I Hate Hats II

[kiltie]

You may or may not remember my ill fated tongue in cheek "I Hate Hats" thread last May, but here's one from the gut:
It's rodeo season here in S.A., and things being what they are, a friend of mine and I ( mistakenly ) thought it would be a good idea to go to some C&W type places. I donned my Resistol Open Road type hat and hit the road. No incident at the first joint - smooth sailing. A coupla beers, listen to the house band, look at the girls... everything's okay. Unfortunately (?) like most places looking for a broader fan base, this place tended to get into the "poppier" fare. I'm not the world's biggest C&W fan, but I have a lot less use for top 40. That meant it was time to pull up stakes and move to higher ground.
The next stop was another popular C&W night spot. Now, like any other big town ( 1,500,000 pop ), S.A. has got it's problems with gangs, etc... A lot of places have adopted a policy in which you can't wear a hat, thus, ostensibly, not display colors. Long story short, I WENT TO A COUNTRY BAR, AND THEY WOULDN'T LET ME WEAR AN OPEN ROAD INSIDE!!! At the door, I was rebuffed, not by a 20-something-ish bouncer kid, but a man of at least 55 who looked me straight in the face and told me I couldn't take my hat in. I pointed through the door at another fella wearing your run-o-the-mill Stetson Western ( no offense - I'm not familiar with the styles ) and indicated that he had on essentially the same hat, only creased differently. The man was not moved by this, and restated I could not wear my hat into the bar. I'm not absolutly sure, but I may have used some profanity ( hey, it was 12:45 ), thus ensuring I would be denied admittance, but I couldn't have given a rotten fig.
Here's a grown up man who presumably grew up in a time when hats were FAR more common, and he doesn't recognize the hat HANK FLIPPING WILLIAMS WORE!!! What in the name of all that is holy!?! I can't imagine what particular dementia has afflicted the poor man, but perhaps we should keep him in our prayers.


Disclaimer: I'll add this, since it was lost in translation last time - I don't really hate hats. It's meant to be ironic.

 

[Sefton]

Judge not the hat by the shape of its brim but by the content of the character wearing it.

 

[avedwards]

Don't modern gangs wear hoodies rather than hats anyway? This isn't the 1920s. I don't know what it's like in the US but here in England a person in a hat is though of as old fashioned and therefore respectable. Hoodies are frequently banned in shops and clubs etc. But I have never heard of a hat being banned.

 

[nickn5]

I'll second that, avedwards, that in this country it's baseball caps and hoodies often banned, but wearing a fedora / homburg / bowler would probably not be a problem, as so few people do, and they don't tend to be associated with the thug element in the popular consciousness (apart from the occasional Mafia comments of course ) However I did notice that kiltie stated:

S.A. has got it's problems with gangs, etc... A lot of places have adopted a policy in which you can't wear a hat, thus, ostensibly, not display colors.

So I'd guess it's more to do with the gang culture and less the actual act of covering the head as a disguise, that is the reason. Either way, to refuse entry to someone in what might be thought of as an archetypal C&W hat seems absurd to me. Maybe kiltie should have said he was with the Good Old Blues Brothers Boys band from Chicago... we play both types of music, country AND western... lol lol

N.

P.S I'm finding that you have to have a thick skin at times to wear hats, after comments yesterday from work 'colleagues' asking what the 'horrendous' thing on my head was, and another one saying I was wearing a woman's hat... this with my Christy Knightsbridge grey on. :rage:

 

[Duck]

Long story short, I WENT TO A COUNTRY BAR, AND THEY WOULDN'T LET ME WEAR AN OPEN ROAD INSIDE!!!

See, this just shows that word of Rusty and his Thin Ribbon Gang has spread far and wide!!!!lol lol lol lol lol

 

[leo]

That reminds me of comedian Ron White's routine about getting kicked out of a bar for wearing his hat inside.

BTW, my bank requires customers to remove sunglasses and hats before entering.

Bill

 

[Nick D]

Don't modern gangs wear hoodies rather than hats anyway? This isn't the 1920s. I don't know what it's like in the US but here in England a person in a hat is though of as old fashioned and therefore respectable. Hoodies are frequently banned in shops and clubs etc. But I have never heard of a hat being banned.

I went to a pub with some friends last year and before entering I was instructed to remove my hat by the man at the door. I typically take my hat off as I cross the threshhold, or perhaps keep it on until I sit down, depending. What irked me was that once inside I was surrounded by college kids in 'fancy dress' wearing cheap straw cowboy hats, or others in other themes wearing other cheap hats.

 

[Hatsquad]

I love Texas. I visit often, but the PC , "treat everyone the same" mentality is taking over. Last year at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, we attended the post rodeo concert, and in an effort to treat everyone equally, the fellows selling plastic cups of beer in the stands had to ask for photo ID from EVERYONE! I'm 56 years old. Hello? Any common sense ? At least I was allowed to wear my Resistol. Again....I love Texas and Texans.

Regards, Gerry

 

[Thwack]

I had a similar thing happen to me years ago. The guy would not let me in with the hat but told me I could check it or bring it back to the car. He felt bad, it's not like a had a ball cap on backwards (the hoodies of my day). But rules is rules

 

[Sefton]

Here's what you do; find some Hasidic Jews who love Country music and show up to that place. If they refuse you entry with your hats on you show them you've got the ADL's number on your cell phone. Problem solved. If that doesn't work I know some Bluegrass Buddhists with a penchant for porkpies. Just send us some tickets...

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

God all mighty! Nothing seems what it used to be. And it looks like it's a homogeanization eusa_doh: ) downwards...
Sorry to hear of your troubles.
Better to avoid such places and go where we are welcome, too.
Paul

 

[Flitcraft]

Here's what you do; find some Hasidic Jews who love Country music and show up to that place. If they refuse you entry with your hats on you show them you've got the ADL's number on your cell phone. Problem solved. If that doesn't work I know some Bluegrass Buddhists with a penchant for porkpies. Just send us some tickets...

Man, I was just gonna suggest that!lol lol lol

 

[avedwards]

You could say that you have a skin condition requiring you to wear the hat for protection from light. If they refuse you entry you could tell them they're being discriminate.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

You could say that you have a skin condition requiring you to wear the hat for protection from light. If they refuse you entry you could tell them they're being discriminate.

Better not you may run into the angry man http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=38147lol lol lol

 

[ScionPI2005]

Judge not the hat by the shape of its brim but by the content of the character wearing it.

:eusa_clap

I believe that I too was judged for wearing a hat a few weeks ago, and though this is slightly fftopic:, I think its a similar situation. My dad and I were driving back from Texas, and stopped for gas around Santa Rosa, New Mexico. It was about 8:45 in the evening.

Now, besides getting gas, my dad and I were trying to decide if we wanted any snacks for the road. He and I are both pretty indecisive at times, so we spent a few minutes looking around the convenience store. I was wearing a suede jacket and my Akubra Stylemaster. My dad is wearing a leather jacket. Anyway, its apparent the convenience store workers became worried about us and thought we were going to rob the place. Next thing my dad and I know, they shut the lights out and the guy working the place has locked the main doors. My dad brings a bottled water up to the counter and asks if they're closing, and the guy says yes. Behind this guy stood another woman by a door leading to a backroom, and she had her hands behind her back. Anyway, after my dad bought the water, the guy goes to the door and unlocks it to let us out. My dad and I are both commenting on the odd situation on the walk back to the car. When we get to the car, we turn around and the lights are back on and the door is open.

My dad joked that they probably thought I was a gangster wearing a fedora.

 

[Goose.]

Maybe it was the "Support Your Local Crips" pin in the side of your Open Road and not the hat JK of course.

We have the gang syndrome here in my 'hood. And, I've been to a local bar where I was told by the owner, (and I can only surmise it was because of my hat) "we don't allow thugs in here". I replied, very politely, while tippng my Sydney to him, "well I'm glad to hear that...they scare me". He chuckled a bit and I ordered my Bud Light and played old Hank on the juke. Had a nice time, and guess what...no thugs came in.

Really wondering why the guy you saw in there was allowed to wear his hat. Don't get it. People want us all to be sheeple.

 

[DerMann]

I pointed through the door at another fella wearing your run-o-the-mill Stetson Western ( no offense - I'm not familiar with the styles ) and indicated that he had on essentially the same hat, only creased differently. The man was not moved by this, and restated I could not wear my hat into the bar.

You should have rebashed your hat like his on the spot

 

[kiltie]

You should have rebashed your hat like his on the spot

I did, in fact, do this at the first place we went to. Just for a little bit, but I didn't want to seem like I was patronizing the earnest Western wearers ( which, of course, I was... ). I was so aggitated that it didn't even occur to me to do that. Good call. I did try to show him the inside of the hat, explaining that once upon a time this was one of THE western hats, and that I'd in fact purchased it from a boni fide cowboy. The guy was obviously on some sort of power trip. The most disappointing part is, as I said, he was old enough to know better. My friend informed me today that the guy later said if I hadn't verbally assaulted him, he would have let me in. What a load of poo. He'd already told me I wasn't getting in with my hat, then he drops the: "Well I was going to, but now..." I think the last time I pulled that one I was about seven years old.

 

[demian]

Wow, this is all very strange.

 

[univibe88]

There are plenty of places that will happily take my money in exchange for precious, precious beer. I refuse to put up with lines, covers, dress codes or obnoxious bouncers for the privilege of spending my money on a beverage.