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So some of you will know, Im now working in my area of study, namely an art gallery.We have the gallery in a public building that we share with the library....our admissions desk is the first thing you see when you walk in the door. The library is on the right and the gallery is on the left. The library desk is tucked well inside their side, our admissions desk is out in front. Upstairs is administration for the gallery, the library and the local city council.
We also have a nice paved seated area outside our building with statues and seating, its supposed to be for patrons of the gallery to sit and contemplate the art you have just seen etc. But it has steadily become a hang out place for the homesless and drug dealers and professional woman (if you know what I mean).
So we have two problems.
1. people think we are the receptionists for the ENTIRE building, library, council everything, and expect us to act as such. In the last month Ive had people try and yell at me for parking tickets, late fees on books, insist that they MUST use my phone/have a pen-pencil, need the phone book, directions to any part of the city or downtown and that Im somehow a bank who can dole out never ending amounts of change.
I say try because (wonderfully) we dont have to take that kind of treatment, my boss, and co-workers have never worked in retail and are not about to take the kind of crap most front line job people have to take and they give it right back and tell them were to go (literally and figeratively) in professional but "back off buddy" terms!!! yay being allowed to have a back bone!
2. Is the fact were a public building, peoples taxes pay for the building, so unlike a store, we cant refuse entry to anyone unless they become abusive or threatening. Now for the most part the library cops the nut jobs alot more than we do. But in the last month we have had the police drag out 3 sets of people, one was weilding a knife, two girls were injecting (in the public bathrooms) and a professional and her client were caught in the middle of an....um...business exchange. A homeless guy with a hacksaw sawing the wood off the benches to put in his shopping cart, two meth addicts spitting on people whilst smoking up (that one happened outside the gallery)
then we had the "i hate people" guy, the stalker who follows one of the staff in the store...not all of the people are bad, 99% of the homeless just want a warm place to sit, they quietly read in the library, use the internet, dont bother anyone. A few are even trusted and liked, george always helps us wheel out the heavy signs, and tells the other people to F**k off when they get out of hand.
It's crazy, it really is just totally insane. mostly funny as hell afterwards but insane. My boss wont let me leave the building alone, she will walk me to my car and walks everyone else out to. Neither will my boyfriend, he walks from his work to my building then we walk to our car together.
From monday we will have a full time secuirty guard for the building, we already have contracted ones for the gallery during exhibitions, but this guy will be standing by our front desk and patrolling the paved area and entrances. The unwanted people got word of this and think its hilarious that were "scared" of them....were not, the guests of the gallery and users off the library are.
Its getting worse as the temperature drops because the outside courtyard is sheltered from the wind and the library is free and warm (as is the entry of the building) and were only a few weeks off snow. All I can say is... its about time!
We also have a nice paved seated area outside our building with statues and seating, its supposed to be for patrons of the gallery to sit and contemplate the art you have just seen etc. But it has steadily become a hang out place for the homesless and drug dealers and professional woman (if you know what I mean).
So we have two problems.
1. people think we are the receptionists for the ENTIRE building, library, council everything, and expect us to act as such. In the last month Ive had people try and yell at me for parking tickets, late fees on books, insist that they MUST use my phone/have a pen-pencil, need the phone book, directions to any part of the city or downtown and that Im somehow a bank who can dole out never ending amounts of change.
I say try because (wonderfully) we dont have to take that kind of treatment, my boss, and co-workers have never worked in retail and are not about to take the kind of crap most front line job people have to take and they give it right back and tell them were to go (literally and figeratively) in professional but "back off buddy" terms!!! yay being allowed to have a back bone!
2. Is the fact were a public building, peoples taxes pay for the building, so unlike a store, we cant refuse entry to anyone unless they become abusive or threatening. Now for the most part the library cops the nut jobs alot more than we do. But in the last month we have had the police drag out 3 sets of people, one was weilding a knife, two girls were injecting (in the public bathrooms) and a professional and her client were caught in the middle of an....um...business exchange. A homeless guy with a hacksaw sawing the wood off the benches to put in his shopping cart, two meth addicts spitting on people whilst smoking up (that one happened outside the gallery)
then we had the "i hate people" guy, the stalker who follows one of the staff in the store...not all of the people are bad, 99% of the homeless just want a warm place to sit, they quietly read in the library, use the internet, dont bother anyone. A few are even trusted and liked, george always helps us wheel out the heavy signs, and tells the other people to F**k off when they get out of hand.
It's crazy, it really is just totally insane. mostly funny as hell afterwards but insane. My boss wont let me leave the building alone, she will walk me to my car and walks everyone else out to. Neither will my boyfriend, he walks from his work to my building then we walk to our car together.
From monday we will have a full time secuirty guard for the building, we already have contracted ones for the gallery during exhibitions, but this guy will be standing by our front desk and patrolling the paved area and entrances. The unwanted people got word of this and think its hilarious that were "scared" of them....were not, the guests of the gallery and users off the library are.
Its getting worse as the temperature drops because the outside courtyard is sheltered from the wind and the library is free and warm (as is the entry of the building) and were only a few weeks off snow. All I can say is... its about time!