You know that classic saying, “It’s a free country”? Well, it turns out some people didn’t get the memo. Sometimes, we find ourselves in places and situations that make us wonder if we just stumbled upon a trivia night at a local bar or accidentally crashed someone’s midlife crisis support group meeting.

Imagine gearing up for a fun night out, only to get slapped with a “you can’t sit with us” sort of vibe, except it’s not high school, it’s a grown man acting like he’s the trivia night bouncer. Apparently, this Redditor’s presence alone was enough to throw off the delicate balance of his “bros-only” club.

More info: Reddit

Bar regular bans woman from joining trivia night, saying it’s a “guys only” event, she claps back, saying they should move their party to a private venue

Image credits: freepik / freepik (not the actual photo)

The woman starts joining trivia night at her local bar every Friday until one of the bar regulars tries to kick her out, saying she’s not welcomed there

Image credits: master1305 / freepik (not the actual photo)

The man tells the woman that the bar is a place where he and his buddies can escape judgmental women and her presence there would ruin the fun

Image credits: UnsafeSpacePlace

The woman tells the man to move his party to a private location if he doesn’t want any women present, as a bar is a public place, open to anyone

Friday nights were always trivia nights at the OP’s (original poster) local bar. This was supposed to be a fun time for everyone, and it was, at least until one woman unknowingly waltzed into what was apparently “sacred” guys’ territory. The OP had just started showing up for some fun rounds of trivia at this cozy place, but it wasn’t long before she was told she was not welcome there by one of the regulars at the bar.

According to him, this weekly trivia event was guys-only and a safe place for them to hide from the “judgement of women.” So, the OP’s presence there was completely unacceptable. And before you ask, no, he wasn’t the bar owner. In fact, he was just a regular who seemed to think he had VIP rights. Talk about gatekeeping.

So, when the OP was told to leave and take her unwelcoming vibes with her, she clapped back with a dose of common sense. “I told him he shouldn’t have it in a public bar,” the OP recalls. After all, if you want a guys-only hangout, maybe host it in a private place.

The guy stormed out in protest, and his buddies didn’t do so well without their fearless leader. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the OP’s boyfriend suggested she might have been in the wrong for not respecting the gatekeeper’s feelings.

Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)

A bit of empathy never hurt anyone, that’s true, but that doesn’t mean you have to indulge someone’s unreasonable demands. Plus, a little healthy competition adds spice to life, right? After all, trivia is supposed to be fun, not an exclusive club for the chosen few.

Bar trivia nights didn’t just pop up out of nowhere – they’ve been around since the 1970s, when two British folks cooked up the idea. They figured out that people loved showing off their random knowledge after a few drinks, so they created the first pub quiz to liven up local bars.

These days, what started as a quirky British pastime is a global trend. Now, from dive bars to fancy pubs, folks gather to test their brains while trying to juggle beer mugs. It’s like the Olympics of random facts—except with way more questionable answers and funny team names.

While we don’t know the gatekeeper’s “gentlemen’s club” name, we do know that he was, in some way, threatened by the presence of the OP. She was just there for a good time like everyone else, not trying to ruin the competition. Still, some people will hold on to any bit of control they think they have, even over something as simple as a Friday night trivia game, freaking out if they feel like they’ve lost control.

So, what happens when you have to deal with conflict with a stranger or a public confrontation? Well, in this case, standing your ground is less about who’s the loudest and more about who has the confidence.

ADVERTISEMENT

Don’t want to see ads?

Keeping your cool in such situations may not always be easy, but maintaining eye contact, speaking calmly but firmly, and sticking to your point without backing down are key strategies in asserting yourself. Seems straightforward enough, right?

But there’s a trick for doing this – not matching the other person’s energy if they’re getting heated. Instead, try to stay calm, say what you want to say, and don’t give in. And this is exactly what the OP did when she was asked to not show up to trivia night anymore because women were not “allowed”.

Does this make her a villain? Well, the Reddit community doesn’t seem to think so, calling out the ridiculousness of trying to turn a public bar into a “no-women-allowed” club.

What did you think of this story? Do you think the OP was a jerk for attending trivia night and “ruining” the secret gentlemen’s club? Let us know in the comments below.

Netizens side with the woman, saying she’s not a jerk for ruining the man’s favorite hangout spot by joining trivia night

ADVERTISEMENT

Don’t want to see ads?

Image credits: Ivan Dražić / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Poll Question

Thanks! Check out the results:

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Games

View all games

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!