Subj : Work, work, work
To   : GEORGE POPE
From : JOE MACKEY
Date : Wed Jul 27 2022 06:36:36

   CP wrote --

> The way I see it -- if you hired the guy, presumably you have vetted him/her for the job already,

   Yes and no.
   The company I worked for (contracted to Marshall) did all the hiring and
firing.  I had little say in the matter other than a recommendation.
   One captain I had would send just any warm body he had.  
   Doesn't work that way.  He and my civilian boss went around and around
about this.  She (and my) objections being he was sending "rejects" from
another post.
   The last captain I had was nearly as bad but would once in a while find
a fit. 
    The first hour of training I laid it on the table of what was expected
of the individual and if he/she wanted to go it.  If not, no hard feelings. 
Generally they were told little to nothing of what was involved, just
"writing tickets".
   I had a few who didn't last.
   I had one who lasted about 10 minutes, another a few hours.
   The few hour guy had been on the job about four hours.  We spent a
couple of hours in training, broadly going over the job, then out ticketing.
   There were two metered lots (I start people on them so they became
familiar with the writer mostly).  I saw him on one lot across a narrow street
and going about my business when he disappeared.
   Looked all over for him, no answer on the radio.
   Shortly after I was in the office and asked if they had seen so-and-so. 
I was told he came in, put up his writer and radio and walked out.  It was
about lunch time and it was assumed he had gone to lunch.
   Never saw him again.
   The 10 minute guy was the shortest.
   I had a new crew of three others just before the fall semester started.
   We we seated around the table, introducing ourselves, etc.
   The day shift commander of the police department walked in carrying a
clip board and asked each person their name.  When he came to the third one he
asked him to come with him.  I thought nothing about it since the police
department did background checks a
   After several minutes and he was still gone we took a break until he
returned.
   Standing around outside we saw him "cuffed and stuffed" in the back of a
patrol car as it was leaving.
   Turned out the guy had five outstanding warrants on him from the state
of Ohio.  He was taken to the regional jail and never saw him again.
   (The company only did local wants and warrants, but the Marshall PD did
national).
   We would lose people all the time.  A big turn over.
   Partly it was due to weather (not like being out in the heat/cold,
rain/snow, etc), grew bored with the job, found something better, etc.
   I had a woman once who said the cold didn't bother her.  She was on the
job several months and first cold day she never returned.
   We had several who lasted for years.
   Nobody beat my record of zero absences, zero sick days, zero call offs
and there for 15 years.

> & no need to keep close tabs on them

  I always had the problem of some people, once they found out someone
wasn't watching them every minute would start to goof off.
  One time I had a fella who was coming in with 10-15 tickets a day when
that area produced 75-80 for me.
  I spoke to him a while and he said there was nothing there.
  He had just covered this one area and I went with him to go over it again
and pointed this permit was expired, that one was out of area, this, that
and the other violation.  Once he found out that yes, I was keeping an eye on
their work, they improved.

> Of course; respect & common sense "CYA" self-preservation.

  I used to joke a lot of what we did was CYA.  :)

> Of course, with an access card their comings & goings can be easily logged 

  And the cards only gave limited access for the most part.
  A student needing to do something in a lab, tend to the lab rats, etc had
access to the building and that lab only.  Others had more access, some had
full access.

> plugs? Flash-drives? Under 1Gb each?

  The first time they were 16b, the following year or two 32 was standard
and so on depending on the company giving them away.
  
> This is how it is at flea market/bazaar type sales -- I ensure to do a go-round an hour before closing, to get steals
 
   I haven't been to a flea market in years...
   When I had a car I would stop by every so often.
   That was where I got my IBM 286.  The guy who sold it once worked for
IBM and refurbished them and gave a warranty with each one he sold. 
   That was sometime around 1994 or '95.

> I was a smoker, so took 5 minute smoke breaks whenever
 
  That was the way in parking.  
  There was no "it's 10 o'clock, break time".  
  I always told the guys they could take one any time they wanted, and
especially after dealing with a difficult violator and had to keep their mouth
shut.  Take a break and let off the steam. 

> > We got no pay for over time in parking. It was a straight 37.5 hours a week.
> 
> Essentially you were treated as being on salary. . .

  Yes and no, since we took extra long lunches to make up any over time we
worked.
   On very rare occasions we would be paid a full 40 hours if we had to
work an extra long shift and that would be due to some emergency.
   One time there was a big event and I made the mistake of going to see
what was going on and the chief (of police) "asked" me to stay and help out
the cops with traffic control.  I didn't get away till 11.30 p.m., a 15 1/2
day.  He authorised the extra time
   But I made a mistake that day.
   I had signed out and had the time sheet approved.  
   One of the rookie cops was filling out his time and asked another what
hours to put down and told to round it off to midnight.  
   I cheated myself out of a half hour.  :(
   I made up for it later on.  :)
   One time I had worked over and asked by a co-worker if I had ever made
that time up.  I replied I had, several times over, and heard my civilian
boss laughing about that remark.

> Quire fair & reasonable.  & if the boss notices & whines, you just "work to rule" & take your mandated 30 minutes, eh, & he learns to leave you alone & trust you to get the job done, eh?

   Never really had that problem.
   Both my civilian and security bosses wanted to make sure we were paid
for that time.  They merely charged it to the client.  If the client
complained they were told why they were charged.

> & why not?  Some jobs, we'd just leave early, to use up our owed time, 

   I always told people in training we worked variable hours, the above
about working over and longer lunches.
   There were also times, due to weather, we might get sent home early. 
This was usually due to rainy days and can't write in the rain.
   I never complained being sent home early.  I always said the most
dangerous place to be in cases like that was between me and the door.
   Now on other posts one had to be there regardless of the weather.  And
stay until relived.  They be told several hours before quitting time they
would have to pull a double, or they might learn minutes before they were to be
relieved.
  The worst part of the day for me was when my relief was due.  Would they
be on time?  Would they be early?  Would I get a call I was working a
double.
   It was a unwritten courtesy one's relief would should up 10-15 minutes
early.  This was to have any information relayed and the person leaving was
able to go.  This carried over to the next person.  So one's hours would be
7.45 to 3.45, 3.35-11.45, etc.  T
   I had a few who would not arrive until 3.59.
   Years ago I was working at a plant from 0430 t0 1730.  The guy I
relieved at 0430 relieved me.  I would arrive around 0415 and he flew out the door. 
When time to relieve me he wouldn't show up until 17.29.59.
   
> I make a point of knowing what to do in every area. 

   Each post is to have written post orders of duties to be carried out.
   Some are warm a chair, others made regular rounds, etc.
   Each are to have emergency phone numbers but some places didn't and some
that had them were outdated.
   I would mention to my captain that needed corrected and the usual
response was he would and seldom did.  

> Without a specific bylaw, their tickets are only unenforceable requests 

   Marshall's ticket are fully enforceable since a state institution.
      
> You expect the president & other higher ups to have priority in parking 
> choices. . Usually they're marked

  There are simply signs reading "Reserved for the Office of the
President".
  I do have to made one amendment to my "no reserved spaces" comment.
  I had a private, reserved space.  The only person on campus.
  It was a wall in the office where I parked my bike.  :)
  Joe
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