Security Guards

I try and be jovial at all places I go to, but I'm also a talkative person, I always enjoy all the security bs they put you through, I was at this place in nj, bakery I think and had to give license plate numbers of truck and trailers, have my pic taken etc, asked all this for food? Security guy said it was retarded company policy, he hated this f'n job etc, I laughed and laughed

 

D***, a whole lot of generalising in this thread, not that anyone would ever make generalisations about truckers...naw!

With 18 years in security, I absolutely agree that there a lot of bad seeds, just as there are in trucking, only without having the pay or benefits.

I don't know what it's like in other states (in all my years I've only had allusions to the lack of training that "contract" guards get in other states) but here in Illinois, State minimum is 20 hour course (I have the 40 hour--armed and unarmed) but even here, I've seen examples of those with a less-than-stellar amount of pride in their job (That's my one arrogance, perhaps because I've been doing it for so long, but I won't hesitate to "lock someone's heels" for shabby appearance, etc--did it once just while walking down the street in downtown Chicago)

The wannabes and the slackers are the bane of even *my* existence, I've fought against their type for my entire career (worst one was actually a moonlighting Lake County Corrections Officer--he was more of a "Barney Fife" than any security guard I've ever met) yet there are, like me, a great many professionals out there that truly understand the job and take pride in doing it well.

As I've always been told, security is really about "customer service" and sad to say, there seem to be far too many that fail to realise this. As for the insurance issue, yes. I've had a manager, at an account, tell me to my face "We don't want you here". Add to that the general perception of security and most folks approach us in a hostile manner, or worse, disregard us all together.

We have a job to do, and not one we necessarily like or want to do. The slippery slope is in having to tell people (in various situations) "No".

The way I was taught, you don't tell people "no", but rather offer alternatives (and an explanation) for what you *are* telling them: "Ma'am, I need to keep this lane clear for emergency vehicles, but we do have parking available..." You get the idea.

Most of the time, what we do, is based on one simple concept: "What if", though there are many times when even we may not understand "why" a certain policy is in place, only that it is what the client wants/expects.

I've worked every aspect of security there is, other than "residential" (you know, those gated communities where those guys drive around in little pretend "squad cars"?).

So I've spent countless hours in warehouses, factories, hospitals and office buildings, making countless "rounds", just to prevent "what if". (by my calculations, at this point, I've walked over 22k miles worth of rounds!) along the way, I've seen every manifestation of human stupidity (on the part of guards and civilians), I've responded to emergency medical issues (with my current company we have to be CPR and AED certified--on our own dime) I've had to escort terminated employees off the property (never fun) and I've escorted females out to their car, late at night. I've stood for two hours doing parking lot duty, in a friggin monsoon, being provided with nothing more than a windbreaker, yet I stood tall. I've jumped off cars, "assisted" people with "lockouts" (even though we're not supposed to) and one time, I did nothing at all, and still made a difference.

I was sitting in my guard hut (at a condo complex) and it was 3 am, and this young (to me, I guess) girl comes up and I knew something was wrong: hair and clothes not mussed, no sign of alcohol or drugs, but she was definitely out of sorts. I found out that she was walking home from her friend's house and some creep was following her. She just wanted to use my phone to call her brother to come pick her up, and then to just stand by my (well lit) guard hut.

In fact, my very first-ever security job, was to sit in a literally phone-booth-sized guard hut, no tv/radio/book/magazine--and I was "on camera" the whole time, just to log seal numbers off of trucks entering the facility. I was, even then, always courteous and professional and did the best job I could. (BTW, anyone ever run to the old Emery Worldwide facility in Elk Grove Village, IL? It's Conway now, but yeah, that's where I got my start, though the guard hut is gone now.)

Because I have a long-term, inside perspective, yet a great respect for both security and truckers, and from hearing what some have experienced, I'd offer some advice:

First off, for the grumpy guards--just approach with a neutral demeanor until you know how they are--if they're open and friendly, be friendly right back--if they are ^sshats, then you haven't invested anything.

For the wannabes--always call in the local LEOs, these bullies usually fold in their presence.

Last tip: Don't be so quick to judge, unless you've been there. In the upper-right-hand corner of this post it says "wannabe"--first time in my life, but this time it's a good thing--good thing I didn't buy into all the generalisations!