Boston: In Loco Policia? -Reply

[Dan Lester]

>>> Donald Barclay <dbarclay at Bayou.UH.EDU> 02/28/97
07:36am >>>
Here's a true story:
A college student worked for a grocery chain for many years.
 One night he sold beer to an underage police operative.  The
college student was arrested, fined, and fired.  He had to
drop out of college (in his last semester) and otherwise put
his life on hold while he regrouped.
--------------------------------------
Been there, done that, more or less.  Place I worked kept up
a sign that tracked how many they caught with fake IDs, so
we enforced the heck out of it.  More than once I called the
cops on a kid who was begging me not to do it.  But I needed
the job, though had just gotten rid of my fake ID the year
before.  As always, we choose the best job we can from the
options available.  
============================
As of today (February 28, 1997) the same sort of thing can
happen to store clerks who sell cigaretts to anyone under 18.
------------------------------------
Same as above still applies.  In fact, it has applied in Idaho
quite strictly (by state law) for a number of years.  As long as
the clerk knows the rules, it doesn't bother me.  Same is true
in a library.  We're VERY strict about requiring IDs for
ANYONE checking out books, requesting ILLs, etc.  We
won't get fired for goofing, but we'd hear about it.  Again, if I
don't like the job no one is making me work here.
===========================
(Though, of course, the wealthy guy who created the
multi-million dollar Joe Camel ad campaign won't be a
co-defendent with the minium-wage clerk.) 
-----------------------------------
So what?  RHIP, same as always.  Or if you wish, $HIP.
===============================
Will it be long before some states or localities pass laws that
not only turn librarians into Internet police, but also punish us
if we fail to enforce the law?  Will there be police operatives in
libraries trying to sting librarians who fail to protect minors
from virtual sex, drugs, and rock and roll?
----------------------------------------
Suppose it could happen, but I'm sure not gonna lose sleep
over it.  Personally, I don't think it is likely much of anywhere,
though, even here where a teacher was suspended for a few
days because she had a guest speaker in a HS class.  Of
course there is more....she had a speaker from Planned
Parenthood....who used a "10 inch long wooden replica of a
penis" to show how to unroll a condom on to it.  Guess they
wanted to be more realistic than the usual putting one on a
banana.  The teacher's suspension was for not following
formally established rules.  The offense?  Not for the speaker
per se, but for not requesting permission for the outside
speaker from the principal in advance.  Personally, I have no
problem with the rule, or for the teacher being punished for
not following it.  However, I think they should be able to have
speakers such as that in the schools.  Would it have been
approved by the principal?  I don't know.  But, at least if the
teacher had followed the rules HER ass would have been
covered and the bosses would have been the one out in the
wind.  I'm a VERY firm believer in CYA....probably based on
35 years of hard knocks in the public sector.  o-)
===============================
One of my co-workers roused himself from his daily hangover
and declared, "If I wanted to be a cop, I'd of joined the f***ing
troopers."

My sentiments exactly. 
----------------------------------
Agree with the coworker, but....he still had the option of
quitting if he felt that strongly....and also used his right to
bitch and moan about it if he didn't feel THAT strongly.  I
think that is something most workers do most days.  But do I
get excited about it?  Nope.  So it goes.....

cyclops


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho, 83725 USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR    alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:    http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"   Kansas, 1979.