So tonight I had a cartel put a threat against my life for 30min... I work in nightclubs taking photos and someone tried to trip me; I kicked them back without knowing who it was and suddenly I had 6 older Asian or Hispanic gentlemen grabbing me threatening me. I took some photos of them and they calmed down but security almost intervened twice to rescue me when some younger guy attempted to fight me. From what I was told they are the cartels and should always be handled with respect and if something happens to walk away.... but in this case I could not walk away since they paid over $1000 for the booths and were harassing me for photos... So what should I do next time... I honestly was in fear for my life for 10min tonight since I know if the people wanted to try something it would happen long before the bouncers would have seen it...
Honestly, I'd say don't kick people back. As you've put you 'work in nightclubs' you have an air of professionalism to uphold. If people are being abusive to you, that's what security is for, and I imagine a lot of people would think (wrongly) that it's funny to try and trip someone, but would be somewhat annoyed at being kicked, cartel or not.
I'm unclear as to why you couldn't walk away. Are you saying that the people who threatened you are the ones who contracted you for the photos? Honestly, when it comes down to it your life is worth more than $1,000. You know you work in a nightclub environment, and you now know that the job comes with a certain risk. Don't kick back; just move on and concentrate on your job. If things escalate, then be prepared to just leave. If the thought of walking out of a gig makes you uncomfortable, you can always add an appropriate "fear for my life" clause in your contract. The other option is to choose not to work in clubs that you know to have a certain reputation. Still, it could be worse. You could be dealing with angry brides.
Thanks for the advice guys, the reason I couldn't walk away was because I kept getting blocked by one of the younger more aggressive guys in their group and I was getting asked to take photos by the older people in their group. To put it this way, when I said kicked back, I felt the guy hold his foot out to trip me and so I pushed back with my own foot not knowing who it was. And i'm glad I don't have to deal with angry brides Super lol
Speak to whoever's joint it is / whoever's running the show. If they appreciate your relationship they'll support you and look for ways of protecting you while you work. If they're not prepared to support you then you either need to bring your own backup or submit to the intimidation and go elsewhere.
