If the club is empty, is free entrance still a deal?

On our way back to the car after the show tonight, Heidi and I walked past a fairly hip club. By hip I mean that it was new-looking, modern, and well, club-like. Outside the entrance, on the sidewalk, there were two bouncers and a guy who probably was the list - keeper.

Now, remember this is Thursday night. Its 11pm and I must say the streets were really quiet. Very little action. Heidi and I were probably the only foot traffic these guys had seen in the last 30 minutes.

Where they were standing was right in the line of the sidewalk were on. Strategic for them, unfortunate for us. It forced us to walk past them and have some sort of interaction, ever brief as it may be.

Sure enough, as we passed by them, they asked us if us "ladies wanted a drink tonight." Bad question #1. We said no thanks. Not taking no for an answer, the list man, in all his smooth-talking ways asked "Not even if I could get you in for free?" Wrong question #2. I told him we were cheap -- that we don't drink. He looked rather dejected at that point and even a bit surprised.

But here is my thought. Its Thursday night, at 11:15pm, on a quiet street and a relatively empty club. How is free entrance a deal to me?

Now, if it was a weekend, the club was hoppin' and I was looking for a fun night, perhaps free entrance would be seductive. I mean, there would be a small token of sacrifice on his end and I would feel like I was getting some special treatment; a deal of sorts.

But, forgive my philosophical musings -- we're not talking trees in a forest. Rather, just a few guys trying to hustle up some opportunistic business. Thought-provoking for me, unfortunate for them.

Better luck next time boys! (just remember, a deal is only a deal if its a deal....and free is never free....)