# How does Coyote Ugly get away with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006 "2009-03-10T21:07:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/1 "2009-03-10T21:07:43Z")
Making the waitresses dance on the bar, that is. Isn’t that unsafe? Not to mention unsanitary? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/2 "2009-03-10T21:20:07Z")
:dubious: I’ve only been to the one in Philadelphia and dancing on the bar is the least of things to worry about, if those are the kinds of things people worry about. My favorite was sitting on the bar, leaning back and taking a shot directly from the bartender who was kneeling behind me, so that her meaty bits were in my face - while she had the shot glass held between her lips (the oral ones sicko) and “poured” it into my mouth. I wore most of it but it seemed worth the trouble. Also, my description is awful, but it was a blast. Also, ditto the same sort of move with a maraschino cherry. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/3 "2009-03-11T04:33:26Z")
By not hiring buzzkills to work there and not catering to the buzzkill clientele. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/4 "2009-03-11T04:46:34Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Making the waitresses dance on the bar, that is. Isn’t that unsafe? Not to mention unsanitary? > > 😕 I assume that they don’t MAKE the wait staff do this, but everyone knows how to get tips in that place. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/5 "2009-03-11T16:23:47Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > I assume that they don’t MAKE the wait staff do this, but everyone knows how to get tips in that place. Still, they train them to do it. Happy Scrappy Hero Pup: whether or not they hire buzzkills or cater to buzzkills is beside the point. Inspectors come in whether you want them to or not.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/6 "2009-03-11T16:48:11Z")
somehow, I think the alchohol content kills any germ concerns - its not an operating room, its a freakin bar! ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/7 "2009-03-11T17:18:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Making the waitresses dance on the bar, that is. Isn’t that unsafe? Not to mention unsanitary? Maybe I just go to particular active bars, but I can think of plenty of places where female patrons are encouraged, toward the end of the night, to get up on the bar and dance. Unsafe? Probably, except there are plenty of people clustered around to catch anyone who stumbles. Unsanitary? It’s not like you’re eating off the bar, you know. Anyway, having women dance on the bar - for money or for fun - is fairly common, so either it’s not illegal or inspectors have a habit of looking the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/8 "2009-03-11T18:47:55Z")
> [@](#): > > so either it’s not illegal or inspectors have a habit of looking the other way. Or they have a habit of looking the same way very intently. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/9 "2009-03-11T18:54:07Z")
I would think that it’s a requirement to be able to perform. There are many occupations that outline the job requirements, such as lifting boxes over 50 lbs, or climbing tall ladders. It is not unreasonably dangerous to dance on a bar. If we started with dangerous occupations and outlawed the dangerous parts of the job, then we might not be able to hail cabs, eat certain fish or call for a fireman. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/10 "2009-03-11T18:55:47Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > Maybe I just go to particular active bars, but I can think of plenty of places where female patrons are encouraged, toward the end of the night, to get up on the bar and dance. Unsafe? Probably, except there are plenty of people clustered around to catch anyone who stumbles. Unsanitary? It’s not like you’re eating off the bar, you know. Anyway, having women dance on the bar - for money or for fun - is fairly common, so either it’s not illegal or inspectors have a habit of looking the other way. There was a major lawsuit around here lately where a female patron sued the crap out of a sports bar, because she got drunk and while dancing on the bar, fell off and hurt herself pretty badly. I would think there’s a difference between that instance and having an employee who has probably signed some sort of release dance on a bar. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/11 "2009-03-11T18:59:34Z")
I think everyone should get a government approved bacta tank and work remotely through a robot proxy, you know, just to be safe, make sure that no one gets hurt while out living their lives. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/12 "2009-03-11T19:08:27Z")
> [@Mr Bus Guy](#): > > I would think there’s a difference between that instance and having an employee who has probably signed some sort of release dance on a bar. One key difference is that employees generally can’t sue their employers. Their rights are limited by workers’ compensation laws. I’m surprised that bars that allow patrons to bartop dance don’t require them to sign releases. Maybe they do. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/13 "2009-03-11T19:11:45Z")
I’ve been in quite a few bars where they employed young men to dance on the bar in sneakers or socks and very small underwear (and in some cities, even less). The bar is rarely a place where you actually eat anything but hand snacks (peanuts, etc), and I imagine that bartenders in such places are instructed to be VERY vigilant about cleaning up any drink spills, etc. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/14 "2009-03-11T19:14:58Z")
> [@Gfactor](#): > > One key difference is that employees generally can’t sue their employers. Their rights are limited by workers’ compensation laws. I’m surprised that bars that allow patrons to bartop dance don’t require them to sign releases. Maybe they do. No, and it’s less “allow” and more “single out the drunkest women in the room and encourage”. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-coyote-ugly-get-away-with-it/489006/15 "2009-03-11T19:16:36Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > it’s less “allow” and more “single out the drunkest women in the room and encourage”. Well, I suppose you’re right about that.