BY: Sheela Narayanan

VIGILANCE is probably not high on the average clubber's fun list.

As there's alcohol, loud music and dancing involved, letting your hair down often means letting your guard down as well.

But all it takes is a few minutes without your eye on your valuables for a quick-fingered thief to make off with anything from drinks to credit cards to an entire handbag.

Actress Fiona Xie learned this the hard way some time ago, when her wallet was stolen after she had left it on a seat while partying at the now-defunct Liquid Room at Robertson Quay.

The thieves, a marketing executive and his girlfriend, went on a shopping spree, charging $8,000 to her credit cards. They were jailed in 2005.

In May last year, two thieves stole two credit cards from a\ clubber's handbag left unattended at Dragonfly and chalked up a $1,400 tab at St James Powerhouse.

They were caught by St James' security personnel on the same night as they remained in the club to party. They were jailed in January.

Clubber Cheryl Tay knows the pain of losing her belongings while on a night out. The 21-year-old writer's Nokia 7900 Prism handphone, worth about $700, was stolen a few weeks ago at a club near Mohamed Sultan Road.

The items were taken from a handbag, which she describes as a "non-designer brown ladies' bag". "I didn't pay attention to it for a few minutes and then the phone was gone," she said.

"The person must have done it very quickly as I still had my iPod and a birthday present, a Swatch watch worth about $200, in my bag."

She made a police report and informed the club, but has never recovered her handphone.

The common thread in these cases: The clubbers were not paying attention when their belongings were swiped.

The New Paper dropped in on three clubs at Clarke Quay for their Wednesday's Ladies Night between 11.30pm and 1am and saw that most partygoers were blase about looking after their belongings.

Many of the women left their handbags unattended on the tables or bar stools as they hit the dance floor. Some men also left their handphones on the tables.

Ms Celeste Chong, marketing director and co-owner of The Butter Factory, told The New Paper: "When people get tipsy, they tend to leave their belongings unattended. And in a dark and crowded place, it is a temptation for thieves."

While most clubs have lockers or cloakrooms for clubbers to check in their bags and valuables, most clubbers prefer to have their bags with them.

Mr Frederick Dodwell, The Arena's entertainment director, said he doesn't like to see his female patrons carry their
bags into the club as it makes them "targets of temptation".

His staff frequently do random bag searches at the door to look for suspicious items. Patrons are also encouraged to leave their bags in the lockers, which are free. Ms Chong said her staff members usually keep an eye out for suspicious characters to prevent theft.

At The Cannery, the management tries to encourage patrons to make use of the free lockers. Said Mr Bernard Lim, executive vice-president of Lifebrandz, which owns The Cannery: "We also encourage them not to bring in their expensive stuff."

And if there are reports of missing items, Mr Lim said his staff will sweep the premises after closing time. Employees are also not allowed to take out any items from the club.

"We do regular bag checks (on the employees) to make sure nothing is brought in or taken out," he said.

But bags and their contents are not the only things that get pilfered. Drinks left unattended are also at risk. Mr Dodwell claims he has seen - though not at his club, he emphasised - partygoers walking off with drinks from an unattended table.

Unfortunately, club operators cannot police such cases, said Mr Lim. "We wouldn't know whether these people are the customers' friends or not," he said.

The operators however, said they haven't seen an increase in the number of club thefts and think the situation is manageable.

And there are those who are careful. Student Nadia Shaikzadeh, 18, who clubs once a week, never leaves her bag or table unattended. Not since her best friend's designer handbag, containing her camera, handphone, iPod, money and credit cards, was stolen six months ago at a club near Mohamed Sultan Road.

Now, when Nadia clubs, she brings a small clutch bag with a strap - something she can easily carry while she is dancing. If she is with a large group, somebody becomes the designated "bag watcher".

Said Nadia: "I never leave my bag unattended and leave it only with people I trust. You can never assume that it is safe."

This article was first published in The New Paper on July 25, 2008.