Whilst I'm on the Subject of rants. [Multiple post part 2 of however many posts I end up making]

[crunch]

As many of you know I'm a stickler for rules. if a sign says "Dont do that" then I will feel REALLY guilty if I do do that, or if a friend does it. If sombody TELLS me not to do something, I WONT do it. Well, within Question.

So when I went to the National Gallery of Victoria On Saturday to play with their LEGO display, I went in with my Backpack. I walked into the building and one of the security guards said "If your going into an exhibition your going to have to leave your bag in the cloke room" I pointed at the Lego display and work tables and said "I'm only going to that, can I hold onto my bag? " and his response was "Oh thats fine, its just if your going to any of the main exhibitions in the building"

I stood around and waited for some friends to turn up. Then we queued up to enter. About 5 minutes in the queue the security guard came up to me and said "im sorry sir your going to have to check your bag in"

I had a go at the guy. If I had done something wrong then I would have checked the bag and apologised, but the thing that pissed me off was that The Rules had changed between me entering and me queue. Even if he had misquoted the rules, the rules had changed.

I checked my bag reluctantly and after (I THINK) embarrising the people I was with by telling the Security guy what i thought of that, and stood back in the queue. When i got into the room i noticed that there were two couples with baby strollers loaded high with bags AND another buy with a daypack that had been kicked under the seat he was on.

So the question is, why was My Day Pack seen as a threat and the strollers and the other day pack NOT seen as a threat?

I felt Persecurtd.

Comments

[kits-the-dm.livejournal.com]

its cause they can sniff the pyros out of a crowd ;p

[dcrisp.livejournal.com]

But I just wanted to play!!

[kits-the-dm.livejournal.com]

maybe they thought you'd nick their lego?

[sootysmudge.livejournal.com]

Re: your 2 posts. Like you, l have no problem with rules (in fact l like rules, if everyone followed rules the world would be a happier place :-).. what l have an issue with is the inconsistent application/interpretation of rules.

[mireille21.livejournal.com]

Ditto. And I think the problem half the time isthe people enforcing them dont' always know what the rule boundaries are, or left with too much time on their hands eventually feel the need to be more proactive about it, hence you problem.

I had my entire evening out spoiled by one such enforcement of the rules. We were going to the Arts Centre for a show and I had taken my backpack with me often times before, but now they had apprently decided that these needed to be checked. Problem is, the women who initially came up to me *suggested* that I check my backpack, free of charge of course, but didn't say it was a rule. I thanked her but toldher I didn't want to on this occasion but I woudl remember not to bring my bag next time. She got more insistent until I had to say to her, Look I really don't want to and now I want you to leave me alone, you're harrassing me, and I physically went and stood behind another friend. I'm a pretty tough person, but I might have been having a delicate day. Anyway, tkaes a bit to get me to that point and I really felt her behaviour was uncalled for. If she had said it was the rules that would have been a different story. Sadly it spoilt my entire evening, not happy given that I'd spent $80 for a theatre ticket :(

[pyrrha17.livejournal.com]

Or don't understand the reason for the rule, hence don't know how to interpret it, or whether exceptions are acceptable.

[gemsling.livejournal.com]

"So the question is, why was My Day Pack seen as a threat and the strollers and the other day pack NOT seen as a threat?"

Don't take this the wrong way, but you look like a Lego thief. Security works best when you use profiling and unsubstantiated suspicions...

[dcrisp.livejournal.com]

GAH!!! I've been profiled!

I'm a LEGO Terrorist!