How to NOT let the manager know armored car is here

[Dave1982]

This was a couple months back, but I was reminded of it today.

For obvious security reasons, the armored car does not show up at the same time every day. We only know a range of times when it might come. One time, the manager happened to be in the backroom dealing with a delivery when the car showed up, so it took a couple minutes for him to get up to the front office after we paged him (discreetly, of course).

So since it was slow, the electronics lead and I were chatting with him, and he told us he was still fuming because the Wal-Mart across the river from us had screwed up on him in a bad way. Rather than making a discrete announcement for the manager, like we did (we just said "MOD up front for customer assistance") the doofus at their service desk paged "Manager to the front for Loomis-Fargo!" (the name of the armored car company). He just said "Fuck this!" and left immediately.

So that Wal-Mart went without their cash delivery or pickup for several hours that day because they put the guy at risk. Idiots.

(No offense to any Wal-Mart slaves on this board; IU'm sure you are much brighter than whoever did that).

[Crosshair]

Isn't in the contract that they have to be descrete about that?

[Dave1982]

I dont' know about what the contract says, but certainly common sense would say so!

[XCashier]

the doofus at their service desk paged "Manager to the front for Loomis-Fargo!"

"Special delivery for the doofus at the service desk!"

Why not just page, "All thieves and nogoodniks up to the service desk, the armored car is here and ripe for the picking!" Duh!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

"Special delivery for the doofus at the service desk!"

Those armored car drivers are packin', you know. So there's your "special delivery".

We have to be discreet when we have to get a hold of LP also. We have to call them by a fake name, we can't call them "loss prevention" over the phone or even when talking to them, for reasons that are pretty obvious.

[Luna]

They may be packin, but from what I've been told by drivers that picked up at B&N...even if their partner is being shot up to hell - they are NOT allowed to fire back. The guns are for show. The guy I was talking to said he'd rather go to jail and shoot back - but even in defense - he would lose his job. How messed up is that!

I hope he was mistaken. But if he wasn't, or was lying - it makes sense that the pickup guy at Wal Mart took off then.

[XCashier]

They may be packin, but from what I've been told by drivers that picked up at B&N...even if their partner is being shot up to hell - they are NOT allowed to fire back. The guns are for show. The guy I was talking to said he'd rather go to jail and shoot back - but even in defense - he would lose his job. How messed up is that!

Extremely messed up! How the hell are you supposed to guard the money if you aren't allowed to use your gun against a gun-toting robber? Even if you're built like the Incredible Hulk, that's not going to stop a bullet! Did the Powers That Be even bother to think before they made that inane rule?

[Dave1982]

Actually, the second part of the discussion we had with the Loomis-Fargo courier (which I didn't feel the need to post until now) was over just his subject. According to him, they ARE allowed to use their firearms, but only in defense of the money (which would of necessity include themselves). They are forbidden from say, intervening in a crime in progress that they might happen upon.

Electronics lead: So, if I was being murdered in front of you, you wouldn't be allowed to do anything about it?

LF Guy: Pretty much....though if someone was actually being murdered, I DO have my licensxe to carry, and I woulnd't in all good conscience do NOTHING. It's just a job, after all.

[lordlundar]

They are forbidden from say, intervening in a crime in progress that they might happen upon.

This I can actually see. To allow it basically equates the guards to paid vigilantes or mercs. Might be a great morale boost, but not terribly good for business .

[Rocko]

My dad has worked for an armored car company for over 20 years and from what he has told me about the few times that people have attempted to rob one of the trucks, the guards can shoot in self defense or to protect eachother. Luckily, no one has tried to rob him, but he has known a few guys that were killed by guys trying to take the money, though most of his stories of robberies have a happy ending, at least for the guards anyway.