Lost in Translation

[bhskittykatt]

Some minor suck from Hubby's job today, mostly due to language barriers. Hubby is a security guard at a gated community. Today he was doing patrol.

At the main gate, there is a Member's gate, and a Visitor's gate. Foreign-group-that-does-not-speak-English pulls up to the Member's gate. The gate doesn't open, since these people are not residents of the community. Gate Guard instructs them to loop around and pull up to the guard shack at the Visitor's Gate. Gate Guard then opens the gate for them to pull around. The group takes off instead.

Hubby gets called to track them down. Hubby finds them and pulls them over. The driver just smiles and nods, while the passenger talks in very broken English. Hubby tells them they need to go back to the gate to sign-in. The passenger tells them they were just looking at property and were leaving. Hubby follows them all the way back to make sure they leave.

The language-barrier allows for some forgiveness. On the other hand, the gate is an obvious indication that access is limited.

Though some suck probably falls on the realtors themselves. There are lots of "Property For Sale" signs outside the gate, some with arrows pointing inward, which could imply one could simply follow the arrows in. (In actuality, people wanting to view properties have to be escorted by a realtor.)

[Chromatix]

I see a problem here in the design of the gate - in that it has to be opened to let them *out*.

[bhskittykatt]

Quoth Chromatix

I see a problem here in the design of the gate - in that it has to be opened to let them *out*.

No. Sorry if I worded it wrong. Rather than have them backup at the entrance gate, he opened the gate and asked that they pull around....basically, exit, and pull up again in the visitor lane. There's no exit gate (just spike strips to keep you from going in the out).

They usually open the gate and have them swing back around when they pull up in the wrong lane because (1) they're usually compliant and (2) many members have a habit of hauling a** when turning from the main road into the member lane, and the guard didn't want to risk an accident.

[Chromatix]

Yes exactly, that *is* the problem. What's the point of having a gate if you end up opening it regardless?