Why are old people hired as security guards??

[DoubleROFL]

my library hired this skinny 60-year-old grandpa as a security guard.

i really dont know why they hired him. i dont think he can stop any bad guys and i'd hate to see him get hurt.

he's also unarmed

plz explain

 

[Throckmorton]

You think the library can afford the $500k salary for a Blackwater guard? Not to mention the lawsuits when he guns down a library-goer.

 

[sswingle]

LOL @ thinking a library needs a security guard at all.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: DoubleROFL
my library hired this skinny 60-year-old grandpa as a security guard.

i really dont know why they hired him. i dont think he can stop any bad guys and i'd hate to see him get hurt.

he's also unarmed

plz explain

I bet he can kick your ass.

 

[freddypoobles]

I would like to know whats up with that as well. Of the 4 or 5 security guards at my work, only one of them is somewhat young, and he is a solid 300 pounds (no offense to the vertically challenged) with a belt holding his radio and 8 bajillion keys. So at about 300 + 20lbs in keys, I don't think he could react any more swiftly than the older guys. I think one guy is even in his 70's. You don't exactly have to be a crazy ninja to get by these guys. Although at the same time, I work at a poultry processing plant, and I don't think too many ninja's want to get there hands on some chickens.........unless they're marinated with DIAMONDS or poop golden eggs.

Only thing I can figure is that these guys are all retired and looking for something to pass the time, and they will work for a low hourly pay.

 

[markgm]

A lot of times places only need a moving set of eyes. Most of them don't have the authority to do anything anyway, so it doesn't matter what condition they are in.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
You think the library can afford the $500k salary for a Blackwater guard? Not to mention the lawsuits when he guns down a library-goer.

Bah, they're immune to prosecution. If it gets too serious, a pardon would come down the pipeline.


And who knows, maybe he's one of those Master Ninja guys. Someone will tap him on the shoulder from behind, and a fraction of a second later, there'll be a throwing star jutting out of their chest.

"I just wanted to know where the *cough* reference section was!"

 

[Siddhartha]

I use to us a bank that had a guard who would fall asleep. He sat by the front door and I have seen him nodding.

 

[Soundmanred]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider

Originally posted by: DoubleROFL
my library hired this skinny 60-year-old grandpa as a security guard.

i really dont know why they hired him. i dont think he can stop any bad guys and i'd hate to see him get hurt.

he's also unarmed

plz explain

I bet he can kick your ass.

I'd bet on it.

 

[gnumantsc]

His biggest weapon would be to poop in his pants and hope the smell would knock the perps out

 

[cKGunslinger]

138 posts, each more moronic than the last.

Congratulations?

 

[PrinceofWands]

Security is a VERY problematic industry in America. Having been in it for about a decade I've become very familiar with it.

There are two types of security; observe and report, and empowered.

The man you're describing is an observe and report officer. The point is to have a visible presence to make people think that if they do something wrong they'll be seen and reported. This is the 'any warm body' role that so many fill and are paid minimum wage for. Pretty much anyone can do ok in this role.

Empowered security are told they can act to make a difference. They generally are trained, often armed, and fulfill a different task. Their job is actually to prevent or respond to crimes and emergencies. The strange thing is that they are still often paid only slightly above minimum wage. In this role people like you describe are useless.

The worst part is that very often security administration has no clue about the different roles, and so hires the wrong person to fill a job. That's where the problems come from.

 

[yowolabi]

They can see, and they can yell into their radio if necessary. That's about all that's required of them. In places that hire these old people, their presence is mostly to discourage people from doing anything, since they know they're being watched and will be reported.

 

[KB]

Yeah all those guys can do is say: "Stop or I will say STOP again."

Maybe they were hired to beat down little kids who steal.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
Security is a VERY problematic industry in America. Having been in it for about a decade I've become very familiar with it.

There are two types of security; observe and report, and empowered.

The man you're describing is an observe and report officer. The point is to have a visible presence to make people think that if they do something wrong they'll be seen and reported. This is the 'any warm body' role that so many fill and are paid minimum wage for. Pretty much anyone can do ok in this role.

Empowered security are told they can act to make a difference. They generally are trained, often armed, and fulfill a different task. Their job is actually to prevent or respond to crimes and emergencies. The strange thing is that they are still often paid only slightly above minimum wage. In this role people like you describe are useless.

The worst part is that very often security administration has no clue about the different roles, and so hires the wrong person to fill a job. That's where the problems come from.

What he said.

The security guard in the OP is basically a deterrent for people who might do something stupid if no one was watching (his presence pretty much prevents the same kind of things a librarian's presence would prevent, but for less money).

It is a little like putting your great-grandma in the room to watch your 3 year old - she probably can't get out of her wheelchair to stop the kid from doing something stupid, but her presence may keep him from doing it in the first place or her telling him to stop may stop him or, at worse, she can call another adult to put an end to it.

Then there are security guards who are young, armed and allowed to take you down if you do something stupid. I see a lot of guys like that in and about mall jewelry stores.

You cannot lump those two types of guards together as they have vastly different roles.

MotionMan

 

[dabuddha]

One of our security guards here at work was in his 60s/70s and had only one leg.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
One of our security guards here at work was in his 60s/70s and had only one leg.

"Stop! Or i'll stab you with my peg leg!" :laugh:

 

[Q]

Chuck Norris is 60.

Thread done

 

[DarkManX]

the best was when i worked in a retail store and was robbed at gunpoint one night when clossing. the following day i came in to work, the sucurity guard they hired was a 5 foot tall women that is 50+ plus, weighed less then 100 pounds, barelly spoke english (not that this is relevent). later in the everything she said "i dont know what i would do if we get robbed".

 

[markgm]

Originally posted by: Quintox
Chuck Norris is 60.

Thread done

Looks like it kept going.

 

[911paramedic]

Mr. Bookman is my name, security is my game.

 

[T9D]

My dad is 70 and a retired FBI agent. He's head of security of 4 - 40 story buildings in San Francisco. He makes more arrests than any of the guys there. And let me tell you a lot of them resist arrest and put up a good fight. Large angry guys.

 

[uhohs]

Originally posted by: Quintox
Chuck Norris is 68.

Thread done

fixed

 

[RandomFool]

He's not there to beat people up. Just to keep an eye on things.

 

[sutahz]

We use to have like 10 old men security guards here, which always seemed retarded to me. Budget cuts cut it down to 1 which is about the right ammount. They were all 50+.