Hindley Street lock-out faces its first test Police stand-over a man they hand-cuffed opposite McDonald's on Hindley St. They reported a quiet night on the first weekend of new laws banning patrons from entering pubs after 3am. A reveller feeling a bit worse for wear after a big night out in Hindley Street. DRUNKEN fights, footpaths littered with rubbish, music blaring from the neon-lit nightclubs and restaurants - just another typical night on Hindley St. Police broke up a stoush ­between two young women outside The Palace club and handcuffed a man opposite McDonald's in what they have described as a relatively quiet night on Adelaide's party strip. But all wasn't the same on Hindley Street early yesterday morning as it faced its first real test of tough new laws that the State Government says will cut alcohol-fuelled violence. At 3am, venues closed their doors like clockwork, adhering to an unpopular ban preventing them from accepting new patrons and to stop people bar-hopping. Popular venue Red Square had a large queue as many tried to enter the venue before it shut its doors. Those who got in were stamped with "beat the 3am lockout." Sheesha bars and many fast-food outlets filled up quickly with revellers left with little choice but to call it a night early or wander the streets flooded with rubbish. People who spoke to the Sunday Mail said the new laws would fail to stop drunken viol­ence and might end up having a reverse effect. "It sucks for people who do the right thing," 19-year-old Kim, of Morphett Vale, said of the new laws. This is stupid and it's going to have the opposite effect. Surely there's another way. By 3.15am many revellers were pleading with security to enter venues such as The Woolshed and Rocket Bar but to no avail. Jessica, 18, of Largs North, said locking people out on the street after they had been drinking was a bad idea. "The streets are so much more crowded than they would usually be," she said. It's going to cause more fights and they're going to need more police like tonight. We'd be changing clubs at around 3am so we have to plan our night differently. One group of five officers spent early yesterday morning disbanding a large gathering outside the same venue where a man was severely bashed last week. Horse patrols broke up the crowd. However, it was clear that for police and taxi drivers alike, it wasn't going to be a busy night, with vacant cab signs illumin­ating the already bright party strip. Police arrested five people for behavioural offences including four for disorderly ­behaviour and one person for loitering. All will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court at a ­later date. Down at the casino, it was expected the only Adelaide venue exempt from the laws would be flourishing, but it too was quiet, as was the neighbouring taxi rank. One venue's security guards were overheard saying that things would calm down once the 3am lockout had been in effect for some time. "It's too risky tonight," one security guard said to man pleading to get in. Maybe in a few weeks we can (let you in) but there's people everywhere watching. Australia's Pizza House owner Joseph Pugliese said Hindley St stands to gain a lot from the 3am lockout. "I've been saying for years this should happen," he said. There's savings for everybody - the venues save on ­security costs and the government saves on police patrols. It's a good thing - Hindley St will benefit from this. Club owners along the strip said what happened on Friday night wasn't truly indicative of the 3am lockout. "Tomorrow (Saturday) night will be so much busier," The Palace club's Antony Tropeano said. Some tried their luck at getting into the casino about 5am but security remained vigilant. Casino general manager David Christian said the venue "has absolutely no intention of becoming a venue for those seeking to continue drinking between the lockout hours of 3am and 7am." One man who was refused entry to the casino summed up the theme of the 3am lockout - one the State Government would agree with. "Bugger this, I'm getting a cab home," he said.