over-zealous mall security

[Westernskies]

Didn't Barney Fife have to roust Otis Campbell off a park bench now and then?

 

[HFWR]

Otis just let himself in; he had his very own key!

 

[haha]

My previous post was sarcasm, but I'd have needed to be shown the "No Slouching on Bench" sign before I'd have put up with him. My sitting habits, clothing, personal phone conversations, etc are not available for comment by a security guard in a mall. If he'd have pushed it I'd have demanded to see the mall manager, and made the guard bring him to me. This is not a group of punks skateboarding through the stores, it's an adult sitting on a bench. And you can sermonize all you want, but I doubt most of you would have handled it any better than Rusty did, although probably better than I would. So there.

And if the guard was a UFC champ I'd probably done the same. I don't watch that stuff, and am mostly comfortable in my ability to defend my self. I've been wrong before. And I'm sure I've been thrown out of better malls than that one.

I respect your attitude; but it differs from mine. Just like I don't argue with monitors on this board, I don't argue with cops/renta-cops/tough guys on the street, crazy people, pissed off women, etc.

All these people might be able to hurt me one way or another, so I don't want to mess with them.

I try at all times to fade trouble. This has been a hard won stance for me, but it helps that I am not very big and I have never considered myself tough, at least not when compared to the many people who are actually tough and prove it regularly.

Ha

 

[Dawg52]

I understand the support for the security guard, but my opinion is influenced by an experience I had last summer at a concert with a rent a cop. Went to see Willie Nelson and my nephew bought almost an entire row of tickets fairly close to the front stage. Not cheap seats. Anyway, we watch Willie and people are getting up and clapping, acting like most at a concert. I was sitting next to my sister in law(mistake) and being old farts like we are we rarely stood up. So everything is all fine and Willie finishes up. Next up, BB King. Well during intermission my sis-in-law stands up to stretch her back and keeps standing. Some guy taps her on the shoulder asking her to sit down because his wife wants to watch the road crew clear the stage and set up BB King's equipment. Now who in the heck gives a rip about watching that? Anyway people are coming and going to the bathroom so she keeps standing until it is time for BB. Next thing you know a Barney Fife look a like comes over and ask to see our tickets. We had the whole row and I didn't have the exact numbered ticket so he gives me a hard time about that. I convince him we have the row so he backs off. Then he tells sis-in-law to sit. Again, this is during intermission. So she does and he leaves. A few minutes later rent a cop comes over and says we will have to sit in the correct numbered seat so I tell him to hold on and we all reshuffle our tickets so we have the correct ticket in hand. Now how stupid is that?? And I can assure you, I didn't act ugly although I had every reason to do so in this case.

So yes, I can understand where the OP is coming from. BTW, I'll never go see a concert in that venue again.

 

[DangerMouse]

My comments were not intended to be sanctimonious, however I do find it easier to be more logical about these situations when you are an outside observer and it is not happening to you.

I can say you would not catch me lounging around at the mall ala Rusty, not my style plus I probably would have managed to fall and make a complete klutz of myself. However, Rusty's thoughts are similar to thought's I've had about taxi drivers/flight attendants/check in staff/checkout chicks and anyone else who has pissed me off over the years. I find it helps to vent, then realise it really doesn't matter and let it go without blowing a blood vessel thru my frustration/anger or whatever you want to call it.

 

[spncity]

Never argue with anyone. He, too, has a right to his own stupid opinions.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Don't taz me bro!

Seriously, years ago a mall security guy came up to me and, very apologetically asked me not to sit on the edge of the planter box. He explained that kids (code word for mall rats, I suppose) hang out and sit there and he has been instructed to shoo them away (shoo is my word). He explained that he couldn't ask them to leave without doing the same with (somehow he said this politely) older folks too. I was happy to comply with such a gentleman who was just doing what he was required to do.


How differently Notmuchlonger might have reacted had he been treated with such respect. "I'm so sorry sir, but we've had complaints about kids loitering on the benches. As you can see we don't have kids here today, but I'm required to request all our guests to either sit or stand. I hope you understand."

How difficult would it be to make a polite 'request' instead of a brusque command. All mall employees should be as customer friendly as possible. After all, their j*b depends upon customers returning.

My suggestion to NML is simply not to return to that mall. When it closes (as such malls have been doing lately) that $9/hr super-cop will be pounding the pavement for real - looking for another j*b!

If they were all that savvy, they wouldn't be "rent-a-cops". Give 'em a break. A guy I know is one of these "cops" and he tells me he is just passing the time of day, earning a few bucks and hope nothing serious happens.

 

[Grizz]

As he's walking away, I say on the phone "just some idiot mall guy".
He comes back and says "did you say 'idiot' ?", I say "yes", and he asks
me to leave the mall, which I do. Please note that I addressed my
remark to the person on the other end of the cell phone,

For some reason this reminds me of when I was about 9 yrs old and would hold my hand about an inch in front of my sisters face, then taunt her with "can't get mad at me, I'm not touching you"

 

[Lazarus]

I guess the real question for me is why anyone would want to hang out in a mall. The less I see of those places the better.

 

[Dawg52]

I guess the real question for me is why anyone would want to hang out in a mall. The less I see of those places the better.

Good point. When I do go, it's direct to the store I'm interested in. I never enter a mall entrance, just a store entrance.

 

[Darryl]

For some reason this reminds me of when I was about 9 yrs old and would hold my hand about an inch in front of my sisters face, then taunt her with "can't get mad at me, I'm not touching you"

I do think the guard was overzealous. I'm not sure he had to approach Rusty at all and he could have ignored the idiot comment as he was already walking away. I will even acknowledge Rusty's point about a direct vs indirect comment (it's still a foul if the guard heard it) but Rusty says he is an adult.

As I read all this I keep thinking back to my days as a cub scout about 8 years old singing Christmas songs and my Den Leader singles me out and says that I'm not singing I tell her that I am and point to the kid next to me as my witness. She persisted and had me go to her kitchen for a one on one with her telling me I was not singing and me telling her that she is a liar (hey I was 8) Den mother calls my mom to come get me. Mom hauls me out very embarrassed. I receive the wrath of mom. Dad get's home and I get a spanking (pretty rare from dad but this qualified). Hey I was in the right I was singing, but I got the spanking, I embarrassed my parents and I had the same Den mother for several more years all the time with a strained relationship.

Sadly over the last 35+ years my vocabulary and social skills have not progressed as much as I would have hoped, but I did learn that sometimes discretion can be the better part of valor. It's okay to let it go.

 

[haha]

I do think the guard was overzealous. I'm not sure he had to approach Rusty at all and he could have ignored the idiot comment as he was already walking away. I will even acknowledge Rusty's point about a direct vs indirect comment (it's still a foul if the guard heard it) but Rusty says he is an adult.

As I read all this I keep thinking back to my days as a cub scout about 8 years old singing Christmas songs and my Den Leader singles me out and says that I'm not singing I tell her that I am and point to the kid next to me as my witness. She persisted and had me go to her kitchen for a one on one with her telling me I was not singing and me telling her that she is a liar (hey I was 8) Den mother calls my mom to come get me. Mom hauls me out very embarrassed. I receive the wrath of mom. Dad get's home and I get a spanking (pretty rare from dad but this qualified). Hey I was in the right I was singing, but I got the spanking, I embarrassed my parents and I had the same Den mother for several more years all the time with a strained relationship.

Sadly over the last 35+ years my vocabulary and social skills have not progressed as much as I would have hoped, but I did learn that sometimes discretion can be the better part of valor. It's okay to let it go.

It interests me how many of us can probably tell this sort of story. Probably the personality type that chafes at work and its associated social challenges, but can discipline itself well is the type that longs for ER, and can accomplish it too.

Ha

 

[Alan]

I had a similar experience with a Mall security guy a couple of years back and was able to resist getting too stroppy with him and was very tempted to write to The Mall manager but ended up doing nothing.

A Sunday morning well before the Mall was open DW and I were cycling by when we saw a new restaurant we hadn't seen before before and it looked very interesting. So we stopped and dismounted then walked the short distance pushing our cycles as we had to cross a pedestrian area and a security guy stops us and tells us that there is no cycling here. I pointed out that we were not cycling, we were pushing our bikes as we wanted to have to look at that restaurant. "Just remember that there is no cycling in this area!!". "Didn't you just see us, stop, dismount and walk over?" "yes, but remember, no cycling".

In life you have to accept that sometimes you are the statue and sometimes the pigeon, and I guess this guy was in his pigeon phase - idiot!

 

[Abreutime]

A few minutes later rent a cop comes over and says we will have to sit in the correct numbered seat so I tell him to hold on and we all reshuffle our tickets so we have the correct ticket in hand.

I would have done the reshuffling as slow as possible, standing the whole time, and feigning ignorance. Much more fun to watch their impatience over the enforcement of an arbitrary rule.

 

[Koolau]

I would have done the reshuffling as slow as possible, standing the whole time, and feigning ignorance. Much more fun to watch their impatience over the enforcement of an arbitrary rule.

I love it, Abreutime! Can't you youn'uns just imagine an episode of Seinfeld with this scenario? For us old folks, it could be Lucy or Your Show of Shows.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I would have done the reshuffling as slow as possible, standing the whole time, and feigning ignorance. Much more fun to watch their impatience over the enforcement of an arbitrary rule.

Damn, a lot of the response is starting to make me feel sorry
for the guard. It IS a crap thankless job, but one that somebody
probably has to do.

I do think the guard was overzealous. I'm not sure he had to approach Rusty at all ...

He didn't need to approach me. Furthermore, he should not have.
You know why ? Because I was NOT breaking any of the rules.
The only rules that might apply are "sleeping on bench" and loitering;
I was clearly not doing the former; I guess it's not obvious I wasn't
doing the latter, but the burden of proof there ain't on me (and I can
easily document my frequent purchases at this mall, including the day
in question).

If I talk to the guard again, I shall tell him "I believe that you approached
me inappropriately, since I was breaking no rules, but I also believe
that I behaved poorly [the idiot remark] and so I'm not going to
write the letter that I was tempted to write".

 

[youbet]

You could try surveying the contents of your life. See what's there. Can you make any sense out of why this incident holds such an important position in the hierarchy of your life's events?

If you want to write a letter to the mall manager honestly and accurately describing the incident which has you so aghast, why don't you go ahead and do so? Maybe you'll get "form letter #56" in return offering you their most sincere apology and a coupon for a free bag of roasted nuts from the mall nut vendor.

Then you can get on with your life. Since you say you make frequent purchases at this boutique mall, perhaps you could add some variety to your routine and buy stuff someplace else.

 

[jug]

As he's walking away, I say on the phone "just some idiot mall guy".
He comes back and says "did you say 'idiot' ?", I say "yes", and he asks
me to leave the mall, which I do. Please note that I addressed my
remark to the person on the other end of the cell phone, did not say
it loudly, and used no profanity (or anything approaching), and promptly
complied with all the security guy's requests.

I'm wondering what to think of this. This is a pretty small mall, full
of boutique/niche type stores that are struggling (a good friend works
at one, so I know). The last thing in the world these businesses need
is a jerk like this guy chasing people away. (As a matter of fact, one of
my purposes at the mall was researching a ~$200 purchase). Maybe
I am over-reacting, but the guy strikes me as probably a police-officer
wannabee and was bored (the mall was empty, as usual) and looking
for anything to spice up his day, and throwing his weight around like
this was just the ticket. Not to be mean-spirited, by frankly, I want to
now throw MY weight around and make some sort of complaint against
this guy; to the mall owners, the store owners, the local paper ?

No doubt some of you think I should have been led away in handcuffs,
but I'd be interested in hearing anyone's thoughts ...

In reality, the act of laying/sitting/whatever is not what did it. You simply humiliated this guy. You struck a nerve, took away his mojo. As wrong as a cop/mall cop/rent a cop may be, stay cool, don't piss them off. They simply have a job to do, plain and simple.

I've done this to "real cops" in my youth, now I just respect them, humor them, try to make them laugh. Some like authority, some like respect, some are having a hard day, make it easy on them and yourself.


jug

 

[kumquat]

If I talk to the guard again, I shall tell him "I believe that you approached
me inappropriately, since I was breaking no rules, but I also believe
that I behaved poorly [the idiot remark] and so I'm not going to
write the letter that I was tempted to write".

WADR Rusty, haven't you already wasted too much of your valuable time worrying about this? Life is short and there are more pleasant ways to spend it than worrying about something like this.

 

[RustyShackleford]

WADR Rusty, haven't you already wasted too much of your valuable time worrying about this? Life is short and there are more pleasant ways to spend it than worrying about something like this.

I only think about it when a new posting comes up in this thread on my
"User CP", but thanks for your concern.

What does WADR mean ?

 

[kumquat]

What does WADR mean ?

With All Due Respect.

 

[thefed]

If I was in the same situation as the OP, Im sure I would've reacted much more harshly. I'm working on my temper, but I felt the rage creep in as I read it.

How long were you 'lounging'? If it was for just a few seconds...I'd have really been pissed. If it was for a while, I guess I would've straightened up, and continued on my conversation

BUT, for him to come over and ask me to leave the mall for saying the word IDIOT...to him or to my phone...I would've been very irate. Freedom of speech biaatch!

 

[73ss454]

Don't worry Fed, you'll calm down with age.