Tension Buildup and Hostility around Playing Children

[Steve]

You do realize you're in the Security & Bouncers section of the forums. This exercise wasn't meant to be universally applicable. (And in fact it's not even a fictional simulation, it's based on personal experience). So let's at least try to stay on topic and within reason. Honestly, security guards and police officers use mental exercises like this all the time simply because they are useful. It allows open discussion and presents ideas to the table so that all of the officers can reflect and grow, adapt and be better prepared for future conflict. In martial art, you might practice simulation sparring (with one hand or blindfolded to simulate injury). This exercise is somewhat similar, only it's designed to work your mind instead of your body. The improper planning in this case is your handicap or injury. I'm asking how you would handle this specific scenerio. We can talk about jetliner aircrafts another time. Right now you're at a taco truck in the Spanish ghetto, and there are children at play. Deal with this first.

Fair enough?

I thought we were done with that one. I'm really sorry, but you just have my creative juices flowing.

Can we do one where you're a security guard in the Cineplex and some hooligan teenagers come in, clearly up to no good? They're tossing popcorn all around, laughing and you think they might be on something. It's a warm, Summer day, but they're wearing hoodies, baggy coats with lots of pockets and they have saggy britches. You're pretty sure at least one of them is smuggling in some food from outside. You ask them to calm down and they openly mock you, one of them calls you a rent-a-cop, and another one even goes so far as to throw a piece of popcorn in your general direction.

You are a slightly overweight guy, armed with a mini-mag light and your wits. You're a little bloated from a large lunch at the taco truck, and your IBSD is acting up, so you really don't want to get into a prolonged struggle, and god help you if you have to chase anyone down.

What do you do?

 

[hoshin1600]

I thought we were done with that one. I'm really sorry, but you just have my creative juices flowing.

Can we do one where you're a security guard in the Cineplex and some hooligan teenagers come in, clearly up to no good? They're tossing popcorn all around, laughing and you think they might be on something. It's a warm, Summer day, but they're wearing hoodies, baggy coats with lots of pockets and they have saggy britches. You're pretty sure at least one of them is smuggling in some food from outside. You ask them to calm down and they openly mock you, one of them calls you a rent-a-cop, and another one even goes so far as to throw a piece of popcorn in your general direction.

You are a slightly overweight guy, armed with a mini-mag light and your wits. You're a little bloated from a large lunch at the taco truck, and your IBSD is acting up, so you really don't want to get into a prolonged struggle, and god help you if you have to chase anyone down.

What do you do?

you ask them if they are with the girls wearing the mini skirts in the next movie over. they leave looking for hot chicks and you have successfully passed the problem over to Tom in the next theater over, he was busting your chops for being overweight so he deserves the punks anyway.

 

[oaktree]

I thought we were done with that one. I'm really sorry, but you just have my creative juices flowing.

Can we do one where you're a security guard in the Cineplex and some hooligan teenagers come in, clearly up to no good? They're tossing popcorn all around, laughing and you think they might be on something. It's a warm, Summer day, but they're wearing hoodies, baggy coats with lots of pockets and they have saggy britches. You're pretty sure at least one of them is smuggling in some food from outside. You ask them to calm down and they openly mock you, one of them calls you a rent-a-cop, and another one even goes so far as to throw a piece of popcorn in your general direction.

You are a slightly overweight guy, armed with a mini-mag light and your wits. You're a little bloated from a large lunch at the taco truck, and your IBSD is acting up, so you really don't want to get into a prolonged struggle, and god help you if you have to chase anyone down.

What do you do?

Let out the nastiest fart and just keep farting in their direction.

 

[drop bear]

That was kind of the story of my life when I did security at a night shift McDonalds.

You talk to some of them. You fight some of them.

 

[drop bear]

I thought we were done with that one. I'm really sorry, but you just have my creative juices flowing.

Can we do one where you're a security guard in the Cineplex and some hooligan teenagers come in, clearly up to no good? They're tossing popcorn all around, laughing and you think they might be on something. It's a warm, Summer day, but they're wearing hoodies, baggy coats with lots of pockets and they have saggy britches. You're pretty sure at least one of them is smuggling in some food from outside. You ask them to calm down and they openly mock you, one of them calls you a rent-a-cop, and another one even goes so far as to throw a piece of popcorn in your general direction.

You are a slightly overweight guy, armed with a mini-mag light and your wits. You're a little bloated from a large lunch at the taco truck, and your IBSD is acting up, so you really don't want to get into a prolonged struggle, and god help you if you have to chase anyone down.

What do you do?

Run them down with your segway ben hurr style.

 

[marques]

The Spanish (Castilian) of Spain is not that different from the Spanish of Mexico. Perhaps it is as different as the English spoken in different countries.

 

[Steve]

That was kind of the story of my life when I did security at a night shift McDonalds.

You talk to some of them. You fight some of them.

My first job was at mcdonalds. I wasn't even security, but was the de facto fight breaker upper.

 

[Buka]

I worked at McDonalds when I was a kid. Lasted one whole night.

 

[Steve]

I worked at McDonalds when I was a kid. Lasted one whole night.

I actually enjoyed it. Had fun. I liked working the grill in the back. Didn't like running the cash registers in the building, but thought drive thru was great fun. The McDs I worked at was close to Greek row near the UW campus. Lots of pretty college students.

I'll never forget my first day. That day, I learned how to make a Filet O'Fish.

 

[Buka]

I worked at McD's so long ago they didn't even have a drive thru.

 

[Steve]

I worked at McD's so long ago they didn't even have a drive thru.

back when people had names like Rubble and Flintstone.

Well, I worked there so long ago, we actually flipped burgers.

 

[JP3]

You're working at a Mexican taco stand. You don't understand the Spanish language. There's a guy twice your size that needs to be removed from the property, but he doesn't speak good English and he's refusing to comply. He's shorter than you but twice your size, holding a 6-pack of beer. You have a knife but no gun and your phone's dead. You're going to have to handle this one alone, without your firearm. That doesn't seem like a big deal, so what's the problem? There are innocent bystanders, paying customers, and children at play. In fact, little ones are chasing each other with toy weapons, running around you and in between both of you while tensions are heating up.

What do you do?

I quit my job.

 

[Buka]

back when people had names like Rubble and Flintstone.

Well, I worked there so long ago, we actually flipped burgers.

Uhhh, what, they don't flip burgers any more? A machine flips them?

 

[Mou Meng Gung Fu]

It might interest you all to know that they found the Facebook Killer, finally. He was in a McDonald's parking lot. (Lol)

 

[Steve]

Uhhh, what, they don't flip burgers any more? A machine flips them?

They started using clam shell grills in the late 80s. Basically, like a giant George Foreman grill. Sort of.

 

[Steve]

It might interest you all to know that they found the Facebook Killer, finally. He was in a McDonald's parking lot. (Lol)

I am pretty sure lots of bad guys are scooped up in or around McDonald's.

 

[Mou Meng Gung Fu]

They started using clam shell grills in the late 80s. Basically, like a giant George Foreman grill. Sort of.

I remember a friend telling me one of McDonald's meat factory employees fell into the meat grinder in the late-80's, supposedly it was on the news. I would've been too young to remember.

 

[jks9199]

I assume the Spanish spoken in Mexico and the US is Castilian?

Nope. Far from it, in fact. There are several different dialects of Spanish spoken, and some of them are at least as different as British English and American English.

 

[jks9199]

Few years back we arrested a Mexican male who did not speak any English. One of the guys in our unit said no problem his buddy who works in patrol is Hispanic and is fluent in Spanish.

So we call and have him come to the office. He introduced himself to the arrestee and right away the guy started to talk 100 miles per hour in Spanish.

After a couple minutes we ask the "translator" what he was saying. The "translator" replied, "I dunno I'm Puerto Rican." Damn Dialects

Spent several minutes translating and giving basic information about what was going on one morning in court for a woman. She's nodding along and letting me go on. My Spanish isn't perfect -- but it's at least adequate enough for communication.

Of course, it just might have helped if she told me she didn't speak Spanish instead of letting me yammer at her. She looked Latino, and her name was "Hispanic-enough" sounding...

 

[jks9199]

You're working at a Mexican taco stand. You don't understand the Spanish language. There's a guy twice your size that needs to be removed from the property, but he doesn't speak good English and he's refusing to comply. He's shorter than you but twice your size, holding a 6-pack of beer. You have a knife but no gun and your phone's dead. You're going to have to handle this one alone, without your firearm. That doesn't seem like a big deal, so what's the problem? There are innocent bystanders, paying customers, and children at play. In fact, little ones are chasing each other with toy weapons, running around you and in between both of you while tensions are heating up.

What do you do?

You want a serious reply? Why was your phone dead?. Your knife is a useless issue; nothing you've said suggests lethal force was justified, and even if it was -- your role as a guard almost always is detect, observe, and report. Why did the guy have to be "removed" from the property? Have you tried simply asking him to leave? Amazing how often a simple request solves a problem... but nothing you posted here in the OP or later suggest that you tried that. (What's the difference between an innocent bystander and a customer or a child?)