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Thread: Drinking water at freestyles

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    Drinking water at freestyles

    Hi All
    Just wondered what the general feeling was about the provision of drinking water. Don't know about other guys out there but I get as hot as hell dancing and lose a lot of fluid. Having been dancing Ceroc for 3 months now we have ventured out to a few freestyles and found that the supply of drinking water at the various venues is a bit pricey to say the least!

    Some examples (venue names not given to save any finger pointing)

    1. First FS we went to, took our water bottles (didnt know about the 11th commandment). Very stroppy person from behind the bar came across the room and informed us we must stop drinking our own water or we will be ejected! Went to the bar and was charged £1.50 for a small (250ml) bottle of still mineral water. This makes a pint of water more expensive than beer.

    2. Second venture out, no water bottles this time for fear of upsetting the water police . Mineral water £1.30 for small bottle. Again, 2 bottles more expensive than a pint of beer.

    3. Third visit. Asked if they did tap water. Very huffy bar person gave me 2 thin (empty) plastic cups and asked me for £2 (£1 per cup). When I asked where the water was she pointed to the toilets!

    4. Last FS, no tap water at all, mineral water £1.30 for small bottle.

    Is there a pattern emerging here? Can/do the Ceroc organisers do anything to require the bar providers to offer drinking water? Presumably the bar is provided as a service from the venue and if the organisers stipulated they needed to provide drinking water they would have to. I would guess that if I was running a bar and someone was providing me with several hundred potential customers I would be happy to comply with such requests.

    Am I making something out of nothing here? Is this just the way it is....

    Thanks
    Mark

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    Quote Originally Posted by marko View Post
    Am I making something out of nothing here? Is this just the way it is...
    It very much depends on the venue. Find a venue that is compatible with your needs. For me, a venue needs one or more of the following:
    a) Bring your own water.
    b) Free self-service tap water (jugs/fountains/taps/whatever).
    c) Bar-service tap water for around 50p.
    d) Good value non-alcoholic drinks that I like.

    I avoid the few venues that have none of the above. Bottled water is too bad for the environment, even where it's priced reasonably.

    I've never had anyone get in my face for bringing my own water, so I'd expect that to be an exception.

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    If you are taking your own water/drinks etc a bit of discretion is needed.

    DTS XXX XXX

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    frequent Ceroc Scotland venues. Most do free iced water.

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    My personal feeling is that this rule about not bringing your own water is there to be broken. It's not a law. It's never mentioned on any ticket or advert etc. It's now simply a scam in most places where it's enforced.

    I can see the thought processes behind restricting what drinks you can bring, and I've no problem if the prices are reasonable, but frankly it's now being abused beyond a joke with some of the prices.
    And having read somewhere else on this forum about Ceroc's attitude, if it's true, I think it's a black mark that Ceroc (or any other organisation) are party to upholding this scam against the interests of their customers.

    I have only been pulled up once. Some lady got in my face about it. I refused to give her the bottle and said I'd finish it outside. She relented and said 'do not let the boss see'. Some discretion is required I guess.

    If your prices are scandalous, take your own water, hide it, scam the scammers is what I say

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    Quote Originally Posted by TA Guy View Post
    ... And having read somewhere else on this forum about Ceroc's attitude, if it's true, I think it's a black mark that Ceroc (or any other organisation) are party to upholding this scam against the interests of their customers...
    Ceroc Central have the rule that customers should not bring their own water. Phil Roberts was the franchisee when this happened. AFIK he made considerable efforts to ensure that free or cheap tap water was available at his venues. At Kempston is 30p a pint, at St Neots it is 50p for a tumbler, drink as much as you like and at the Corn Exchange and Luton it is free.

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    Cool Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdjiver View Post
    Ceroc Central have the rule that customers should not bring their own water....
    That rule doesn't cover bringing an empty bottle with you which, you can fill from a tap inside the venue. Therefore not bringing a drink into the venue.
    "Excuse me, you're not allowed to bring drinks into the venue!"
    "I know. That's why I filled this empty bottle in the toilets with your water. Delicious."
    So for a perfect (CHEAP) night's dancing try these handy tips; and see the laydee's marvel at your thriftiness. You'll be beating them off with a stick (you can use a turkey foil tube as they are cheaper than sticks):
    • Bring an iPod you will always have great music to dance to.
    • If you bring along a small roll of lino the floor will not be too fast/slow.
    • A few of those flashing amber roadwork lights from the top of some traffic cones - hey presto Marc Forster-esque mood lighting.
    • Save £12 a head by using the dance venue known as Asda foyer - ready stocked with reasonably priced snacks too.
    • Save £££'s on dance shoes by simply rubbing lard into the soles of your trainers.
    With the cash you'll save think of all the beige tank-tops you'll be able to lash out on. It's time to unite against the scum helping to support this scandalous black market in selling stuff... for money. Business' these days are all scams designed to get your dough in some sort of fancy 'services for cash' smoke screen. There should be an enquiry. I suggest we phone the Daily Mail for a full, fair and balanced investigation - I wonder if they'll accept a reverse charge call.

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    I must point out that we have gone to great lengths regarding drinks and at all but one of our current venues provide free iced water, tea and coffee. We even take our own urns. Electric ones for hot and insulated ones for cold.

    Having said that, we have a venue where the it was really difficult to get the bar to stay open. The bar operator said it just wasn't worth him opening and staffing the bar as jivers don't drink enough - we get about 120 people a week at that venue. In the end we compromised with the owner of the bar. We pay him to keep the bar open, he sells bottled water at a reasonable price and we give away tea and coffee. We still get people bringing their own soft drinks and there is no problem - however, we also have a few chancers who bring their own beer! Not only that, they leave their empties for the bar staff to find at the end of the night. This is a serious offence as it's probably against licencing laws. So, it's not always the bar operator that gets it wrong or is profiteering, sometimes it's the punters who are taking the pi55.

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    Quote Originally Posted by marko View Post
    Hi All
    Just wondered what the general feeling was about the provision of drinking water.
    Mark
    I was at a venue a couple of weeks ago, the bar had shut a good hour or so before the event finished, fair enough, but there wasn't anywhere to purchase or obtain water full stop, no jugs were left out and a very unhelpful security person informed me there were no taps anywhere to get some from. Given the fact that the venue is booked for a dance event, and that the 'punters' had been spending money at the bar all evening some consideration should be given to the fact that people still having an hour or so to go might need some hydration!

    Thank goodness for Sunnybunny who, after asking most people in the hall, came to my rescue and magically produced a bottle out of nowhere........no funny comments please!

    It did seem ludicrous that I couldn't obtain any water, whether to pay for or otherwise, at a dancing event.

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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    Quote Originally Posted by StokeBloke View Post
    That rule doesn't cover bringing an empty bottle with you which, you can fill from a tap inside the venue. Therefore not bringing a drink into the venue.
    "Excuse me, you're not allowed to bring drinks into the venue!"
    "I know. That's why I filled this empty bottle in the toilets with your water. Delicious."
    So for a perfect (CHEAP) night's dancing try these handy tips; and see the laydee's marvel at your thriftiness. You'll be beating them off with a stick (you can use a turkey foil tube as they are cheaper than sticks):
    • Bring an iPod you will always have great music to dance to.
    • If you bring along a small roll of lino the floor will not be too fast/slow.
    • A few of those flashing amber roadwork lights from the top of some traffic cones - hey presto Marc Forster-esque mood lighting.
    • Save £12 a head by using the dance venue known as Asda foyer - ready stocked with reasonably priced snacks too.
    • Save £££'s on dance shoes by simply rubbing lard into the soles of your trainers.
    With the cash you'll save think of all the beige tank-tops you'll be able to lash out on. It's time to unite against the scum helping to support this scandalous black market in selling stuff... for money. Business' these days are all scams designed to get your dough in some sort of fancy 'services for cash' smoke screen. There should be an enquiry. I suggest we phone the Daily Mail for a full, fair and balanced investigation - I wonder if they'll accept a reverse charge call.


    Face facts... there's a lot of water/squash consummed at dance nights. Bar staff & bar facilities need paying for. Even the 'free water drinkers' might want a half of shandy once a year.
    As a responsible 'commercial operator' I try to do my bit by consumming at least 10-12 pints of lager per night. This ensures either free or low cost water for everyone else and the bonus... it improves my dancing and teaching, hic...

    I'm off out for a meal now and I'll be insisting on free tap water.

    Seriously though... organisers need to ensure the price of water is fair and club members should expect to buy a drink a night. The price of entry + a soft drink should be coming in at under a tenner. UNDER A TENNER FOR A NIGHT OUT!!!

    Lets do it!

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    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: Drinking water at freestyles

    The thing that gets me about paying for tap water/bottled water is that it eats up my budget for the evening. If there is free tap water at a freestyle, I'm actually more likely to buy a soft drink or glass of wine as water gets boring after a while, even though it is essential. So I'm probably going to spend the same regardless.

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