Tracy Miller is a Portland, Oregon–based writer who has worked as a bouncer at dive bars, live music venues, and upscale lounges for nearly a decade. Here, Miller explains what it’s really like to work nightlife security—navigating the unwritten rules, practicing de-escalation, managing crises—and how the job has changed alongside national conversations about race and policing. 

—Mary Anne Porto, editor, Punch

Tracy Miller is a Portland, Oregon–based writer who has worked as a bouncer at dive bars, live music venues, and upscale lounges for nearly a decade. Here, Miller explains what it’s really like to work nightlife security—navigating the unwritten rules, practicing de-escalation, managing crises—and how the job has changed alongside national conversations about race and policing. 

—Mary Anne Porto, editor, Punch