Sunday 22 April 2007
I need a new job
I was assaulted at work this afternoon.
A gentleman was loud and aggressive and as librarian in charge, I rang security and as they didn't answer my call and he was a danger to the public I escorted him from the building myself. He was swearing repetitively and making angry gestures but I wasn't unduly worried. He appeared to be just a blow hard. Once outside the building he threw a crockery plate of food and an almost fun can of drink at my back as I was going back into the building. Both items smashed against the wall near my head.
The Police were called and security turned up. While security was talking to him I rang my boss who arrived around the same time as the Police. Statements were taken and the Police escorted the gentleman away.
I have to go down to the Police Precinct tomorrow and fill out an official statement and then front up to the Magistrates Court in a few weeks to testify. I can't remember the official charge but its something to do with assault and use of bad language. He will also be banned from the library for 12 months.
I'm not a deeply religious person, but all prayers and wishes for one of my job apps to be successful would be greatly appreciated.
16 comments:
O M G.....said in trademarked janice from Friends voice!! Are you ok honey????
Big big hugs and as always, tons upon tons of luck!!!
Yeah I'm fine - it happened to fast for me to get scared ..... but a new job where I work in an office in a University might give me a different class of aggressive deadhead to work with ....
This afternoon just reinforced how much I do *not* want to work there any longer ....
That is awful Mel!!!! {{{{HUGS}}}} and I will send good thoughts your way about getting a new job.
I'll keep good thoughts for you! The Public can be horrible creatures, can't they? Last week we had a drunk wander in (and it really does terrify me to know these drunks are on the highways!) and start making a scene because I was busy getting check verified for a driver, so all the drunk sees is a line forming and the "chick behind the counter on the phone, typical G-D'ed woman" and all he wants is a G-D'ed pack of cigarettes. I didn't hear the whole discussion, but apparently he was ready to come around the counter and pinch me on the ass to get my attention. Well, once I got off the phone, I realized what was happening, fortunately for him, because a couple of the regulars were just about ready to escort him out the door in a very ungentle fashion. I yelled at him (he was a good ten feet away and it was getting noisy) to tell me what type of cigs he wanted, grabbed a pack and threw them at him, then told him to get out, NOW. The driver who's check I'd been verifying and I split the cost of the cigs, figuring it was a cheap price to get away with out a major brawl right there in the middle of the store.
I will definitely keep good thoughts for you in my mind.
Oh Mel - huge hugs and I will pray to the Goddess that something much better comes up for you and soon! Does this mean you will ask for the paid sabbatical weeks as well?
Oh Mel, I am so glad your alright! That could of been so much worse than it ended up being!! I am definitely crossing everything available for you that one of those job apps comes through for you! ((((HUGS))))
Chele
Mel, glad you're ok - at least the police turned up, thank God. Hope one of your job applications is successful, crossing all fingers & toes for you.
Umm yeah the crockery plate or the almost full can of drink could have put me in hospital or worse if it had hit me in the head - so yeah the Police turned up relatively fast.
Moral of the story - whenever working with The Public (tm) ask for Danger Pay :)
I am fine, nothing did touch me, except for some food. And apart from that I kept control enough of the situation that I got him outside the doors of the building and kept him out and didn't actually physically threaten anyone else. So as Officer in Charge, I did what I was supposed to do. So that helps.
Getting a call and being invited for an interview today would help more :) I'm so tired, I just woke up and I'm waiting for the Police visit then I can actually start my day properly - go and check the mail box etc ....
My thoughts and wishes are with you sweetie! Why are so many people so angry these days? If they are so unhappy in life all they have to do is change what makes them unhappy.
WOW! I am glad it didn't become more serious! What an a**hole! I see it so often these days, everywhere I go. I don't understand why beligerance has become the order of the day. I hope, wish, and pray for your phone to ring with that interview call; I was very thankful to get out of retail and into manufacturing when I did, especially since I worked in a jewelry store in crack town, where I was treated like dirt on a daily basis. And then people wonder why customer service sucks so bad today! It blows my mind.
Would it be uncommon for the local librarian to keep a baseball bat under the counter? Can you get a baseball bat there, or I should I send you one? A nice big aluminum one? Stay safe!
Ye Gads, Mel! I'm so glad you're ok! What an experience - and on the weekend in the middle of your holiday, too. Here's to hoping one of those jobs out there grabs you quick!
Uncommon and illegal in this part of the world :)
The stupid thing is that I live and work in an OK part of town. We don't get held up, we don;t have physically aggressive customers - this is the first time any library staff has actually been assaulted in the last couple of years.
We gets lots of cranky old men who shout and bluster and make some of the girls cry (I can handle them - they are just like my Dad!) and we get a few mental patients and winos through but nothing dangerous. The mental patients aren't dangerous - they spout religion or ask you the same question 100 times in a row. And the worst the winos do is smell up the place and one of them defecates on the library chairs - but he only comes in for the warmth in winter.
Of course as we all know, diplomacy is *not* my strongest point, so although I did my best and did fulfil my aim of protecting other customers and staff - there are already some elements in my organisation asking that I be removed from weekend duty as anyone else would have handled it better and gotten him outside and calmed down much much better so there would not have been any physical violence !!! I'll deal with those allegations next week when I go back properly ....
Meanwhile I slept straight though a whole nine hours !!!! Its very very dull outside, not much light, and its raining hard all day. A perfect day to stay inside and curl up in front of the heater with a good book and cup of coca - and seeing as I'm on holidays - thats exactly what I plan on doing :) :)
Well actually I'm going to Spring Clean the bedroom, but you get the general idea .....
My goodness, Mel!! It's just not safe anywhere, is it? You're on my list and I'll be hoping something terrific comes through for you.
{{{Poor gal, Mel}}} Just being at work can be a bad enough day without having plates lobbed at you, too. I understand the occasional homeless guy hanging out there, or the nut jobs that are ever present, but violence is too much!
Wait a minute... Did a whole month just fly by and you are back off sabatical? I'm a bit slow on things.
Our library's front door is literally 15 feet from the front door of the police station. I was once in the library when some character either slipped out of custody or was avoiding being taken into custody and thought the library would be a good place to slip into. The police very quickly and discretely came in and dragged his butt over to the station. Other than that one incident, our library has always been a very happy place. You should come work here!
Tracy, Three weeks flew by and my mandatory weekend came up - I'm now on the last week of my holidays , I have three days including today to go.
Sounds soo depressing that way :(
So Tracy, the address of the recruitment office for your library is ???
Mel, I was thinking the same thing that Tracy was - I can't believe your leave is almost done! I'm sure it flew by even faster for you!
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