GGGRRRRR

Ok Im pissed off. And I fully intend to make my point and this is the place I am going to make it.

Now I warn you I am seriously angry. I am seriously angry and passionate about what I am angry about. Last time I was this angry I placed a misguided petition to GM on the web for big horns for small cars. And this issue affects me far more.

Ok, let me start at the beginning. Most people who know me know what I do for a job. And they know what I used to do. But if you dont know I'll just give you a brief fill-in: I used to be a transit officer, which is security and law enforcement on the public rail network. And now I am an enforcement officer for a local government.

As an enforcement officer, I have to do one shift a week of parking patrol. Now we have parking officers who do this 5 days a week. Basically they issue infringements to people who are not obeying the Australian Road Rules for parking.

Its not my most favourite job. Its not the most mentally stimulating job, and when you pop infringements on peoples windows for 8 hours you generally arent making any friends. But I have to do it, so I grin and bear it and try not to let the frustration of angry drivers get me down.

I mean fair enough. No one is ever happy to be told they are wrong. And they are especially unimpressed if they are told it by way of a monetary fine. I would be too. Hell I have been too. I have had a parking fine. And honestly it pissed me off bigtime.

But the other day, on a parking shift, myself and my partner were doing our job, minding our business. And a guy, about my age walked past. "Hey" he said "Look at that scum" I looked up at him "Thats right you. You are scum" Then he laughed and kept walkin.

It wasnt his car. Actually it was none of his business. But he thought that he was within his rights to call me scum. And keep walking. Im sorry- SCUM??

Last I checked I wasnt molesting young children.

Last I checked I was not selling runaways on the street as prostitutes and loading them with heroin so they cannot escape.

Last I checked I had not forced an entire race of people into slavery and then brutally murdered them and raped their offspring.

Now the week before this incident, on another parking shift, I was doing much the same, doing my job and minding my business, when a lady screams accross the road "you obviously dont have much to do" I turn and a very large lady with spiky hair and an angry face walking towards me.
I say "is this your car ma'am?" and she says "no its not but what right do you have to do that"
I start to go into my spiel- I am an authorised officer under the local government act- yadiyadi- when she FLASHES HER POLICE BADGE and then STANDS OVER ME with her fists clenched and raised and says: "you are a piece of shit". Then thumps one fist into the palm of her hand at me. Which, by the way can be considered a threat of physical violence and is an offence. A POLICE OFFICER.

Now bear in mind- this is me doing my job in my workplace. For all intensive purposes I am in my office. So let me turn the tables a bit:

You are at your desk, doing your work, answering your phones, putting your customers on hold for - oh 45mins is the norm- and I come walking into your office. "Your scum" I say. You look up. "Thats right, you. You are a piece of scum" I then laugh at you and walk away. What would you do? More than likely you would have me physically removed from the premises.

Or say I physically threatened you, took away your personal space and called you a piece of shit. Say I walked up and spat on you. Say I made you feel unsafe and threatened by my violent behaviour. What would you do? You would call the police and have me arrested is what you would do.

Now lets be honest: I am sure at least one person who is reading this is guilty of doing something like that to a parking officer, a ranger, a copper, a transit officer, or a security guard. And if that person is you, What gives you the right to abuse someone like that? Do you think they deserve it for just doing what they are employed and payed to do? Do you think its ok cos they are officers not people? IF I DID THAT TO YOU HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?

These are the people you ask for help when a car is parked over your driveway, when a dog is attacking you, when you are being harrased on a train, when someone has assaulted you. When the times get tough you rely on these people, but when they are performing a function of their job that you dont like you abuse them. That DISGUSTS ME.

To treat another human being with so little respect appalls me. I am ashamed to think that people I know do it too. Just because you dont like their job doesnt mean you have the right to treat them like second class citizens. And that goes for all jobs. And all people.

I am sorry this is such a long post but I am so upset about this.

Bye