Secuity guys aren't allowed to help teen getting beat down....

[Vagabond]

I find your reasoning unreasonable and your logic illogical.

The articles never state that the security guards were scared. They just looked on while the incident occured. And if that was their companies policy - I blame both the policy and the guards indifference to basic human decency.

[Nyoibo]

In that story it doesn't give a number but in another I saw it said there was a group of ten teenagers, boys and girls.

From the article
"In court papers filed Wednesday against the teen girl accused of attacking the 15-year-old"

"Another 15-year-old girl shoves the victim and begins punching her. The two crash into a wall and then onto the floor. The assailant gets up and kicks and stomps on the girl's head."

From Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond
"But this incident was largely a fight between two teenage girls, and there does not appear to be any indication that the larger group would have become involved if the guards broke it up"

Its nice that you're all able to talk about how big of heros you are while your safe at home but when something like that is actually happening its not so easy to just get in the middle.

It's nice that you're able to make that judgement about us, but guess what, I have become involved in situation where a person was being attacked and was out numbered, with others looking on, the majority of the time people will give up and leave if they see that there's someone willing to stand up for the victim.

Also you are military. You have this little thing called training, so you are apprently fine with fighting off ten people, but the untrained guards evidently were not. They had good reasons to not intervene.

These guys are supposedly "Security Guards" lets think about that for a second, one would think that they are trained to secure and guard, I don't know a single security firm that doesn't have training of some sort, hell, in Australia you have to have a qualification before you can get a job as a security guard.

BTW, I'm a civilian, yes I've had training to take on up to about 4 or 5 people, my choice as I feel it's my place to help protect those who can't protect themselves, something which a security guard should be expected to do. and as an aside I've never had to fight, only ever used my training once and have intervened several times in situations similar to this, fighting is not the only was to difuse a situation.

[fireheart17]

It's nice that you're able to make that judgement about us, but guess what, I have become involved in situation where a person was being attacked and was out numbered, with others looking on, the majority of the time people will give up and leave if they see that there's someone willing to stand up for the victim.

Don't forget the bystander effect folks.

These guys are supposedly "Security Guards" lets think about that for a second, one would think that they are trained to secure and guard, I don't know a single security firm that doesn't have training of some sort, hell, in Australia you have to have a qualification before you can get a job as a security guard.

Boyfriend's been there, done that (doesn't have the money to get his actual license though, however he is trained) and with a schizophrenic (now extremely ex) girlfriend to take care of, it wasn't easy, but he did it.

Regarding a few other comments, don't forget unarmed combat as well. There are plenty of ways to disarm someone without needing to use a weapon of some description. Heck, ANYTHING could be used as an improvised weapon in defence (when I was a lot younger, I used to joke that my flute case makes an excellent weapon)

[BlaqueKatt]

Heck, ANYTHING could be used as an improvised weapon in defence (when I was a lot younger, I used to joke that my flute case makes an excellent weapon)

my metal wallet make an excellent weapon

[Vagabond]

Does the metal wallet come on a chain? Even better!

[Gravekeeper]

Hmmm.....

In the article itself, those 3 security guards are absolutely worthless human beings and should be ashamed of themselves. Especially since she went right up to them for help and they still picked their asses and watched. No excuse. They could have prevented the situation entirely. The bank teller analogy is bullshit.

I don't know about Seattle but up here security guards have to be licensed and trained. Property guards ( the guys that wander a building afterhours ) do not have self defense or situation control training. They are "observe and report". However they are still required to complete appropriate training courses.

However, security guards that interact with the public in any way must have self defense training as well as situation control and situation defusing training including breaking up and restraining individuals in violent situations. They would be crucified for doing shit like this. You can't get hired up here without that training.

Finally, our transit "security" are real cops. With guns. -.-

[Boozy]

Whatever the "policies and procedures" may or may not be is beside the point. There's a higher law. And that law says that three grown men do not stand by and watch a young girl get beaten.

[Nyoibo]

Washington also has a "Duty to Rescue" in place, failure to do so is a misdemeanor offense, The punishment for a misdemeanor offense is a maximum of 90 days in jail, a fine of $1,000, or both.

One wonders then whether the companies policy is technically illegal?

[elsporko]

These guys are supposedly "Security Guards" lets think about that for a second, one would think that they are trained to secure and guard, I don't know a single security firm that doesn't have training of some sort, hell, in Australia you have to have a qualification before you can get a job as a security guard.

The article says they are not trained. I think they are security guards mostly in title, just like a "Custodial Expert" may not be more of an expert at cleaning then the person whose title is "janitor".

Regarding a few other comments, don't forget unarmed combat as well. There are plenty of ways to disarm someone without needing to use a weapon of some description. Heck, ANYTHING could be used as an improvised weapon in defence (when I was a lot younger, I used to joke that my flute case makes an excellent weapon)

Thats a good argument supporting the guards not intervening. They had no idea what improvised or actual weapons the people in the group had. Its easy to say you would help somebody, but your not doing alot of good if you get stabbed in the neck by a nail file and make the situation worse.

[crashhelmet]

I'm wondering how they could stand there and watch especially after the incident in California last year where the girl was gang raped and everyone watched on. Often times, just making yourself known and verbally telling them to stop is enough to get them to run.

It truly is a sad, sad world we live in. Let's hope the 2012 people are right.

CH