“The worst thing about this job is not the little bit of money we work for or even the long hours, it is how people treat us. Sometimes it is just the way they look at you, like if you invisible or something, like you don’t really matter. People fail to realise that we is just people like everybody else, we just working and trying to make a living. And all of we can’t get good jobs. Like who will guard you house if we all get good jobs?”
The 35-year-old woman speaking is a single mother of four who has been working as a security guard for years. I wanted to share her experience as a security guard, and I had expected her to start off with the conditions under which she works. The stories are countless about the long hours, meagre pay and the poor environment under which security guards work in this country. For women guards, it’s worse as there is seldom any consideration for their gender and like women in other sectors, they are also sexually harassed. But while all of this may be true, she chose to first talk about how they are treated by others simply because of their profession.
“You know, people who know me, some of them are even relatives, would come and go to places and see me and just walk past me straight. I know they see me, but like it is something bad to say hi to a security guard or to let somebody know you know a guard.
“Is like it will bring them down or something. Why can’t people just be nice to us?” she asked, pain evident on her face.
“And then when you working and have to be opening a gate, sometimes you feel tired and you might take a lil long and people would just holler on you. You don’t know how it does make me feel. Sometimes I hungry because I didn’t have nothing to eat before going to work, is like I fainting…,” she said, candidly, almost close to tears.
Her words made me regret broaching the issue with her because her experience is so raw and filled with pain. It made me reflect on how people can be so cruel to each other, just by their mere attitudes.
She composed herself, the tears did not fall, and I asked her if she has ever had confrontations over the manner in which she is treated.
“…I used to talk like when they holler on me to open the gate when they see me coming, but it start getting me into trouble and you know I have children to feed and I don’t have education to get a better job so I would just don’t say anything. Sometimes I would just cry by me self. Wah ah go do? That is me lot.
“And you know what does make me feel worse is when women do it to me. Is like I does say to me self if they can’t just see I struggling. If they getting a bad day what about me? But you know sometimes I don’t take it on because as a security guard you would not imagine the things you does hear and know and sometimes, I does turn around and feel sorry for them,” she continued.
I could not agree more. I always say security guards and taxi drivers are privy to a lot in other people’s lives. But what struck me from what she said is the fact that she hurts more when other women treat her badly. Right there I once again promised myself that I would always try to be nice to sisters wherever I meet them.
I enquired what happens with her children when she works at night.
“Well when I first get the job, I used to work only day and that is why even though I don’t get enough money—I live from pay cheque to pay cheque—I still glad fuh this company because I explain I had children and couldn’t work nights. It still used to be hard because I had to leave early in the morning before they ready to go school. I used to have to carry the lil one with me and drop she to school. And then transportation does be hard, but by the Grace of God we get through, it wasn’t easy.
“Now the two big ones big, and I does work night sometimes. But that is harder because I have to prepare everything from the night before and no matter how I try to get home early most times them have to ready and go to school.
“Leh me tell the life of a security guard is not easy. And don’t talk about the people who want to take me and make deh wife, but you see me I does see right through them. Who want a woman with four children? I know is just what deh want and me ain’t get a problem once I say no and dem don’t mash me corn again,” she said.
I couldn’t allow the topic to pass without probing more as I have heard many stories of sexual harassment. I asked her what she does when the ‘no’ is not taken seriously.
“Well I don’t mek any joke. I don’t play around. Dem don’t understand is one man I have me children for and he go and dead and that is how I end up working. I not taking any and anybody to me children and so when I say no I does mean it. It had one time when one a dem play stupid and did want like force heself on me, well I didn’t play to report he and like he do it before because is right away he get fire,” she answered.
“Did you report the matter to the police?” I enquired.
“No man, I didn’t want no police story or so. If management didn’t act, then maybe I woulda go somewhere else, but dem do what deh had to do and I was happy. Look, in the work you have to know how to carry you self and know what you about because if not is every and anybody will take advantage of you.
“I learn a lot over dem years and I smarter now, so I don’t get involve in dem things. Me main concern right now is getting a better pay and some a dem place they does send you to work is not nice, sometimes you hardly get anyway to sit down and when is the rainy time you getting wet all. You know how I does sick nuff time with cold and flu…
“But you know what I still happy I have a job and I get health and strength to come to work. If I could just get a little more money, things will be better. But me children getting big and I does get help from me family dem. First, I used to wear ordinarily clothes when I going to work and going home but now, I does wear me uniform. I not shame, is me job.
“People just have to understand that all of we is humans and we live on de same earth. Just treat people better, that is all I would want really, for people to treat security guards and other people who don’t have big work better,” she said.
She told me she had to run to report to work and as she left, I could not help but think of what she had said. It was very sound advice: regardless of our position in society we should all ensure that we treat others with respect. We are all human.
