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This one just happened, and I want to get it down while it's fresh, because this just boggles.
Now, this guy technically isn't a customer, but I fully expect he'll be leaving a complaint as one.
Here's the scene: I am a mobile security officer, meaning I drive a marked security vehicle around downtown during the graveyard shift, and patrol various buildings.
One of these buildings is on a quiet side street, a derelict building that used to be an AA meeting center, but has been empty for a few years now. On either side of it is an empty lot, and a residential building.
In front of this building is a loading zone, 5 mins, or 30 mins for commercial vehicles (Like me). This is where I park when I do my patrol, which lasts 8 minutes.
So I was parked in this spot, and having finished my report, took a couple of minutes to dig into my lunch. I left the site about 4 minutes after my patrol ended, so I was there a total of 12 minutes.
Someone walks past my vehicle. I have the radio going (Not loud) and the windows rolled up, so it takes me a few minutes at first to realize he's talking to me. He didn't tap the window or bend down, he's just talking at the car.
I roll down the window, and ask "Can I help you?"
"This is a no parking zone!"
Okay... well, technically, I'm in the vehicle, the engine is running, and my lights are on, so this would classify more as stopping. I notice then that about 3 feet of the back end of my vehicle are out of the loading zone, past the no parking sign (Which is a bit superfluous, since just behind the loading zone the sidewalk curves out and consumes the parking lane ANYWAY.)
"Oh, well, I'm just parked in the loading zone for a minute to do my patrol..."
He looks up, and although I couldn't see his face, I imagine it fell a bit when he realized that there was a sign that indicated that small area of the street that wasn't no parking. "Move your car forward!"
Now, this was not a request, but an order. I peer out a bit... he's wearing a blue jacket, but I can't see any markings, but it's possible he's police or parking enforcement. "I'm sorry... are you parking enforcement?"
He whips out his cell phone so fast I swear he must have had his hand poised over it. "No, but I can call them!!"
Really? Really? You're honestly going to call parking enforcement at 9pm (Are they even around at that hour?) to tell them about the evil security guard who's not QUITE in the loading zone, idling his vehicle as he finishes his report and eats his lunch.
"I'm just gonna capture this on video on my camera!" He says with that sort of superior, 'you're-gonna-get-it' tone, and starts walking around my car, waving his cell phone around, filming my evil deed. Given there are no street lights over where I was parked, I'm sure he got a clear picture too.
I shrugged, packed up and moved on, as I was done there. But honestly... he had all the attitude that he was catching me committing a serious crime, and that he was going to bring me to justice! There were literally no other cars on the street, and the only building I was blocking was derelict, and the place I was patrolling. I was out of the way of traffic, my radio wasn't up loud enough to hear outside the car, and I had business in the area (And most people are happy to see me there, as homeless people like to camp in the backyard of that building)
To be fair, I've noticed people abusing that loading zone before, and much of the no parking space in front of that building, but there was nothing there tonight. Of all the crap that goes on downtown, especially given the liberties most cabs take with the parking laws, this just struck me as the most bizarre thing to go vigilante on. Maybe I caught him sleeping in one of my parkades, and he wanted to pay me back for kicking him out? Who knows?
Now, this guy technically isn't a customer, but I fully expect he'll be leaving a complaint as one.
Here's the scene: I am a mobile security officer, meaning I drive a marked security vehicle around downtown during the graveyard shift, and patrol various buildings.
One of these buildings is on a quiet side street, a derelict building that used to be an AA meeting center, but has been empty for a few years now. On either side of it is an empty lot, and a residential building.
In front of this building is a loading zone, 5 mins, or 30 mins for commercial vehicles (Like me). This is where I park when I do my patrol, which lasts 8 minutes.
So I was parked in this spot, and having finished my report, took a couple of minutes to dig into my lunch. I left the site about 4 minutes after my patrol ended, so I was there a total of 12 minutes.
Someone walks past my vehicle. I have the radio going (Not loud) and the windows rolled up, so it takes me a few minutes at first to realize he's talking to me. He didn't tap the window or bend down, he's just talking at the car.
I roll down the window, and ask "Can I help you?"
"This is a no parking zone!"
Okay... well, technically, I'm in the vehicle, the engine is running, and my lights are on, so this would classify more as stopping. I notice then that about 3 feet of the back end of my vehicle are out of the loading zone, past the no parking sign (Which is a bit superfluous, since just behind the loading zone the sidewalk curves out and consumes the parking lane ANYWAY.)
"Oh, well, I'm just parked in the loading zone for a minute to do my patrol..."
He looks up, and although I couldn't see his face, I imagine it fell a bit when he realized that there was a sign that indicated that small area of the street that wasn't no parking. "Move your car forward!"
Now, this was not a request, but an order. I peer out a bit... he's wearing a blue jacket, but I can't see any markings, but it's possible he's police or parking enforcement. "I'm sorry... are you parking enforcement?"
He whips out his cell phone so fast I swear he must have had his hand poised over it. "No, but I can call them!!"
Really? Really? You're honestly going to call parking enforcement at 9pm (Are they even around at that hour?) to tell them about the evil security guard who's not QUITE in the loading zone, idling his vehicle as he finishes his report and eats his lunch.
"I'm just gonna capture this on video on my camera!" He says with that sort of superior, 'you're-gonna-get-it' tone, and starts walking around my car, waving his cell phone around, filming my evil deed. Given there are no street lights over where I was parked, I'm sure he got a clear picture too.
I shrugged, packed up and moved on, as I was done there. But honestly... he had all the attitude that he was catching me committing a serious crime, and that he was going to bring me to justice! There were literally no other cars on the street, and the only building I was blocking was derelict, and the place I was patrolling. I was out of the way of traffic, my radio wasn't up loud enough to hear outside the car, and I had business in the area (And most people are happy to see me there, as homeless people like to camp in the backyard of that building)
To be fair, I've noticed people abusing that loading zone before, and much of the no parking space in front of that building, but there was nothing there tonight. Of all the crap that goes on downtown, especially given the liberties most cabs take with the parking laws, this just struck me as the most bizarre thing to go vigilante on. Maybe I caught him sleeping in one of my parkades, and he wanted to pay me back for kicking him out? Who knows?
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