is this even legal?

[gossipgirl]

my friends and i went out to a club last weekend and when a friend of mine went to go outside for a cigarette she was told she would have to pay a quid to do so by the doormen. Is this legal? there must of been hundreds of people going out that night the club must of made a bomb

[bednobs]

don't see why not - think of it as a re-entry fee

[Barquentine]

Of course it's not legal! That doorman was being entrepreneurial and making quite a few fast bucks! Times must be hard indeed. What a jolly mean fellow - charging desperate addicts just for the chance to go end enjoy a quick fix.
Even though it's not legal - what could anyone have done? I guess if you'd threatened to leave the club and call the police he'd have backed down fast.

[Barmaid]

The Club can have whatever policies it wishes. They (in theory) do not have to allow you back in once you have been outside for a fag unless you pay the full entrance fee.

If the Club's policy is to allow people "pass outs" for free to have a ciggy, then yes, the doorman was making a fast buck. He is potentially in breach of his terms of employment and in theory could be criminally charged if the money went straight into his pocket.

Why not call the club and ask them what their policy is?

[Pigletion]

I've been at clubs where smokers have to re-pay entry fee every time they go outside for a smoke. It seems reasonable as clubs often are operating a one-in one-out policy due to numbers, so if someone has gone out for a fag, they can let someone else in and in the meantime someone else might have actually gone home so smoker can then return. The club do not have to let you go outside to smoke (and come back for free), it is not a necessity.

Although the doorman may well be making a quick buck!

[dzug]

Of course it's legal.

Even if the doormen were doing it as a private venture they are not acing illegally - breaching their contract with the club maybe but that's a civil matter.

[Barquentine]

Criminal Justice Act 1994
(2) For the purposes of this section�

( a ) a demand with menaces shall be unwarranted unless the person making it does so in the belief�
(i) that he has reasonable grounds for making the demand, and
(ii) that the use of the menaces is a proper means of reinforcing the demand;
( b ) the nature of the act or omission demanded shall be immaterial and it shall also be immaterial whether or not the menaces relate to action to be taken by the person making the demand.
(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable�

( a ) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding �1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both,
( b ) on conviction on indictment to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years or to both.

Check for case law to see how 'menaces' is defined - it could include barring re-entry unless you pay up.
If it's club policy a notice to that effect would need to be prominently displayed at the very least.
I think those doormen were more concerned about their patrons' health! They're just encouraging them to quit smoking. So don't be too harsh on them.

[Pigletion]

I was also thinking of in terms of the fact that it's a licensed premises, so they can refuse entry (or eject anyone) that they do not wish to serve. I assume this would also apply to re-entry.