Like lemmings to the slaughter - part 2

If I learned one thing from Mr Bacon, my high school history teacher, it's that you should always question things. Question rules. Question policies. Question everything. Now, don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean you should ignore rules... you shouldn't break rules... but question why they are in place, and if they are effective in controlling what they intend.

Because there is nothing that pisses me off more than someone who blindly enforces rules without knowing why!

It seems that the higher-ups at my place of work have decided that they need to crack down on people who steal laptops. Now, I've never heard of a laptop being stolen at work... EVER... but hey, maybe they cover that stuff up from us contractors. Fine, whatever.

so they created a new policy. You have to "register" your laptop in the system and then print out a property pass that you keep with your laptop at all times. We've been told that security will randomly stop people to check their passes. If you don't have one then they take your laptop.

I have so many issues here that it's going to be difficult to keep the story straight... so let's try numbering them...

1. This applies to employees and contractors alike. Sure it makes sense if you have a dupont laptop. But I don't! I have my own laptop! So if a security guard asks me to hand it over to him because I don't have a pass, then I'll go ape-shit on his ass. That's theft in my book.

2. Let's talk about this pass. It's not an official laminated card that comes in the mail. It's not a sticker that you put on the laptop. It's not a water-marked unchangeable document. It's a freakin 5 line word doc that says you own this laptop. What's to stop someone from taking someone else's pass and changing the name on it? Hell, I've already done it 3 times for fun! (it would seem that Will Smith, Captain Planet, and Hitler all own my laptop as well).

3. How can they possibly expect people to carry this at ALL times? What if you grab your laptop one day and not the bag? What if you lose your laptop bag? What if you get a new laptop with a new serial number? To just confiscate someone's laptop is ridiculous! Most people continue to work at night at home... now they can't do that if they don't have a computer to work on. The company is hurting itself here.

4. So what pisses me off the most is that the rule came down and people are just doing it. They aren't even questioning if this is a good idea. Why are we carrying a pass? Why can't there be a more secure and less invasive method? They just say "Do it or you get in trouble." It drives me crazy!

This rule is stupid.

You might notice that the blog title says "part 2" and you can't find a part 1. Well, I didn't write it yet. I was going to put both parts together but this blog is already long enough. so later this week I'll explain a similar story from college which still haunts my dreams...