Who’d Be A Bouncer Down Under?

It was Leanne Edelsten's first visit to Ivy, but the experience ensured it was her last.

And the whole of Sydney’s clubland probably breathes a sigh of relief….

The former Sydney socialite, now an intensive care nurse, had arranged to meet friends after work at the popular George Street venue around 9pm a week before Christmas last year.

The upstairs pool bar was ''overcrowded'' with ''mostly male patrons who were intoxicated,'' she recalled, with ''at least one'' of the barmen downing shots behind the bar as he lined them up for his customers.

Shock! Horror! You go to a bar and there are people drinking. And enjoying themselves!

Who expects that?

Uncomfortable, Ms Edelsten and her friends, who were sober, left within half an hour. On the way out she asked to speak to the head of security on the night and told him what she had seen.

Oh dear. This won’t go down well anywhere, I suspect, but least of all in Australia…

''I said, 'I've never been to your venue before, but you seriously need to look at your responsible service of alcohol regulations here','' she recalls.

Oooooh, can’t you just imagine the tone of voice she used, too?

''Rather than say, 'I'm really sorry madam', he said: 'Well lady, you are obviously pissed'. The assumption was I couldn't possibly be telling the truth''.

SNORK!

Outside, she said she called The Rocks police and reported what she had seen at the bar.

Eh…?

That’s something they can report to the police in DownUnderLand? "People are drinking in bars, officer! There should be a law against it!"

Seriously?

As she began walking home, the head of security and two bouncers followed her.

''They were in the background, saying 'You're pissed lady' and 'Who are you speaking to?' The head of security grabbed my arm and asked, 'have you got ID?''

Ms Edelsten said the bouncers would have followed her for half a block.

''The only reason I felt safe was because it was George Street with stacks of people around. But they were intimidating me,'' she said.

You felt safe, but they were intimidating you? At the same time?

Lady, you must have been pissed…

Ms Edelsten contacted the Herald after reading about 19-year-old Nicholas Barsoum, who was allegedly bashed by Ivy security guards in the club's basement following a fracas on Sunday morning.

The former model, once married to the colourful medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten, said she was acutely aware of the need for responsible service of alcohol due to her work as an intensive care nurse at St Vincent's Hospital.

Because they give her all the ‘pissed, fell over’ cases, do they?

Well, understandable. I totally would, if I was in charge! Just for the lulz…

''It's my job. I look after people who are beaten up by security. I'm looking after people who are having their heads beaten in''.

There’s so many of them they require their own nurse…?!?

Have you ever considered maybe asking one of your ER colleagues to have a look at the giant bug you appear to have up your arse, sweetie?

H/T: JohnB via Twitter