Oct 15, 2011

Worth Reading

A blogger writes about her experience with security at a Social Security field office.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting -- what possible reason could Social Security have for banning cellphone use in their waiting areas?

Anonymous said...

A SS office is a perfect place for an identity thief to hang out... Everyone's there to do some type of personal business involving SSNs and personally identifiable information. I suspect banning cell phones is just one security measure to preventing identify theft, or detonating a nearby bomb.

Anonymous said...

Funny how for centuries and centuries humans managed to survive and lead normal lives without being constantly and instantly connected to everyone else in the world through the wonder of cell phones. And now, bloggers like her feel violated if anyone attempts to restrict her right to use her cell phone in a government office. She probably also doesn't think her employer should stop her from being able to use her cell phone whenever she wants.

She would probably also be highly incensed if someone dared to steal her identity.

Anonymous said...

What is interesting is that cellphones are not banned in offices. Several months ago SSA changed the policy allowing the use of cellphones (talking, texting, gaming) so long as it wasn't disruptive. FPS was supposed to train all guards on this and signage is supposed to be up in all reception areas.

Anonymous said...

Ongoing problem is guards thinking they are actually responsible for SSA business, not just SSA security, and trying to screen visitors, give advice, etc. If cell phone user is not being disruptive and not taking photos, it is none of the guard's business.

Nobbins said...

The reason the guards do things like screening is because they are encouraged to do so by the employees because of staffing shortages.

Anonymous said...

Aww, lets all have sympathy for a lady who does not want to follow the rules. Instead of looking for ways to bash the Social Security Administration or its contractors, apply a little common sense. If you go into a building (whether a government building or private building) and there is a security guard who tells you that a particular activity is not allowed (regardless of whether the restriction makes sense), you do not engage in the prohibited activity.

If the first phone call was really so very important, she should have finished the call in the car so that she would not be disturbed by the others in the office. Once the security guard told her she could not talk on her cell phone, she should have left the building, finished the call, and then returned. After having been told she could not use her cell phone in the Social Security office, she should not have broken the rule. She deserved to be chastised for intentionally breaking the rule after being told about the rule.

If the rule is no cell phone use in the Social Security offie, that means no cell phone use. That does not mean no cell phone use unless you think the call is very important, or you need to call your mother to obtain information you forgot, or you can communicate via text messaging.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:29. You missed it, the rule is cell phone use is allowed. The guard was wrong. And No Saj, the limited SSA business guards do when they aren't supposed to has nothing to do with staffing shortages.