Confessions of a security guy
- Thread starter Grey Eyed Bandit
- Start date
Grey Eyed Bandit
Master of Arts
The old cliché about people on opposing sides of the law being fundamentally the same, has been, in my experience, essentially true. It's really the same kind of people who become guards, bouncers and police officers, as it is who end up as gang members and professional criminals. The sad thing is, you don't realize this until you're so far gone down the road you've chosen that it's more or less impossible to choose a different path. This is a good thing and a bad thing - good because it's what enables you to arrest outlaw bikers and Eastern European mob enforcers without any violence taking place or threats being made, because they know you're just doing your thing and they're usually also able to sense that you understand that they're doing theirs. The bad part of it is all the time it takes to get to that point, and all the unpleasant encounters that have to take place before both sides learn to choose their battles with more care.
Most people that me and my company arrest, we never encounter again. No big wonder really, since we're a team of roughly twenty people and are responsible for around 1500 arrests each year. Even so, we do have somewhat of a "rogues gallery", i.e. people who show up time and again like clockwork.
I can't help but think about them sometimes, and about the fact that their personalities and life stories sometimes border on the poetic.
The most prominent one is a man I'll refer to as "Nicky". On one hand, he's a very localized phenomenon - on the other, he can be seen as a timeless, universal concept, and not just a mere individual. One could say that he serves as the perfect illustration of the fact that there will always be people who fall through the cracks in society. As an HIV-positive, heroin-addicted gypsy with hepatitis to boot, his mere existence is a spit in the face of political correctness. He is as far away from productivity, contribution to society and the positive aspects of multiculturalism as humanly possible. Most of the time, he steals meat with the intent to sell it, and whenever he's not locked up, that's pretty much what you can expect him to be doing 24/7.
Rumours abound that he wound up as a junkie some time in the early 90's when a large portion of his family died in a fire, but as far as I know, it's never been substantiated, and I've never really come around to asking him myself. You could even draw some LotR parallels here, since as far as I know, the main reason he's still alive is because some of us opted to call his brother to show up with his medication before having the police pick him up. Indeed, pity and mercy, on behalf of the people who still have to bring him in at least several times a year. Last year, he managed to find a place to live in a different city, and from what he told me, for a while things were looking up - until, as he said to me, he made the fatal mistake of letting his neighbors in on the fact that he was HIV-positive. Things seem to have gone quickly downhill again from that point on, and from the way he relayed the whole incident to me, I'm inclined to believe it's true.
Still, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of his character is his perpetually good humour. He's never been known to display a bad attitude towards guards or cops, and as long as you remember not to grab a hold of him anywhere near his front chest pockets where he keeps his needles sticking straight up ("for protection", he says), he's essentially harmless.
Nicky's polar opposite however, at least as far as the attitude's concerned, is the one I'm going to refer to as "Bob" (I've learned that police tend to refer to him as "Bumblebee", for reasons unknown as of writing this). Like Nicky, however, he's easily recognizable from a mile away, with his leather jacket, skinny jeans, converse shoes, and unkempt hair.
As the post-structuralist mafia would have you believe, he's superficially got things going for him, what with him being a white, blonde, heterosexual man and whatnot, if a tad short. However, as most adult people realize, things can still end up pretty badly for you when giving in to long-term substance abuse.
There is literally no one out there with the same capacity, or at least with the same ambition, to get under your skin as Bob. This is mitigated somewhat when he's apprehended by more than one person, but still, he goes to greater lengths trying to taunt and intimidate you than almost anyone else you'll meet.
He usually starts out with pot-shots aimed at your supposed low level of intelligence, and then quickly moves on to how he considers people in your line of work to be lower than filth, and that the only reason you caught him is because he refuses to even honor you with a thought or remembrance.
After that, the veiled threats start pouring in about how he'll leave whenever he feels like it, and there won't be anything to can do to stop him. Or that one of these days, you'll end up arresting the wrong person, and that will be your undoing. Finally, he starts going on about how miserable and dull your life as a wage slave is, and that in your final moments, you'll realize that you've never been able to lead a life as "rich" and "eventful" as his, and how he doesn't regret any part of his background, nor would he ever want to change doing what he does. For a short time, Bob saw employment as a janitor about two years ago, but from what I've been told, things went sour due to his inability to suppress the voices inside his head. He apparently tried to make them go away by blasting heavy metal in his earphones on the highest volume, with near deafness as a result.
Last time I ran into Bob, however, I had something of an epiphany. The fact that he noticed me before he got around to stealing anything, and then promptly left the area, certainly proves that all his talk of not remembering any of us is pure BS, but of course, I knew that already. The strange thing, however, was that I saw the look in his eyes and realized that I've seen it before. A very, very long time ago.
It was directly related to the earliest memory I can recall of what might be referred to as "evil", or at least some degree of maliciousness, being directed towards my person.
There was this kid who went to the same preschool as I did, who would sometimes jump me and pick a fight with be for no apparent reason. It took quite some time both for myself and my parents to realize what issues he might have had with me, but the facts involved were most likely quite simple - he'd recently received a younger brother whom he felt was taking up all of his parents's time and attention. What better way for a four or five year old boy to vent his frustrations than by beating on the kid with the darkest skin complexion available?
As luck would have it, I managed to make friends with him just before he and his family moved away - by giving him one of my "Ring Raider" toys, no less. But my point is, when Bob last looked at me, I realized that he had exactly the same look in his eyes as that kid. I saw the exact same hatred and bitterness over having been screwed over in life by forces they both could probably neither control nor comprehend. And the same stubborn determination to make the anguish rub off on everyone they meet.
I don't really know what makes some people think that they're entitled to have their own suffering befall other people, nor am I sure as to what prevents people from feeling that way. But I do think that if such nebulous concepts as "good" and "evil" can ever be clearly defined, then it is usually far easier for evil to comprehend good, than the other way around.
Most people that me and my company arrest, we never encounter again. No big wonder really, since we're a team of roughly twenty people and are responsible for around 1500 arrests each year. Even so, we do have somewhat of a "rogues gallery", i.e. people who show up time and again like clockwork.
I can't help but think about them sometimes, and about the fact that their personalities and life stories sometimes border on the poetic.
The most prominent one is a man I'll refer to as "Nicky". On one hand, he's a very localized phenomenon - on the other, he can be seen as a timeless, universal concept, and not just a mere individual. One could say that he serves as the perfect illustration of the fact that there will always be people who fall through the cracks in society. As an HIV-positive, heroin-addicted gypsy with hepatitis to boot, his mere existence is a spit in the face of political correctness. He is as far away from productivity, contribution to society and the positive aspects of multiculturalism as humanly possible. Most of the time, he steals meat with the intent to sell it, and whenever he's not locked up, that's pretty much what you can expect him to be doing 24/7.
Rumours abound that he wound up as a junkie some time in the early 90's when a large portion of his family died in a fire, but as far as I know, it's never been substantiated, and I've never really come around to asking him myself. You could even draw some LotR parallels here, since as far as I know, the main reason he's still alive is because some of us opted to call his brother to show up with his medication before having the police pick him up. Indeed, pity and mercy, on behalf of the people who still have to bring him in at least several times a year. Last year, he managed to find a place to live in a different city, and from what he told me, for a while things were looking up - until, as he said to me, he made the fatal mistake of letting his neighbors in on the fact that he was HIV-positive. Things seem to have gone quickly downhill again from that point on, and from the way he relayed the whole incident to me, I'm inclined to believe it's true.
Still, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of his character is his perpetually good humour. He's never been known to display a bad attitude towards guards or cops, and as long as you remember not to grab a hold of him anywhere near his front chest pockets where he keeps his needles sticking straight up ("for protection", he says), he's essentially harmless.
Nicky's polar opposite however, at least as far as the attitude's concerned, is the one I'm going to refer to as "Bob" (I've learned that police tend to refer to him as "Bumblebee", for reasons unknown as of writing this). Like Nicky, however, he's easily recognizable from a mile away, with his leather jacket, skinny jeans, converse shoes, and unkempt hair.
As the post-structuralist mafia would have you believe, he's superficially got things going for him, what with him being a white, blonde, heterosexual man and whatnot, if a tad short. However, as most adult people realize, things can still end up pretty badly for you when giving in to long-term substance abuse.
There is literally no one out there with the same capacity, or at least with the same ambition, to get under your skin as Bob. This is mitigated somewhat when he's apprehended by more than one person, but still, he goes to greater lengths trying to taunt and intimidate you than almost anyone else you'll meet.
He usually starts out with pot-shots aimed at your supposed low level of intelligence, and then quickly moves on to how he considers people in your line of work to be lower than filth, and that the only reason you caught him is because he refuses to even honor you with a thought or remembrance.
After that, the veiled threats start pouring in about how he'll leave whenever he feels like it, and there won't be anything to can do to stop him. Or that one of these days, you'll end up arresting the wrong person, and that will be your undoing. Finally, he starts going on about how miserable and dull your life as a wage slave is, and that in your final moments, you'll realize that you've never been able to lead a life as "rich" and "eventful" as his, and how he doesn't regret any part of his background, nor would he ever want to change doing what he does. For a short time, Bob saw employment as a janitor about two years ago, but from what I've been told, things went sour due to his inability to suppress the voices inside his head. He apparently tried to make them go away by blasting heavy metal in his earphones on the highest volume, with near deafness as a result.
Last time I ran into Bob, however, I had something of an epiphany. The fact that he noticed me before he got around to stealing anything, and then promptly left the area, certainly proves that all his talk of not remembering any of us is pure BS, but of course, I knew that already. The strange thing, however, was that I saw the look in his eyes and realized that I've seen it before. A very, very long time ago.
It was directly related to the earliest memory I can recall of what might be referred to as "evil", or at least some degree of maliciousness, being directed towards my person.
There was this kid who went to the same preschool as I did, who would sometimes jump me and pick a fight with be for no apparent reason. It took quite some time both for myself and my parents to realize what issues he might have had with me, but the facts involved were most likely quite simple - he'd recently received a younger brother whom he felt was taking up all of his parents's time and attention. What better way for a four or five year old boy to vent his frustrations than by beating on the kid with the darkest skin complexion available?
As luck would have it, I managed to make friends with him just before he and his family moved away - by giving him one of my "Ring Raider" toys, no less. But my point is, when Bob last looked at me, I realized that he had exactly the same look in his eyes as that kid. I saw the exact same hatred and bitterness over having been screwed over in life by forces they both could probably neither control nor comprehend. And the same stubborn determination to make the anguish rub off on everyone they meet.
I don't really know what makes some people think that they're entitled to have their own suffering befall other people, nor am I sure as to what prevents people from feeling that way. But I do think that if such nebulous concepts as "good" and "evil" can ever be clearly defined, then it is usually far easier for evil to comprehend good, than the other way around.
My abusive mother would be a typical example of that from my perspective. I was her son, that made her feel entitled by birth right or something.
Makes sense to me. Although I would imagine that has a wider viewpoint as apposed to just mine. I think good can recognise evil, but perhaps evil is more equipped to do bad. Good could still do bad, perhaps not something considered heinous, but still the intent would be there.
Grey Eyed Bandit
Master of Arts
It's no big secret that the world is slowly catching on fire once again, and largely, it's because of the most pointless, tiresome and stupid reason imaginable - that some people can't deal with the fact that others have different ideas regarding how one's supposed to believe in god. My not writing god with a capital g should give you an idea about my own stance on that matter. In any case, people are fleeing en masse to countries in the Western hemisphere, hoping to secure a better future for themselves and their offspring. I have no problems with that in and of itself, as long as one keeps in mind that it's neither possible nor required for any single country to save the rest of the world. But the fact that some of the children of refugees are all to eager to establish the same oppressive environment that their parents escaped from, is sadly conveniently ignored by some people. The same people who are likely to tell you that the white man is responsible for all of it occurring in the first place. The same people who will tell you that using only gender-neutral pronouns will improve equality amongst men and women (hint - Farsi has gender-neutral pronouns. That should tell you something).
Pretty much every time I arrest someone hailing from the Middle East or North Africa along with a colleague from the same part of the world, he (it's usually a he) goes off on the same tangent - that is, how pissed he is at the fact that the suspect would *NEVER* do something like this back home. And especially, how he wouldn't even dare to think of putting up the same attitude he displays against us towards his native police/security force.
When you consider the fact that the official stance of not only the trigger warning-happy left-wing intelligentsia, but also of the state itself, is that these people are all helpless victims of their circumstances, as well as deserving of the right to enforce the same cultural standards they were previously used to in their home countries, you're essentially helpless against someone who will without fault take any leniency or courteousness as a weakness.
I can understand that it sucks having the government in your country of origin going out for your blood.
I can understand you having had to endure countless hardships in getting here from there.
I can understand having to learn a new language can be difficult.
I can understand finding work in a country that may not accept your previous educational certificates can be frustrating.
I can understand having to in a poor, downtrodden area riddled with criminality can be awful.
But why the hell would you, on top of all that, start shooting heroin? Especially when I've got a colleague from the same are who went through the same stuff but opted to become a family-providing workaholic instead?
Pretty much every time I arrest someone hailing from the Middle East or North Africa along with a colleague from the same part of the world, he (it's usually a he) goes off on the same tangent - that is, how pissed he is at the fact that the suspect would *NEVER* do something like this back home. And especially, how he wouldn't even dare to think of putting up the same attitude he displays against us towards his native police/security force.
When you consider the fact that the official stance of not only the trigger warning-happy left-wing intelligentsia, but also of the state itself, is that these people are all helpless victims of their circumstances, as well as deserving of the right to enforce the same cultural standards they were previously used to in their home countries, you're essentially helpless against someone who will without fault take any leniency or courteousness as a weakness.
I can understand that it sucks having the government in your country of origin going out for your blood.
I can understand you having had to endure countless hardships in getting here from there.
I can understand having to learn a new language can be difficult.
I can understand finding work in a country that may not accept your previous educational certificates can be frustrating.
I can understand having to in a poor, downtrodden area riddled with criminality can be awful.
But why the hell would you, on top of all that, start shooting heroin? Especially when I've got a colleague from the same are who went through the same stuff but opted to become a family-providing workaholic instead?
it is relief indeed to know there are people like you to save the rest of us from the evils of the world.
Grey Eyed Bandit
Master of Arts
If it is your sincere impression that saving the world is my ambition, then that says more about you than it does about me.
Come to think of it, it also does if it isn't your sincere impression.
Come to think of it, it also does if it isn't your sincere impression.
cool.. how so?
Why do people shoot heroin, because they felt that the answer was there, but at the same time they new otherwise. Why, who knows, if they did, this problem would pretty much become obsolete. The alcohol just stops them shooting up. Get blind drunk for sleep, the other just to buzz through the day. Same destruction, but more live longer for that buzz than die, if they stay on the booze. Well, until the three bottles of Vodka!
You do make a good point there. I have to concede while perhaps thinking on the pattern, you make it quite clear really. I would imagine that a staunch culture would just be that. The politics, I try to ignore it, the mechanism is pretty much broken beyond repair.
The latter I don't know about deep cultural stuff really. Not sure about Britain, but there have been some what serious incidents with protests and stuff, but walk the streets and take notice of the body movements, everybody seem to be rushing a bit more than usual. With my security background, I am not concerned, just a bit thoughtful on the cutrual messages flooding the minds.
This thread (OP) started out pertaining to "Confessions of a security guy" but lately has some political under tones which are not allowed for topic here. My suggestion, if possible, would be to return to what ever the OP was. I am placing this warning below so the thread does not get out of hand.
ATTENTION ALL USERS:
Please, return to the original topic.
Wes Yager
Senior MT Moderator
ATTENTION ALL USERS:
Please, return to the original topic.
Wes Yager
Senior MT Moderator
Grey Eyed Bandit
Master of Arts
In that case I suggest you move the thread elsewhere. I can't keep from bringing up politics as long as we've got politicians passing judgement in our courts.
Well a point from the original OP that prison sentences are likely to be milder from my point of view. A lot of crims get banged for 12 months, but likely get released after 6 months on a tag. I think it used to be 2/3rds of a sentence, but British prisons tend to be at full capacity.
As for the rest of the OP, not sure that I can identify with a lot said, despite posting of course. Must be 17 years that I have been in security, so maybe a lot of it is water of a ducks back to me. I suppose an obvious conclusion to me would be that GEB maybe in the wrong vocation, or at least it seems stressful as a job. I believe that was what the OP was alluding to. If not apologies to the OP.
As for the rest of the OP, not sure that I can identify with a lot said, despite posting of course. Must be 17 years that I have been in security, so maybe a lot of it is water of a ducks back to me. I suppose an obvious conclusion to me would be that GEB maybe in the wrong vocation, or at least it seems stressful as a job. I believe that was what the OP was alluding to. If not apologies to the OP.
That is a global system really. The Perfumo case in the 60's highlights where the system overlaps common sense. A bunch of train robbers paid a very high price.
Grey Eyed Bandit
Master of Arts
That's what some people keep telling me. Then again, I've got 5000+ arrests under my belt and nine years in the business.
No one is unaffected. Everyone just deals with it differently.
No one is unaffected. Everyone just deals with it differently.
Grey Eyed Bandit
Master of Arts
Differences are just as important as the similarities.
Many people think the train robbers just robbed the train however it was robbery with violence as the driver was badly hurt when they coshed him, something one of the robbers Hussey admitted to later. The driver was traumatised and died a few years later, his family maintained his early death was to do with the robbery. The Profumo case was more about national security and the Soviets which everyone was paranoid about at the time than any lack of common sense, a government minister was shagging a girl who was shagging a Soviet naval attaché. In those days a 'military attaché' was a pseudonym for spy, still is come to think of it.
Yeah, aware of both stories. Still scandalous on both sides really. And yes the Deltic driver did not have to get coshed on reported events. But back to the OP.
Ah it's history to you but I actually remember it lol. At the time it was not as it seems now.
I will suggest to you to start a new thread in the general talk forum under, "political discussions and debate" and at that point I will go over this thread and extract whatever I feel needs to go in the new thread.
Yeah I would you are right. All I remember of those times is the Class 55 Deltic.
Ooh a spotter! I remember going on my holidays as a kid on steam trains, lovely! I still get a thrill when I hear or see one ( we have a little line down the road from us that runs steam trains)
Similar threads
