Summary

A security guard reflects on the peculiar and often troubling behavior of individuals he encountered during his twenty-year career at a bus terminal.

Abstract

Over two decades, a security guard at a bus terminal has witnessed a myriad of bizarre human behaviors, ranging from an actor wannabe engaging in loud role-play to an elderly woman intentionally exposing herself. The guard recounts incidents of people talking to themselves, sometimes using sign language, and the challenges of dealing with individuals with mental health issues. He recalls a close call when a young girl was nearly abducted, emphasizing the constant vigilance required in his role. The guard takes pride in his duty to maintain safety, finding a sense of accomplishment in getting troublemakers trespassed or arrested.

Opinions

The security guard has a mixed view of the individuals he encounters, finding humor in the "actor's" theatrics but disgust in the elderly woman's inappropriate behavior.
He expresses a sense of duty and satisfaction in dealing with the terminal's regular disturbances, enjoying the "rush" of getting people arrested.
There is a sense of frustration and futility as well, given that trespassed individuals often return, and the guard acknowledges that "there was always trouble at the Terminal."
The guard seems to have developed a thick skin and a sense of detachment, as indicated by his reaction to the attempted abduction and his continued eating while calling the police on a trespasser.
He views the terminal as a place of constant weirdness, never underestimating people's capacity to behave strangely.

In Twenty Years Working as a Security Guard, I found out Something

People are weird

The bus terminal was a covered island surrounded by a driveway for the busses. I had been walking around for an hour, so I stood against the wall across from the ticket window and watched.

I saw the same people every shift, I watched as “The actor” walked by. He was a big guy, in his thirties or forties. He strutted around the terminal, on that day he had the Bluetooth earpiece in his ear.

They were regulars, and they weren't the strangest either

on that day, he was a Gangster. “ “ get the crew together, “ he yelled, “ We’ll get the crew together and go in packing heat, they will regret messing with us.”

I shook my head and smiled, on that day, a gangster, the next day he might be a record producer or a music promoter. “ Whatever floats your boat.” I thought as I continued to watch the show.

There was the old woman. She was thin and wrinkled. she always wore too much make-up and short skirts with no underwear. I knew she never wore underwear because one day she gave me a show.

It wasn’t erotic, it was gross

It was a Saturday morning. It was a slow day. I was leaning against the wall. The woman was sitting on a bench. She waited until I turned my head in her direction, then she uncrossed her legs, and spread them wide.

she was looking me in the eyes. I wanted to throw up. It was gross. I don’t know what she wanted to prove, I resumed my patrol after swallowing down nausea.

People talking to themselves wasn’t unusual, but this was

Funny things were happening at the terminal. I watched one evening as a woman was talking to herself. Seeing people talking to themselves wasn’t unusual. She was having a heated argument with herself, using sign language. that was strange, even for the terminal.

Seeing them brought back memories

I was working at the largest Low-Income Housing Complex in Saint Petersburg. I worked there a few years before the Terminal. I often saw people at the terminal who I called 911 for because of medical or mental health issues.

I called the cops and Paramedics often at the Terminal. I helped a lot of people, but one day a tragedy almost happened.

It happened in minutes, and I missed it all

While I was doing my patrol, a young Hispanic girl was sitting on a bench. A man approached her and grabbed her hand and attempted to drag her off the property.

I was on the other side of the terminal, minutes away, but the girl didn’t scream or call for help. she managed to pull herself away and get on a bus.

It all happened in minutes. I didn’t know what happened. It was all caught on videotape. I didn’t find out why the cop was in the ticket office until the next day.

I had a picture that was captured from the videotape. I looked for the guy, but I never saw him at the terminal after this happened. There was always trouble at the Terminal.

Getting people trespassed or arrested was a rush

I enjoyed getting people arrested. I or the other guards would trespass people. They wouldn’t stay off the property. If we caught them, we called 911.

I was working the evening shift. A guy another guard had trespassed stumbled on the property. He was drunk as usual. I was eating lunch in the janitor’s closet when I saw him through the open door.

I didn’t stop eating. I picked up my cellphone and called 911. I watched and ate my lunch with overwhelming joy as I watched the drunk get arrested.

Final Thought:

After working as a security guard for twenty years. I learned never to underestimate the capability of people to be weird. I saw a lot of weirdness at the terminal.