Well, pyramid was very nice this year. My only complaint is that the Office of Safety decided to close off the alley separating the Elam center and the Field house for the show.

Did they not venture to think that pyramid was not the only university event that day?

I had quite a large amount of university property to drop off in the alley but the Office of Safety saw things differently.

Their desire to pay someone to sit in their UNMARKED car really doesn’t make good sense to me, and to further complicate things, the car appearing to me to be waiting to enter the main road.

Perhaps, the fact that I had driven by the car upset the guy inside it. Never had I stopped before when cars were sitting at the entrance of this road to determine who was inside unless it were a marked police car, or I could visibly see someone.

As I entered the DELIVERY ALLEY, I noticed that 1.) I was being followed and 2.) there was a cone in the only parking space left. I was not about to carry a 100-pound sound system into the alley so I stopped my car in the yellow lined area.

I then attempted to start unloading, and when the alley protector asked me if he could assist me, I said no and informed him that I would unload and be on my way.

As I came back outside, he was writing me a ticket, for illegally parking. He could see that I was unloading UNIVERSITY equipment, but thought he’d show authority anyhow. I told him that I would have parked in a space, but his cone prevented me from doing so.

The space, for the Chancellor, was located ironically in the DELIVERY alley. Why have a sign identifying it as a delivery alley if it is not to be used as such.

Furthermore, the employee told me I could have parked about a hundred yards away, and carried the stuff up the alley. He then told me to continue unloading and left me.

Little did I know, he called for backup, and I met an older uniformed policeman, who was not, in his physical appearance, looking forward to the pyramid. By this time, I was upset at the two displays of glorified authority, and the policeman could see this in me as he used it against me in his threat to take me to court, etc.

Fellow students, I am forewarning you that although campus security is supposed to serve as such, watch out, for some on the “force” feel that they are NYPD material. This is not to say they all are, but for those select few, just give them the respect they earn but do not alwaysdeserve.

What ever happened to me? I gradually calmed down and did all but lie prostrate on the ground as I apologized for 1.) not seeing the office of safety employee in his unmarked car and for 2.) getting a bit upset about the words I used to convey my anger with the situation.

I know that I am not alone in my encounters with these exalted security officers. For those of you that have had no such interaction with them, I would definitely avoid it.

The fact that the original car was unmarked was the main problem leading to misunderstanding. This leads me to my next question. Why have various security phones around campus, if you do not wish them to be seen.

At the community college I attended, the security phones were below a pole with a blue light on it. This wouldn’t make sense with the department of safety here though, for they like theirs to be unrecognizable.

Christopher Schmitt is a senior Biology major.