N.J. Assembly OKs Ladies Nights at Bars

[Champ]

TRENTON, N.J. - It's unanimous: Women deserve a cheap drink, at least in New Jersey bars and restaurants. Despite an administrative ruling that says the ladies' night at a Cherry Hill bar and restaurant violated state civil rights rules, Assembly members Thursday said there ought to be a law protecting the practice.


The Assembly voted 78-0 to approve a bill making it legal for bar owners and others to offer special promotions such as charging women different prices for drinks. The measure was designed to specifically overturn that June 1 ruling.


"It defies common sense to view Ladies Night as anything other than a way for a bar or restaurant owner to stay competitive and successful," said the measure's sponsor, Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, a Democrat.


Earlier this month, the director of the state Division on Civil Rights ruled in favor of a man who said it wasn't fair for women to get into the Coastline bar and restaurant in Cherry Hill for free and enjoy discounted drinks while men paid $5 and full price for beverages.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&ncid=816&e=2&u=/ap/20040618/ap_on_fe_st/ladies_night

[eyesroll]

1. Oy. I'm a woman, I can theoretically benefit from Ladies' Nights, but

this is blatant sex discrimination, sorry. Not to mention it's usually a ploy to get more women in for the men to hit on.

There are equitable ways around this -- I'm OK with having a Ladies' Night one day and a Men's Night the next, or discounting drinks for everyone who shows up in a skirt.

I resent having to pay more for a haircut, so I ususally go to Supercuts or similar places where it's a cheap cut, the same price no matter what sex you are (they might charge more for long hair, but that's at least related to the service -- my hair is not hard or time-consuming to cut). Same with dry cleaning -- if the cleaner wants to charge $1.29 for a man's dress shirt but $2.29 for a women's blouse (without any pleats or ruffles -- basically, the same shirt with the buttons going the other way), I'll find a different cleaner.

But I can't have it both ways.