NBA All-Star Game

My supervisor at work was a delegator and together we produced a high quality product that was always on time. After 3 years, my supervisor quit and was replaced by a micromanaging, control freak who did not have enough time or knowledge to be a micromanaging, control freak. The stress of a Napoleon wannabe coupled with long periods of immobility and eye strain from sitting in front of a computer all day turned my job into a genuine health hazard. My husband and I had planned on retiring early. http://www.golio.net/EngineeringYourRetirement.html
I did not need to work, but I liked the idea of an interesting job where I would be paid to do things I'd always been curious about. This is how my adventures in retirement began.

My quest coincided with the NBA All-Star Game and associated activities. I began on a Friday at 5:30 AM. At the US Airways front entrance, I was to watch people going through a metal detector and check their bags--similar to airport security. People seem to be getting used to this and usually are good natured about the intrusion. We threw a lot of knives and sodas into the garbage. At one point, an undercover DPS agent asked to see my guard card. I told him I was staff, not security, and showed him my shirt. Luckily, I was loafing and correctly labeled because I later found out it is a class 1 misdemeanor to check people without a guard card. Other new employees were not so lucky. If I had been ticketed, I would no longer be eligible for my guard card and my new career would have ended on its first day. I worked 15 ½ hours straight with 2 bathroom breaks.

Here are some hints for a smooth check:
· Be as nice or funny as possible—interpretations of the rules vary
· Put your things in a purse instead of a backpack.
· Try to bring as little as possible.
· Any kind of knife is a weapon.
· If you have something that will not pass the check and don’t have anywhere to put it, find the closest open post office and mail it home.

My second day was at the hotel where the players, coaches, officials, etc were staying. Everyone wore badges except the players who were easy to recognize due to their height. It was amazing to see them squish into elevators and duck through doorways. The best part was seeing them with their families. My job was to make the rounds of security guards and see if anyone needed anything. I often took a guard’s position while they went for a bathroom break. An NBA official asked about my guard card as I was walking between guard positions. I was moved to the media room. A security guard controlled access to this area, so I was a baby sitter for the millions of dollars of equipment stored in the room. Most people see the results of the media people’s work, not the tremendous amount of equipment and labor that goes into it. I worked 12 hours and was allowed to go to the bathroom and eat lunch.

My third day started with a private party at the Convention Center. It featured legends of basketball. Even though the guests were rich and well connected, they went through security just like everyone else. I was surprised at how pleasant and fun they were with the hired help. I ran into several of the legends of basketball—recognizable by their height and grey hair.

After the party, I went back to the US Airways front entrance for the All-Star Game. I stood in front of a long barrier and gave directions while making sure no one crossed or passed anything over the barrier. It’s difficult to give directions when you don’t know anything. Additionally, this crowd was not nearly as pleasant as previous crowds. At one point I found a pile of ditched knives outside a metal detector. I threw them away. A lot of people tried to climb or pass contraband over the barriers. Every time I caught someone and asked them to stop--they did. This was probably because due to the abundance of police rather than my commanding authority. I worked 13 ½ hours with 2 bathroom breaks and a short lunch.

I worked almost 40 hours over a 3 day weekend. I saw the NBA All-Star Game from a totally different perspective than most people. My stress is gone and it will be interesting to see if my blood pressure has lowered. Quitting my job was one of the best things I’ve ever done. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

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