Bakersfield.com

I have had one of the worst weekends ever going out here in Bakersfield this past weekend.  And I've decided I want to share what I experienced in case there are any other people out there who have been going through the same. First of all I am a well established 24 year old local female who works monday through friday owns a home and is a respectful person. But I have come to a point that I am just sick and tired of the way the club owners, bartenders, and bouncers treat women in Bakersfield. I like to go out on my weekends I dont have children I like a chance to unwind and have drinks. But i really am not sure what my next step is to do that because I am completely DONE with the bar scene here.
 
Friday night a friend and I went to a bar we have frequented regularly for the last few years. The name of the bar is Martinis inside the Regency Lanes bowling alley. We arrived around 9:30ish that night and took a seat on one of the four white booths the bar has. We were in the corner watching videos having a few drinks and talking. Around 11:30pm, one of the security guards who we normally converse with on each visit to the bar walked over to us. He stated that he was sorry but the owner would like for us to move from our seats. When we questioned why he stated, the owner had a few people from France coming in and wanted them to have seats. I literally felt like Rosa Parks, I couldn't believe that this was ACTUALLY happening to us. Especially after being regular customers for so long. We got up closed our cards at the bar and quickly left of course. I started to think about it and was really angered. I don't understand by what process of elimination the bar owner decided we were the only two people who needed to move out of our seats for his "French" visitors to have the option to sit. Out of all of the people in the bar.  A few underlying factors came to mind. After going to this bar for so long I do know the owner has a track record of liasions with female customers, caucasion, blonde, and very petite, is preferred. He also requires his all female bartending staff to wear mini skirts to each shift. My friend and I are not skinny, not blonde, and not promiscuous. I would sum that up to a few very strong possibilites as to why we were chosen to move.
 
Saturday night, round two of the Bakersfield ignorance. After leaving another local bar, a small group of our friends decided to head to the glorified Cabana Palms. Which if anybody has any sense they know is actually just a mediocre attempt at being a west hollywood UNDERCOVER GAY CLUB. They are doing a very good job at disclosing it though. Now I myself have SEVERAL gay friends and don't discriminate on race, sex, age, or sexuality. What bothers me is that this man working at the door, who appeared to be wearing more foundation than any woman standing in line, was EXTREMELY RUDE. I was asking to use an atm, in order to pay the $15.00 cover charge, although it was 1:30am. The male who was wearing a "Plunging V" neckline tshirt, probably "Affliction" and a poorly done mohawk stated that the "ATM MACHINE" was broken, when I asked if I could just have the cashier slide my card he said that was broken too. I told him I found that hard to believe seeing as how I was just there on Thursday night and there were no issues to speak of as far as the atm, or card machine. He then said "they are not broken, you people need to know if you want to go to clubs, BRING CASH". I then shared some choice words with him. When I did that he snapped his fingers and asked the very large tatooed bald headed security guard, who to be completely honest STRONGLY resembled a German Nazi Soldier, to "handle me". I just cannot figure out why on earth this man would ask this huge guy who had to be at least 250 plus to in other words "rough me up". This is getting very sad and very out of hand. I am tired of being treated differently based on the bouncers opinions of whether or not im "attractive" in comparison to just treated me as any other paying patron at these bars/clubs.
 
I am going to move forward with filing any possible complaint on Martinis as well as Cabana Palms. If there is anyone else out there who has experienced something similar I would really like to speak with them. I've decided to handle this the correct way instead of getting angry and yelling or arguing with them. I think its time to make sure these places lose as much business as possible. The final end result just may be that they are CLOSED. If you cannot operate in an equal opportunity, non discriminatory way. Then you DO NOT deserve to be in business.