Deal With Party Crashers
Party crashers are uninvited guests who may be disruptive to an event or party. This article offers some suggestions for how to handle them while minimizing disruptions to your event.
Contents
Steps
Deciding How to Handle the Situation
- Consider how you wish to handle the situation before you speak to the party crashers.
- Do you simply wish the party crashers to leave?
- Are you open to allowing the party crashers to stay if they were invited by another party guest?
- Are you open to allowing the party crashers to stay regardless of who they know at the party?
- Approach the party crashers politely and calmly. Introduce yourself as the host or hostess of the party. You may wish to do this with a few level-headed friends who can help provide support.
- Pay close attention to the party crashers and note their demeanor. Do they seem calm, friendly, intoxicated or aggressive? How they look and act will be important to your handling of the situation.
- Ask the party crashers how they came to know about the party.
- Were they invited by another guest? Did they overhear others discussing it at another event? Did they just happen to walk by?
- How the party crashers learned about the party can help you to decide whether to allow them to stay. This information can also help you to know whether to expect others.
- Decide how you would like to handle the situation. If the party crashers are friendly and you would like them to stay, all you need to do is make them feel welcome. If you would like them to leave, read on for some suggestions about how to do that.
Asking Uninvited Guests to Leave
- Remain calm. Use non-confrontational but confident body language while doing this. You are not attempting to start a fight.
- Take your earlier assessment of the party crashers into consideration in how you handle the situation. If they appeared intoxicated, threatening or aggressive, make sure you have friends to back you up and that someone is able to call for the police in case of trouble.
- Explain to the party crashers that the party is by invitation only, and that you would like them to leave. Do this politely but firmly. Most people are not seeking trouble, and your handling of the situation can go a long way toward avoiding any.
- Expect a little resistance. Party crashers are usually looking for a good time – or possibly trouble – and may not want to leave. Explain that the party is private, and that while you are sorry, they will need to leave.
- Begin escorting them to the door while you calmly continue explaining the situation. Your cool head and the conversation will help keep the situation under control.
- If you have a few friends around, they can help guide and contain the party crashers on their way to the door. This will also isolate the party crashers and make it easier to get them out the door.
- Try to avoid physical contact, but a firm hand to the shoulder can help encourage someone turn around and depart.
- Be prepared for, but do not invite trouble. If the party crashers are aggressive or threaten violence, do not hesitate to call the police – and be sure to make sure the party crashers know you are doing so.
- Keep an eye on the party crashers as they leave, but don't follow them off your property. If they were particularly difficult to persuade to leave, consider locking the door.
Tips
- Prevent this problem by making clear in the invitation whether guests may invite others.
- Decide if it's worth it to kick the party crashers out. If their presence is not overly disruptive, then you may want to let them stay and simply prevent their return by changing the way you invite people next time.
- If the unruly party crashers refuse to leave or even become violent, try this trick. After first telling your true friends of this plan, tell the party crashers that the neighbors just called and told you they called the police. The trouble makers should bolt for the door, especially if they are underage or are in possession of drugs.
- When talking to them, they might lie.
Warnings
- If the party crashers seem dangerous or are armed, call the police immediately.
