Bachelor ban 'policy' put to the test

DOHA’s bachelor ban has caused confusion among the expatriate community, many of whom cannot understand why their movements are being restricted or where the rule is being enforced.

Yesterday, Gulf Times took two reporters and five malls and put the ‘policy’ to the test. Reporter SARMAD QAZI attempted to enter popular centres posing as a labourer and again dressed as a white collar worker. England-born reporter PETER TOWNSON visited the same outlets. This is what they discovered:

SARMAD QAZI

Sporting the ubiquitous labourer’s jumpsuit, I reached THE MALL at around 4.45pm. Parking was full, but the place wore a calm, deserted look. Using Gate 2, I entered the mall, whistling conspicuously.

Instead of a security guard spotting me, I intentionally approached him and questioned if my presence in the mall was any problem. The guard, who was also the security in charge explained that only during the Family Days (Thursdays and Fridays, 10.30am - 8.30pm) was the movement of bachelors inside restricted.

“However, due to the ongoing Doha Summer Festival, our management has instructed us to allow anyone,” he said.

Next stop was the extremely popular CITY CENTER, where the whole city had turned up or so it seemed. After parking across the street from the main entrance and crossing the road currently under construction, a barrier and four smiling security personnel greeted me.

“Family Day today, sir,” a pointing finger said and I walked away - along with hundreds of people, who appeared to be from low-income groups.

Half an hour later, and after donning a pair of smart denims and a Polo shirt, I walked through the barrier and the same group of ‘bouncers’ without anyone even looking at me.

I asked for the security in charge to explain the difference.

“You come here with dirty clothes and we will stop you. Weekends are off-limit for people who look dirty,” he said.

“So if a labourer tries to enter a mall during the weekend wearing ‘good’ clothes, the security won’t have any problem?” I asked. He responded to the question with a nod and I questioned how he distinguished between good and bad clothes.

“Well, you know, the construction-related apparel; clothes with paint; people wearing open-sandals with weird coloured check-shirts. You understand the ‘look’, right? The ones with unkempt clothes and maybe rough stubble. Our job is to ensure a peaceful and safe environment for families and ladies,” he said.

Meanwhile, around me I heard bachelors pleading with other guards. Among their reasons for wanting to go inside were, “I’ve come to Doha from as far as Ras Laffan, after two months” and “my family is already inside, I must join them.”

At the VILLAGIO mall, the jumpsuit was quickly detected and I was politely shooed away. However, once I had changed to my ‘good’ clothes no security man even raised an eyebrow.

The security in charge explained: “Thursdays and Fridays are for families only, but because the second time you were wearing ‘civility’ we didn’t mind. Also because of the Summer Festival, we are being lenient.”

Over at the HYATT PLAZA no one was being stopped at all. The security supervisor explained: “We usually have family days and post the signs outside. Because of the summer festival the mall has decided to welcome all.”

Meanwhile the LANDMARK mall was totally off-limit to me in both sets of clothes and using different gates.

One security guard said: “Even if you were wearing an Armani suit, I would not have been able to allow you in. We have been following this procedure for years now and we must understand that we are just doing our job.”

PETER TOWNSON

Out of the five shopping malls I visited yesterday afternoon, two were open as ‘family days’ restricting entry to a number of people, whereas three others granted access to all potential customers irrespective of their nationality or family status.

At CITY CENTER, there was a barrier at the front door, with a sign declaring that Fridays are ‘family days’ from 10am until 10pm. At the barrier were two security guards who were stopping any single men from entering, and in some cases were even checking documents before turning people away.

There were crowds of single men waiting outside the mall, trying their hardest to get inside, and some even tried to push past the guards to no avail. There were also guards on all the other entrances to the shopping centre, preventing any bachelors from entering.

However, it seemed to be predominantly Asian bachelors who were being stopped, as many single Arab men were allowed entry. The type and style of clothing also seemed to be a factor in deciding whether people would be allowed inside.

I was not even looked at as I walked into the mall, despite lingering by the ‘Family Day’ sign beforehand. Not once was I approached by either of the guards, and I was allowed to enter even as they stopped other single men who tried to enter at the same time as I did.

There was a similar scene at VILLAGIO, where the many doors were being guarded by security officials who explained that from midday until 10pm, no bachelors were to be granted entry. This resulted in great numbers of single men lining the outer walls of the shopping complex, waiting for others to join them in the hope of being allowed inside.

Once again, I was permitted to enter the mall with no problems and I was not even asked if I was meeting anyone or whether my family were going to join me. Whilst explaining that no single men were allowed, the security guards actually told me I could go wherever I wanted.

At the LANDMARK, unlike my colleague Sarmad, I was not only free to wander where I pleased, but I was even told there were no restrictions in place.

In fact, the only malls that appeared to allow free access to all on Friday afternoon were the Hyatt Plaza and The Mall.

These shopping centres do have boards displaying certain rules for behaviour inside the premises, but these are to maintain cultural customs and ensure that people are left to carry on in a comfortable environment without any hassle.