Bouncers of bars, pubs and discotheques, who found themselves out of work for over 10 weeks following the closure of these establishments, are back in demand at malls and markets as desperate store owners look for \u201cable-bodied\u201d men to enforce social distancing among customers. <\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe job description has changed from chasing away rowdies at night clubs and taking care of drunk revellers to doing temperature checks at entrance of markets, regulating the crowd, enforcing social distancing and \u2014 in some instances \u2014 prevailing on stubborn people \u201cpolitely\u201d for wearing masks.
At least six wholesale and retail markets and one community market in central Kolkata have hired the services of safari-clad bouncers.
\u201cTen of them arrive before the market opens and take up position in front of the different gates. They have been instructed to tell every visitor to wear masks. They check the temperature of people at the gate and ensure that they enter in an orderly manner,\u201d said Chandresh Ramani, joint secretary of the Central Kolkata Electrical Goods Association.
Almost all markets hire private security guards for security and safety purposes. \u201cBut most people, including those who work in the markets, were not listening to them. We were compelled to hire bouncers because nobody wears masks and many people have taken ill already,\u201d said Govardhan Saraf, president of the Tiretta Market Shopowners\u2019 Welfare Association, located opposite Poddar Court. For the bouncers, this is not only a new job but also a lifestyle change. \u201cIn my previous job as a bouncer at a Camac Street Pub, I would work till 3 am and sleep the whole day. I am doing just the opposite now, sleeping early at night and waking up by 6 am because my new job demands this,\u201d said Mohammad Saddam Hussain, a resident of Eden Hospital Road who has been working as a bouncer for over four years.
With no word on the reopening of bars and pubs amid mounting cases, the future of thousands of bouncers and other support staff was uncertain. Many who work as bouncers have had to set up gyms at home because staying brawny means staying in business.
Working as a bouncer in a market not only means taking a substantial pay cut, there is also no scope for tips. \u201cBut something is better than nothing. Most of us have run out of savings. We were in desperate need for work. In bars and pubs, our main income was from tips by generous guests. In this job, we have to depend on the salary which is not very high but enough to meet our expenses,\u201d said Ishtiaque Khan, a resident of Mechua and a bouncer for over eight years.
Visitors to the markets are taken aback when stopped at the gates by these bouncers. \u201cMost people do not wear masks properly. We stop them and make them adjust the mask. They stare at us in disbelief,\u201d said Kamlesh Singh, who has been a bouncer for over 10 years. <\/div>\n