• Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
    1141·
    15 days ago

    So, fun story:

    I used to work security at a factory. Main part of the job is doing rounds every 2 hours (walking throughout the factory and grounds, touching a small metal wand to NFC chips mounted various places to prove you’re doing it), and unlocking the gate and signing people in during shift change.

    In orientation, we are informed of shift change times. 2pm, 11pm, 6am. Shift change last approx. 30 minutes to get everyone in and everyone out.

    So, this newbie gets hired. Bear in mind, this is the most basic ass rent a cop gig. Even calling it rent a cop is an exaggeration. It is mostly watching Netflix on your phone. Nothing has ever happened or likely will, and if it does, we aren’t even allowed to do anything. Sit in the shack, call the cops. That’s the whole ass job.

    Newbie is 19, gung ho wannabe cop. First day on the job, training shift, he brings pepper spray and handcuffs. Immediately told no, he cannot have that.

    Second day, training shift, he brings a giant ass mag light and a baton. Nope. Can’t have either.

    Third day, solo shift, he brings the mag light again, and decided to do his round as shift change begins.

    He’s just started his round, cars at the gate, honking to be let in. Someone calls the front desk, they radio him, let him know he missed the mark on timing, and to let the people in.

    He tells them he’s on his round, he’ll be back in about 30 minutes. They can wait. They can just sit there, and be late for their shifts, and get write ups, and fuck up their paychecks and be late.

    He returns from his round to find the manager of the factory, one of the most genuinely nice people you’ve ever met (haven’t worked there in 10 years, still see him sometimes. He’s just a kind, wonderful person) has showed up, and as a kindness has unlocked the gate and is signing people in for the guard. Took it upon himself, and made sure everyone got scanned and the log was filled out so that the guard wouldn’t get in trouble (guard company is a separate company).

    Dude starts shouting at him, tells him he has no right, yada yada. Goes over and locks the gate, tells manager he’s going to go over the logs first (making these people wait) and then when he’s done he’ll let everyone in. Manager tells him he can’t do that, he can do it himself, or the manager can do it. But they’re already a full 30 minutes behind schedule for a factory that runs like clockwork.

    Guard refuses, manager unlocks the gate.

    GUARD HITS MANAGER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH THE MAG LIGHT

    guard ends up fired, but not before one of the employees waiting to get out tackles him and another calls the cops.

    We almost lost the contract.

      • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
        29·
        15 days ago

        Pretty much, yeah. I loved that job, such a great fuck all job where I got to do whatever I wanted, but I hated being that closely associated with law enforcement.

      • Dyskolos@lemmy.zip
        1114·
        15 days ago

        “american cop” please. There are civilised nations with educated, carefully selected and friendly, helpful cops.

          • Dyskolos@lemmy.zip
            42·
            14 days ago

            Every country I’ve visited so far. But most experience in germany. In all those decades i haven’t met an arsehole-cop. Despite their not-so-greatly-adequate pay. Probably because all the trigger-happy ego-tripping arsewipes don’t survive the first selection-day and end up in other career-choices.

            I’m no cop btw, but had many interactions. Got robbed a lot 😁

      • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
        21·
        15 days ago

        Yeah, you occasionally get that type in security. They suck. Mainly you get older people who can’t retire and young people who need a second or third and need night shift job.

  • Mac@mander.xyzEnglish
    37·
    15 days ago

    Fun fact: you can get lithium battery and LED conversion kits for these.

    • NielsBohron@lemmy.worldEnglish
      35·
      15 days ago

      My dad is one of those “worryingly concerned about self-defense” boomers and I got an LED/lithium ion maglite-ish flashlight last year for Christmas.

      It still doubles as a bludgeon and it’s rechargeable and puts out like 5k lumens, so while I didn’t think I needed anything like it, it’s quite handy if you live in the mountains like I do. Nothing scares off a couple coyotes or a bear like just blasting them in the retina with a high-end LED photon cannon (short of an actual shotgun with bean bag rounds like my neighbor uses)

    • IninewCrow@lemmy.caEnglish
      15·
      15 days ago

      I had a couple of maglites around the house for years. Never thought of getting batteries because they only last about two or three months sitting and then only about a few hours of actual use as lights. So they sat empty of batteries for years.

      Heard of the led conversion and now my lights last forever and double as a security bat. Never thought of getting lithium batteries for them … once I do that they’ll be flashlights for life.

      And to think I was just going to throw them away because I had given up on them ever being useful.

    • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      15 days ago

      I’ve got a 4D Mag but just can’t justify the expense of the conversion kit. Got one for an old gf’s light and they are DOPE! But for the $70 price tag I can get a couple of super nice handhelds that weigh nothing.

      • Mac@mander.xyzEnglish
        3·
        14 days ago

        I agree. That’s why I haven’t converted mine. Maybe at some point for fun but i have other, brighter flashlights.

  • M137@lemmy.world
    201·
    15 days ago

    I’ve seen this without the shitty crop several times in the past few days. I don’t remember if there was a source or something in the normal version, but the cropping being done to remove that is the only thing I can think of. Shitty people.

    • Zron@lemmy.world
      4·
      14 days ago

      Some mad lad bolted one of these to the hand guard of an L85 and called it a weapon light.

      This was, of course, really to add mass to the rifle for when it was used as a bludgeon, because it is so British that it spontaneously ejected its own magazines as a form of silent protest against violence.