The place we wound up going to was a place called Rookee's in Ventura, CA. Here is their yelp. As soon as we went to enter I already felt out of my element. There was not a venue fee like the last place I had been, which was a great plus, and the dress code was much more lax, but one of our party who was wearing a plain tee-shirt was turned away, and he had to go back to his car to change shirts.
My purse was taken and inspected, which I understood, and expected, but they took my UN-opened bottle of water, stating that water was free (the other place I had been water had not been free) and I would have to get it inside if I needed it, and made me leave it outside.
[Now THIS is a HUGE thing I now take issue with because when I was in there last night, there were young ghetto young men wearing large plain baggy white tee's and they had bottles of Gatorade and water that they brought with them straight from the outside. They were breaking both the dress code and the liquid policy that had been enforced on my party previously!]
But that is just the top crumb of ice of the iceberg of this place. OH I will keep linking reviews everytime you see a link to the name.
When I had gone to Rookee's before in July, I had a great time, for most of it. I had a bunch of narcotic medications, and I asked if it was a problem, perfectly ready to have it run back to the car, and I was told it was no problem, so long as I had my ID. The water was the ONLY issue. Then I was given clearance inside, and waited on a chair for our friend to return with proper attire to join us all.
The front security Rookee's staff actually seemed really nice! (I find that review-if true very hilarious by the way.) When some guy kept talking to me they made sure he wasn't bothering me, and when my friends finally came in they made sure that they were not harassing me, and they were friends, lol. Great, great, outdoor staff. If the rest of the staff were this well organized and kind, this place would be great.
In comparison, when I went last night, on Friday, it seems they upped security some with a light scanning for fake IDs. The man who was checking mine was also scratching it all over and bending it all around nearly trying to break it, as if he were sure I was under-aged... which I guess I shall take that as a compliment? Once I finally retrieved my ID, I offered my bag to be checked, but I was waved through and shrugged it off. I did take some prescription medication within 20 minutes of my arrival both times I came there.In July, and last night in September.
So the taking of my waterbottle pissed me off because I like having my own personal water when being in places like bars, but I got over it quick, although with what happened I wish I hadn't. And the whole ID scrutiny thing from last night was just amusing.
Last night I checked around, didn't see much going on, so I plopped down on a seat and began to talk with my friend. He ordered me a screwdriver. LAST time I am going to order a screwdriver at Rookee's without talking to the bartender myself. That review might be old, but... oh here! Another review that is newer saying the same thing. Like watered down, bottom shelf, charged like top shelf, complete crap... ugh, it was rather disgusting, and I usually like screwdrivers a lot, that is the only reason I usually drink them! Or else because someone else paid for them, and I feel obligated to. Thank god for the thin slice of orange that was on the glass, it was like sip, orange suck, sip, orange suck.
But we were talking for quite a while, hours.
Now there is something that has been plaguing me for some time, many many months... Actually years now. Most likely due to my thyroid. I randomly can randomly start to nod off like completely in the middle of being completely aware and awake, because the doctors are still working on getting my thyroid levels normalized.
I've fallen asleep in the middle of eating, like literally food in mouth, french fries for example. I was falling asleep trying to eat pumpkin pie and kept vehemently arguing with my friend for him to not take it away because I was eating the damned thing, unaware that I kept falling asleep. Playing the computer. Suddenly I am dead in World of Warcraft. Suddenly the movie I was watching on Netflix is over and I am very confused.
Well since I was put on my thyroid medication about three weeks ago now, I have lost weight and these incidents have decreased dramatically, but they still occur some.
I guess at some point that happened to me while I was talking to Nathan. All I really need to do it be told, pop a caffeine pill, shake myself and then I am good. He didn't tell me that I was losing time, instead a bouncer came over and demanded to me that I needed to leave and I needed to leave NOW.
Well I live in a civilized society. This Rookee's like's to purport itself as a higher end place, espcially with how much it charges for it's #$^ing drinks... So when I asked why I was being told I needed to leave, of course the answer I received was "You have to leave now!"
Um... yes, you just said that dude... could I get a reason.
Now, this had actually happened to me the first time I went to Rookee's back in July. I was thrown out after on the dance floor I was having a great time until this guy came up and started to dance with me. First it seemed fun, funny, but then he was like all over me, and I kept trying to move away, but I was backed into a wall! I was beginning to panic and then, I saw security! My heart fluttered, I was thinking, oh my god I am saved!!!
"You both need to go, NOW!"
I was shocked, scared, and surprised as to why I needed to go. I had been trying to get away from this guy who had been... dancing me up? I guess that would be the best way to phrase it, but there were two bouncers there. One had grabbed him, and the other more gently grabbed my arm, my good arm, and my cane clattered to the floor and I nearly fell down from the sudden change of momentum and lack of support.
I am hoping that he hadn't realized that I actually had had a cane, and he let go and picked it up and handed it to me and he gave me a minute to set my put on my shoulder straight, and offered his arm for me to take with my free hand, so I could use my cane, and once we got out off the dance floor I paused and held him back and pleaded if I could hang back away from the man who had been danced practically on me! I had been trying to get away from him. Also why was I being asked to leave? I wasn't trying to break any rules... I was just having fun dancing and didn't know what to do when that guy got... so aggressive.
He told me it wasn't how that guy was dancing on me, it was because I was obviously drunk.
I had had no alcohol the entire time that I had been there.
I agreed to leave once I saw the man leave, and he told me that he would bring me the manager to speak to because I hadn't had any alcohol to bring, the bouncer understanding my anxiety about the situation, and I walked steadily, with my cane, out the door to the outside where to my chagrine the man was outside the line of the outside portion of the bar. The outside bouncers said I could stay outside behind them until he departed, and they were very nice. They also told me that no manager was going to come. Now that I was outside the doors, that was it.
I was infuriated. Once my friends had come out, I was encouraging them to stay, but they didn't want to on behalf. I kept trying to get attention of the staff inside but was continually ignored, no manager would speak to me because I was a girl drunk off of the cup of water I had drunk... that someone drugged.
Somewhere between my friend's friend's friend fetching it, something got into it, and it reacted badly with something else I took. I was a tad unsteady on the dancefloor, I had been dancing without my cane for a while, when the bouncer took me, I had been using my cane again, I had needed my cane to steady myself. But after yelling that I wanted a manager for around 45 minutes of getting kicked out, waiting outside, pacing outside, and such, whatever was in the water ....or did ...a staff gave me some water too....
When I was pulled off the floor a staff gave me water...
Well regardless, within 45 minutes I went from I just needed my cane to steady myself to suddenly I felt very impaired. I'd never in my life been like that. Not even when I'd had percocet, been given too high a dose of Dilaudid at the hospital, this was something even worse than that.... it was even worse than when I had OD'd on medication and alcohol somehow...how was that possible? It must have been something new. It took two people to literally walk me into my room that night... All cause they wouldn't let me have my water bottle, but of course ghetto guys can bring theirs in. I should have gone to the hospital, gotten blood drawn and held the club liable.
Well last night I go in I actually did have an alcoholic beverage, sometime around 10:30, maybe 11. We sat down and we had a lot to catch up on. We haven't seen one another in quite some time. Thankfully when he got us water it tasted a lot better than the water I remember having before, and I guess I started to drop off at around 12:30 or 45, but because I am completely unaware that it is happening unless I see a clock or some other way to really gauge time, I had no idea it was happening... until- "YOU- YOU HAVE TO LEAVE!"
So we are back at this part of my story about last night. It had been hours since I'd consumed any alcohol but whilst talking to Nathan occasionally I would close my eyes for a few moments, but still work my mouth speaking to him. My contacts getting dry. I could barely see the man now adressing me, so I went into my purse to get my contact solution, knocking out several prescriptions in the process to try to rewet my eyes as I adressed him as politely as I could in the loud environment. Nathan, my friend, was sitting to my right, blocking my immediate way to stand and leave, and the bouncer was addressing me from right behind me. "Excuse me, I'm sorry, I don't know what rule I broke, why do I have to leave? Are you closing?"
Nathan was already trying to dissaude me from asking the man the why, and getting me to go, but I knew from experience once I left, that there would be no discussion. So as I rewet my eyes and I could see much clearer, the man simply puffed his chest bigger as if to appear more threatening and said, "NO. YOU JUST HAVE TO LEAVE NOW!"
Then he spotted the prescription medications that were in my purse and yelled at me in an even louder and almost accusatory voice, "WHAT ARE THOSE?! HOW DID YOU GET THOSE IN HERE?!!"
"Those are my prescription medications for medical conditions I have. I offered my purse to be ch--" I was going to say I offered my purse to be checked at the door, but I was waved through, so I figured that I was fine. I had been here just a couple months ago with less prescriptions in my purse, and it had been no problem, the only problem that I had been told of was bringing in bottled water.
"YOU CAN'T HAVE THOSE IN HERE!!!" he screamed at me, moving closer to my face. I am sure that if I was a man, he would have grabbed my color... maybe if I had been wearing a color he would have. Thankfully I had a low cut tank top that offered little to be grabbed and brought to his face so I was able to back away from the angry scary man.
"I've been here before and it wasn't a problem!" I retorted, trying to regain some control, because he is just some bouncer. "I need to speak to your manager."
"NO! You need to get out of here now!!!" He yelled at me, moving up the steps that were towards Nathan and Nathan moved out of his way leaving me with my cane and my purse and items on the table..
"I am willing to leave, but I still need to speak to a manager." I again requested as I meticulously, but quickly and deftly, put everything away. Completely ready to walk away from the booth I did not get out.
"YOU need to GO now!" the man yelled at me in frustration as if I could not get it wrapped around my head that I needed to be gone with. At this point I wanted to see a managerial staff or be forced out at this point, or hear a better reason as to why I was being asked to leave....like... any reason?
"I still haven't been told the reason you are removing me." I stated calmly. This man, he appeared like every step I was withholding from him simply to piss him off, but I was merely trying to be treated like a decent human being and not some animal.
Another staff member comes up and notifies me that despite my articulate questioning of why I am being asked to leave, "You are clearly intoxicated, that's why you have to go!"
"I'm intoxicated?" I asked this new person, incredulously not believing their gall. "I had a single drink hours ago."
"We saw all the prescriptions that were in your purse and you are obviously intoxicated." The man smartly replied. I nodded to him, agreeing that in his eyes, well yes, this very well could seem like I was under the influence or high, intoxicated being the completely wrong term and the business having no legal right to throw me out on those grounds of be being affected of side affects of my own prescription medication, but alright, I won't argue pharmacology, and my specific issues. "I saw you doze off a couple times, you are under something."
So I sighed, stood up steadily with no waver, but did use my cane as my back was hurting, rubbed it a moment, apologizing asking if I could have a second before I headed towards the door. "I actually have a hormone issue that causes me to randomly fall asleep at times, but I'm working on treating that, but I will assume that such medical conditions and pharmacology are above your expertise, sir," I said, not sure if it was loud enough for him to hear. Turns out he was the manager.
He told me that if I were to come again that prescriptions would be checked in the front like with the coats, which actually would be something that'd put my mind at ease-- I wouldn't feel like I have to guard them. Grab a couple for a night, and that's it. But still, my medical issues, that I would be thrown out again if I came alone... drugged? What if I hadn't had friends...?
Within the hour I was out of it after being drugged by that simple water back in April, thank you bouncers for catching the drugged girl and saying she was drunk and throwing her ass out in the street.
Oh and the symptoms I was displaying when I was "clearly intoxicated" with my friend Nathan, sometimes when I have short missing periods of times like that is when I might have a seizure. Is this establishment going to be a place that you are only going to be allowed to go if you are perfectly healthy, able-bodied, and not currently on any medication, and if you get drugged- heh- good luck- they will put you on the street so the person who drugged you can try to get you in their car.
I mean, I like the music, I like the scene... but how do you change 80% of the staff, and the low quality liquor. It seems like they are bottom welling a lot.
I hope I will be able to update this someday and say that my mind has been changed.
If anyone knows of fun places in Ventura that you can dance, enjoy nice music house, trance, even metal, I am always open to hear about it.
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