Working bus security...

Since I didn't have too many hours this week, and to get some money in until I start my other hotel/casino security job, I worked for a company that provides security for the bus networks. For all that I whinge about my current job, it made me appreciate it more!

First shift was ten hours in a bus port that looked like it had been designed by someone who really hated architecture. Functional to the point of depressing, with no atmosphere whatsoever, the station clock often looked like it was going backwards, such was the nature of the work. A large number of people who both use the buses and loiter around the bus port can be described as inbred at best and abominations of the human race at the worst. The job simply involved walking around, standing next to a bus that came in as people got on and off, and then walk around some more.

The only interesting highlight, if it can be called that, occurred towards the end of the shift, when a bus driver pulled in and wanted a group of people, sat at the back of the bus, removed for causing trouble. I could smell them before I even boarded the bus, and knew before even sighting them that they'd be 'clients' that weren't too dissimilar to the gene pool leftovers that I used to deal with back when I used to be in the police. As expected, they were a group of our unwashed; unenlightened and uncouth non-reflective cousins. Initially they refused to get off the bus, but a bit of skilfull verbal gymnastics persuaded them to get off of their own free will. Some of them then tried to outstare me until I finished my shift.

Wednesday I was walking around the capital city's main bus station, on my own. Nothing happened. It was after this shift that I thanked the Great Architect of the Universe that I wasn't going to be doing this job for longer than a week!

Friday night I worked on mobile bus patrol. This involved riding on the bus to certain stops, with a patrol car following behind, then going back in the car to follow another bus. Halfway through one of the bus trips, a driver radioed up that there was a fight on his bus, and wanted the security officers based at one of the bus stations to meet him there. We radioed up and said we'd backup, and I alighted from the bus and got into the patrol car.

En route, the driver said that three people were attacking one person. The plan, at least initially, was for the bus to pull into the bus station, our guys to get on and see if anyone wanted to press charges, and detain the aggressors (we were equipped with handcuffs for this purpose). A few seconds later, the person who had been attacked had a knife. This was according to the driver. Rather than confirm whether or not a weapon had been seen, something the radio operator should have done instinctively, the police were called out after consultation with the security supervisor. Now, on our pay rate, with bugger all workers compo and the potential for a lot of paperwork, there was no way I'd even attempt to restrain someone who had a blade. However, I did wonder what the security officers at the station would end up doing. A short while later, the bus driver radioed up again, this time to say that the male had threatened to draw a knife, contradicting his previous message that the male actually had a knife. This put an entirely different light on the job, and hurtled it towards the 'ball of shit' bin I tended to categorise these jobs as - i.e no substance and nothing like it is described as on the radio, usually with nothing but paperwork and headaches for those who turn up to deal with the job. The bus depot, meanwhile, told the driver, via radio, to drop off the people involved and clear the depot straight away. From our point of view, this would remove any objective witnesses. So, as we pulled into the bus port, we saw the bus pull away.

We saw two security officers and one male. As we approached them, I could see the male wasn't quite all there - constantly twitching, repeating himself over and over, constant increase and decrease in volume and generally displaying behaviour and mannerisms that were in line with someone suffering from a condition and had not taken their medication. As soon as it was established that there was no knife in play whatsoever, we tried to cancel the police, but they were pulling in just as we were on the radio to cancel them.

It turned out that three people had got on the bus, walked past this male we were speaking to, and shot him a dirty look. He turned around and looked back at them, and they made a remark that was particularly disparaging about his mother. The male then went up to one of them, punched and kicked them, then threatened to stab them. The other two offered to hit him for his troubles, flatlining the confrontation into aggressive verbals until the bus pulled into the bus station. None of the security officers who greeted the bus asked if anyone wanted to press charges, leaving one agitated male, no details of anyone else, no witnesses, no knife and thus nothing at all for police. Had the driver properly informed us whether or not there was a knife, we need not have involved the police. Doh!

Still, back at the hotel tonight for a 7pm-2am. I shall certainly welcome the far more sedate atmosphere, and clients who do not resemble the sort that you would ordinarily cross to the other side of the road to avoid!