These People Sure Make You Feel Safe

My company has to move into an unfinished building because our old contract expires before the construction is done. I have to manage the reception with security personnel from an external security company due to the door being nonexistent at the time. There are three guards on alternating days. The two older gents are great. The youngest one looks okay at first glance, but the longer I talk with him, the sketchier he gets.

Young Guard: “I did an ICT (Information and Communications Technology) training and have been helping my brother build a website.”

Me: “Oh, that’s nice. So, this program doesn’t auto-refresh, so please refresh it often, or at least when there’s a visitor. F5 should do it easy.”

Young Guard: “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

He grabs the mouse and wiggles it for three seconds trying to find where it is because we use two screens. Then, he clicks Refresh on the address bar.

Me: “You can also just tap the laptop screen and press F5. It is a touchscreen and it’s just faster like that.”

Young Guard: “Yeah, I know. Like this.”

He clicks Refresh again with the mouse.

Me: “…”

Another day, after the young guard switches shifts with one of the older ones:

Me: “Ewww. Why is this keyboard sticky?”

Older Guard: “Oh. Is it still sticky?”

Me: “Still? When did this happen?”

Older Guard: “[Young Guard] spilled his [Energy Drink] before he left. I was talking with the workers so I saw it late.”

Me: “Did he not clean it properly?”

Older Guard: “Oh, sorry. I was the one who cleaned it. That kid just left after picking up the can. Didn’t even say anything to me.”

Me: “I’ll ask for a new keyboard.”

On another day, around lunchtime:

Young Guard: “They should Saint me.”

Me: “Huh? Why’s that?”

Young Guard: “I have been helping my brother with the website for no pay.”

Me: “Hmm.”

Young Guard: “And I always give the construction workers my lunch.”

Me: “Okay.”

Young Guard: “I don’t feel hungry, and we need to give to others as often as possible, you know.”

Me: “As long as it’s yours to give.”

Young Guard: “I’m going to [Fast Food Joint] real quick. I feel like having some cheeseburgers.”

The last kicker happens one day before lunchtime. [Young Guard] comes out of the lift fifteen minutes before lunchtime with two plates of heaping food.

Young Guard: “I am too nice to those construction workers! I’m going to the workers now!”

Me: *Calmly* “Um… those should go to our employees first. They are paying for the food and we have a fixed number with the caterer. [Manager] already told you about it last week, right? We’re okay with giving the construction workers food, but after the lunch service is done.”

Young Guard: “It’s fine.”

He heads for the construction workers with the plates. I let him because the food has been handled by him anyway. He then comes back five minutes later, fuming.

Young Guard: “I don’t like your tone with me!”

Me: “What tone?”

I’m confused as h*** about the sudden aggression.

Young Guard: “That tone!”

Me: “I’m just reminding you that that food is for our employees first. It’s not your right to decide what to do with them before the paying employees get their food. You can do whatever with what’s left.”

Young Guard: “You are undermining me!”

Me: “Me? When?”

Young Guard: “Since day one! You’re stuck up! I don’t want to work with you anymore!”

Me: “I’m okay with that.”

Young Guard: “[Manager] will hear about this! I will only work nights because I can’t work with you!”

Me: “Good!”

My manager knows how much I avoid confrontation and already knew about that guy’s attitude (to put it lightly), so he didn’t believe it when [Young Guard] told him that I yelled at him for no reason. [Young Guard] never returned after that day.