Be nice, don't scare people away. We'd be scolded if someone left the place without us giving them some kind of 'goodbye' or 'have a good one.'

Before the Rat closed down, the policy was more like: affect a demeanor that indicates that terrible things will happen to people who do something stupid in here. I mean, there was a billyclub on the wall near the door.

The particular clientele of each place is what dictated the policy. But then the grumpy Rat doorman goes and looks for a job elsewhere, bringing all his harsh emotional baggage to a venue that doesn't require it.

Also, at least when I was doing it, we were the worst paid people in the building, which tends to make you grumpy...