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To be clear, this is NOT a thread about masks, regardless of it being the subject line. This is about selective enforcement of "rules" and being a bully and an asshole while doing so. Please feel free to have whatever opinion you have about masks and the pandemic, but those opinions have no place in this thread.
I'm in a secure building where it is required to have security guards "watching" us at all times. Building "rules" are that a mask is required for entry and must be kept on at all times by all persons. So far, so good, the dude abides. As I'm going in, the first person I see does not have a mask. Hmm, this ironclad, 100% of the time rule apparently does not apply to him because he's behind glass and by himself in the security booth. Okay, still no mask as his associates walk in to get their passes and keys. I have the right to call off the job at this point, but choose not to.
We're walking to our work area and there's a couple of people a floor up face to face chatting, no masks. We walk into the area, people without masks in their offices, people without masks in their cubicles. Okay, no big deal, this ironclad rule is obviously getting lax enforcement. I get to work. Between the physical work I'm doing and the mound of dust under the workstation, I'm having a hard time breathing; I'm socially distanced, I'm in my own enclosed area, so I decide to do the same as everyone around me and pull my mask down. This pulls the security guard away from his conversation, rudely shouting at me:
SG: YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR MASK ON AT ALL TIMES!
Me: Okay, sorry, there's six inches of dust under here, it's getting in the mask and making it hard to breath.
SG: THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! BUILDING RULES ARE VERY CLEAR!
Me: REALLY!?! Building rules? So everybody in a cubicle not wearing a mask, are you going to go shout at them too? How about shouting at yourself for taking your mask off so you can talk to your buddy, who by the way should be at the other end of the room watching the rest of my crew.
SG: You do what I tell you to do, it is not your concern what other people are doing.
Me: Fine, whatever Mr. Blart. Lose the attitude though.
SG: You are putting the security of the entire country at risk.
Me:
Wow! Somebody's drama school teacher is going to be proud. That overacting class is going great.
SG: One more word and I'm kicking you off site.
Me: Go right ahead. You explain to the client why the job won't be completed.
SG: What's that supposed to mean?
Me: This job ain't getting done without me. I have no problem explaining to my boss that it's because of your rude manner and that I hurt your little feelings when I wouldn't put up with it.
SG: Hmmmmph! Just keep your mask on!
I dared to think I was allowed the same luxuries and privileges that everyone else in the building were exercising, apparently I was not. Fine, that's life. But I don't need this assclown doing a Cartman "respect ma authori-tee" routine on me. He doesn't have the guts to enforce the rules (that he is not even following himself) on anyone who can put in a complaint about him, but I'm just a contractor, he can treat me like a piece of garbage and nobody will care. He didn't appreciate that I didn't fall to my knees begging forgiveness, and when his trump card blew up in his face, he knew he had nothing.
Later in the day, my site contact comes up to me with a complaint from security. It seems that a few of us, myself included are allowing our masks to go below our nose. I see that my buddy is intently eavesdropping, hoping for a better outcome than he was able to get out of me. I apologize, telling her that I'm aware of the problem, it's just an unfortunate consequence of the physical activity that we are doing; I will get everybody to try to be more conscious of it, but tell Mr. Blart there that he doesn't have to come running to you if there's a problem, he can speak to me as long as he chooses to do so in a civil manner.
We're back the next day, this time our day starts with a tutorial on proper wearing of masks. Yeah, thanks for that one buddy. Nice to see you are actually wearing one today. Apparently Blart has asked to be reassigned because he's not part of our escort crew today. The day's looking up already. Shortly into my day, my site contact wants me to go see another area of an upcoming project. We head to that room and there's a couple of contractors there, neither of whom are wearing masks, and over at the other end of the room is my good friend Mr. Blart. He's sitting no more than a foot away from his buddy, no masks. They see me and decide that it's a good time to get their masks on, I can't just let that go:
Me: Yeah, better get your masks on. You're putting the security of the entire country at risk.
He was utterly furious. I hope he was able to see my smile through my mask.
I'm in a secure building where it is required to have security guards "watching" us at all times. Building "rules" are that a mask is required for entry and must be kept on at all times by all persons. So far, so good, the dude abides. As I'm going in, the first person I see does not have a mask. Hmm, this ironclad, 100% of the time rule apparently does not apply to him because he's behind glass and by himself in the security booth. Okay, still no mask as his associates walk in to get their passes and keys. I have the right to call off the job at this point, but choose not to.
We're walking to our work area and there's a couple of people a floor up face to face chatting, no masks. We walk into the area, people without masks in their offices, people without masks in their cubicles. Okay, no big deal, this ironclad rule is obviously getting lax enforcement. I get to work. Between the physical work I'm doing and the mound of dust under the workstation, I'm having a hard time breathing; I'm socially distanced, I'm in my own enclosed area, so I decide to do the same as everyone around me and pull my mask down. This pulls the security guard away from his conversation, rudely shouting at me:
SG: YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR MASK ON AT ALL TIMES!
Me: Okay, sorry, there's six inches of dust under here, it's getting in the mask and making it hard to breath.
SG: THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! BUILDING RULES ARE VERY CLEAR!
Me: REALLY!?! Building rules? So everybody in a cubicle not wearing a mask, are you going to go shout at them too? How about shouting at yourself for taking your mask off so you can talk to your buddy, who by the way should be at the other end of the room watching the rest of my crew.
SG: You do what I tell you to do, it is not your concern what other people are doing.
Me: Fine, whatever Mr. Blart. Lose the attitude though.
SG: You are putting the security of the entire country at risk.
Me:
Wow! Somebody's drama school teacher is going to be proud. That overacting class is going great.SG: One more word and I'm kicking you off site.
Me: Go right ahead. You explain to the client why the job won't be completed.
SG: What's that supposed to mean?
Me: This job ain't getting done without me. I have no problem explaining to my boss that it's because of your rude manner and that I hurt your little feelings when I wouldn't put up with it.
SG: Hmmmmph! Just keep your mask on!
I dared to think I was allowed the same luxuries and privileges that everyone else in the building were exercising, apparently I was not. Fine, that's life. But I don't need this assclown doing a Cartman "respect ma authori-tee" routine on me. He doesn't have the guts to enforce the rules (that he is not even following himself) on anyone who can put in a complaint about him, but I'm just a contractor, he can treat me like a piece of garbage and nobody will care. He didn't appreciate that I didn't fall to my knees begging forgiveness, and when his trump card blew up in his face, he knew he had nothing.
Later in the day, my site contact comes up to me with a complaint from security. It seems that a few of us, myself included are allowing our masks to go below our nose. I see that my buddy is intently eavesdropping, hoping for a better outcome than he was able to get out of me. I apologize, telling her that I'm aware of the problem, it's just an unfortunate consequence of the physical activity that we are doing; I will get everybody to try to be more conscious of it, but tell Mr. Blart there that he doesn't have to come running to you if there's a problem, he can speak to me as long as he chooses to do so in a civil manner.
We're back the next day, this time our day starts with a tutorial on proper wearing of masks. Yeah, thanks for that one buddy. Nice to see you are actually wearing one today. Apparently Blart has asked to be reassigned because he's not part of our escort crew today. The day's looking up already. Shortly into my day, my site contact wants me to go see another area of an upcoming project. We head to that room and there's a couple of contractors there, neither of whom are wearing masks, and over at the other end of the room is my good friend Mr. Blart. He's sitting no more than a foot away from his buddy, no masks. They see me and decide that it's a good time to get their masks on, I can't just let that go:
Me: Yeah, better get your masks on. You're putting the security of the entire country at risk.
He was utterly furious. I hope he was able to see my smile through my mask.
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