Typically being referred to as "another brick in the wall' means someone is trying to insult you. As a Security Guard, it's not so bad, especially when you realize that the wall is exactly where you want to be. One of the strengths any force has is numbers. There more people who are there to watch your back, the less likely you are going to get singled out and pummeled by some deranged concert attendee.
Case in point.
There is this band and I use the term loosely. Limp Bizkit may be adored by thousands of fans but I suspect few of them are cops. I have worked my fair share of concerts but that LB concert takes the cake for pure chaos.
At first , everything was "normal and fine." What I mean by that is the opening acts sucked but were tame. The attendees were reasonably calm and only mildly belligerent. Then after several sets of awful music (and I use that term loosely as well) LB finally takes the stage and open with what must have been their top 100 pop song. I look at the team of uniforms I am with and Eddy the state cop wafts his hand up and down - indicating he thinks it was only so-so. The other guys shrug- no one is particularly impressed.
Then the lead singer - heck if I know who he is- steps forward and starts this half rant half pep talk. It goes something like this.
(FYI- the higher ups had decided that a mosh pit was out of the question since according to claptrap several moshers from a concert in Georgia had to be hospitalized last week)
"Hey yall,, are we pumped?'
Standard mob mentality rules apply here. There is an affirmative roar.
"Hey yall- We're going to have that mosh pit no matter what any body says! So just come up here any of you who want to. If the cops don't like it then Fuck the cops we do what we want!" or something like that. Accounts vary as to what the little popstar said. Some people claim he never swore or cussed while others said he had called us all pigs. Whatever he did or did not say, mob mentality ruled over anything and everything else.
I turned to see the flood of human bodies coming charging at the line of cops in front of the stage. Most of them got out of the way in time. I think I saw Bill the county cop go down, I started shouting and waving in his direction as the little punk on stage started the next "song" as if everything was fine and dandy.
So here our little band of cops stand in a corner of this utter chaos, loud and by loud I mean deafening music blaring. bodies flying around the Mosh pit.
The first blood I see is one a mosher covered in blood, it streaming out of a oddly bent nose. What started as a bad concert is now a free for all riot.
LB goes on as if everything is normal. next song and the riot continues with even more crazed fans trying to climb over the barricade.
Then I get the call. We beat a strategic retreat to the nearest exit and join up with most of the rest of the force at the concert. There is Francine and a Sergeant Fox giving orders in a calm collect fashion. We are reordered based on size and ability and in we go in a wedge.
A wall of cops.
The wedges works wonders as we divide and subdue the moshers many of whom look relieved to be removed from the riot.
We are in the midst of sorting bodies and cornering the more violent and resistant moshers when the music dies midsong and LB takes a "break."
There you have it. I am one happy brick in the wall in the face of insanity.
Case in point.
There is this band and I use the term loosely. Limp Bizkit may be adored by thousands of fans but I suspect few of them are cops. I have worked my fair share of concerts but that LB concert takes the cake for pure chaos.
At first , everything was "normal and fine." What I mean by that is the opening acts sucked but were tame. The attendees were reasonably calm and only mildly belligerent. Then after several sets of awful music (and I use that term loosely as well) LB finally takes the stage and open with what must have been their top 100 pop song. I look at the team of uniforms I am with and Eddy the state cop wafts his hand up and down - indicating he thinks it was only so-so. The other guys shrug- no one is particularly impressed.
Then the lead singer - heck if I know who he is- steps forward and starts this half rant half pep talk. It goes something like this.
(FYI- the higher ups had decided that a mosh pit was out of the question since according to claptrap several moshers from a concert in Georgia had to be hospitalized last week)
"Hey yall,, are we pumped?'
Standard mob mentality rules apply here. There is an affirmative roar.
"Hey yall- We're going to have that mosh pit no matter what any body says! So just come up here any of you who want to. If the cops don't like it then Fuck the cops we do what we want!" or something like that. Accounts vary as to what the little popstar said. Some people claim he never swore or cussed while others said he had called us all pigs. Whatever he did or did not say, mob mentality ruled over anything and everything else.
I turned to see the flood of human bodies coming charging at the line of cops in front of the stage. Most of them got out of the way in time. I think I saw Bill the county cop go down, I started shouting and waving in his direction as the little punk on stage started the next "song" as if everything was fine and dandy.
So here our little band of cops stand in a corner of this utter chaos, loud and by loud I mean deafening music blaring. bodies flying around the Mosh pit.
The first blood I see is one a mosher covered in blood, it streaming out of a oddly bent nose. What started as a bad concert is now a free for all riot.
LB goes on as if everything is normal. next song and the riot continues with even more crazed fans trying to climb over the barricade.
Then I get the call. We beat a strategic retreat to the nearest exit and join up with most of the rest of the force at the concert. There is Francine and a Sergeant Fox giving orders in a calm collect fashion. We are reordered based on size and ability and in we go in a wedge.
A wall of cops.
The wedges works wonders as we divide and subdue the moshers many of whom look relieved to be removed from the riot.
We are in the midst of sorting bodies and cornering the more violent and resistant moshers when the music dies midsong and LB takes a "break."
There you have it. I am one happy brick in the wall in the face of insanity.
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