Picture: A consumer (right) submits to an Asspria manager (left)
Intimidation and dominant behavior in an overcrowded club
Human domination and submission behavior can be understood by looking at the way apes behave. We are not that different. For more on that, check The Naked Ape by Morris (1). Sometimes, I even wonder if apes should not sue us humans for saying they resemble us. They do not wage war, mass killings, systematic exploitation of their fellows. But this is besides the point.
Male consumers that are the victim of aggression often avoid further conflict by submissive behaviors. Female consumers attacked by more dominant females and dominant males often seek the same type of end to conflict in order to obtain reassurance from their aggressor.
IMHO, Two types of intimidations exist at Asspria L'Harassante: from hooligans of both sexes rampaging on the premises and securing space and facilities for themselves, and from senior managers.
The personnel wearing prison uniforms tends to be submissive to Asspria managers.
Bobbing
A submissive consumer lets the aggressor know that he or she is not a threat and that rip-off will be permitted through non-threatening postures such as presenting their back, crouching and bowing. This is called bobbing.
A quick simulation of intercourse "doggy-style" can happen as is seen in primates. This ritual puts an end to conflict by signalling full submission to the dominant part.
Submission and politeness
The submissive consumer will approach the dominant Asspria manager or hooligan with a fear grin on its face. It is attempting to present itself as small and non-threatening. The dominant part will in turn allow the submissive consumer to move closer to him. Often he will attempt to gently touch the consumer's back, arm, or hand. The hooligan will start predating with a grin.
In the jungle, politeness, especially after provocations, is interpreted as weakness and a carte-blanche to slander you, tramp on your rights, take your towel, remove you from a tennis court or remove your sports bag from the bank in the changing rooms.
Responding in kind to dominants is interpreted as rebellion and conflict can escalate very rapidly.
How berserkers and Asspria managers signal you have to submit
Dominance displays occur when a male (or female) is attempting to intimidate a subordinate or to gain rank. A typical dominance display begins with the person attempting domination standing up straight with hair bristling (pilo-erection), shoulders hunched, and a compressed lips face so that his body looks larger and his face meaner. Teeth are shown on some occasions, but stiff lips remain prevalent.
Picture: Dominance display in posture. Senior manager Shoe-gazer is intimidating a customer into vacating a court he has a legitimate claim to.
Gesticulation
The displaying dominant will then start to sway back and forth, shoving brush and other vegetation that are found on the tennis courts at Rasante with exaggerated movements. At the studio classes, space will be cleared by manipulating weights, mats and towels in such a way that submissives will have to move to stay out of harm's way. In the changing room, exaggerated limb movements will secure more space.
If these displays are insufficient to elicit submission signals, the dominant will grow increasingly excited and provocative. Some skilled dominants (Thor Berserker's technique reigns supreme) may shout they are lawyers, diplomats or princes.
Picture: The dominant's throwing of coconuts and tearing off tree branches and dragging them while running and gesticulating rapidly around his intended victim is usually decisive. This can be combined by seasoned berserkers by pushing or coming within biting distance of tennis players they want to bully out of the court.
The cowering submissive may choose to use one of many forms of submissive behavior to pacify the angry aggressor.
Punishment of assertive customers at Asspria
While dominance displays don't usually erupt into full scale fighting, those customers that don't get out of the way fast enough of a dominant customer will find that the dominant will call reception and intimidate an Asspria manager into seconding them.
The assertive customer will then likely be rapped at, yelled at and threatened (of exclusion for instance). This is in part a provocation. Any mistake like responding in kind, pushing back biters and the like will be interpreted as an aggression that warrants exclusion.
Signalling mismanagement and abuse of power, referring to club regulations or quality of consumer service warrants exclusion. Customers that stand their ground and will not back down from asserting their right to a decent service can furthermore expect to be slandered with vivid imagination and either tarred and feathered at once or shamefully kicked out of Asspria Hell.
This is part of the local culture and is not written anywhere. The local regulations are under seven seals anyway and only managers have accesss to the list of Member Representatives that once used to be posted but is now removed from sight.
Conclusion and tips
Try to adjust slowly, never walk alone, get Asspria-wise (as in street-wise) and stick to a gang as you would do in prison or the soviet army.
Assertiveness is not rewarded.
Taking the initiative with threatening behavior, if well staged as described above, will guarantee backing by the management and, if things should go wrong, exclusion of your polite opposition from the club.
Except for Asspria's lawyer, everybody understands this is parody and has absolutely nothing to do with real-life situations at Asspria L'Harassante.
(1) The Illustrated Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal. Desmond Morris. Review by Janet Dunaif-Hattis. American Anthropologist. Sep 1987, Vol. 89, No. 3: 732–733.
"Bob or be excluded."
