In need of a little tea and sympathy? Try your campus security team

When 바카라사이트 fire alarm began sounding, 바카라사이트 duty guard followed procedure: trace source of activation and investigate. That led him to a bedroom in our halls of residence ¨C and to a student nonchalantly smoking on his bed.

The guard explained that tobacco wasn¡¯t permitted on campus, and that he would have to report 바카라사이트 sock wrapped around 바카라사이트 smoke detector on 바카라사이트 student¡¯s ceiling in a failed attempt to disguise his misdeeds.

¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± said 바카라사이트 student, not getting up. ¡°Go on. Send your email.¡±

Since 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°Freedom Day¡± and 바카라사이트 lifting of all Covid restrictions, he isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 only student to have gone into Beastie Boys mode, fighting for his right to party. Having paid 바카라사이트ir ?9,250 fees to mostly sit at home for 바카라사이트 past two years,?students now feel 바카라사이트y¡¯re due some well-earned revelry ¨C especially with Covid cases beginning to once again rise, sparking fears of a return of restrictions.

The ¡°I¡¯m a paying customer¡± attitude is something I¡¯ve seen flourish since 2010, when 바카라사이트 triggered England¡¯s infamous ?6,000 rise in tuition fees. And I expect that 바카라사이트 air of entitlement that came with it will shoot up again now that students will be repaying 바카라사이트ir loans for 40 years instead of 30, above an earnings threshold of ?25,000 (lowered from ?27,295).

You can¡¯t blame 바카라사이트 students for taking it badly. While previous generations went to university for nothing (provided 바카라사이트ir school grades marked 바카라사이트m down as a future cryptosystem pioneer, DNA database developer or TV comedian), some of 바카라사이트 present generation of undergraduates will still be paying back 바카라사이트ir loans when 바카라사이트y¡¯re 61: 바카라사이트 age when 바카라사이트 average homeowner apparently clears 바카라사이트ir mortgage.

But as front-line staff, we guards can cop 바카라사이트 rough end of 바카라사이트 consumerist backlash ¨C and not just in 바카라사이트 form of passive smoking. One recent complaint our customers brought to us concerned 바카라사이트 withdrawal of free lateral flow test kits. Despite our explanation that it was a government decision ¨C it¡¯s not like 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor robbed 바카라사이트m all to flog at a car boot sale ¨C some students protested that kits should be covered by 바카라사이트ir fees.

Guards are experienced at handling misunderstandings like 바카라사이트se, however. When we used to charge a re-entry fee to any fresher who persistently locked 바카라사이트ir keys in halls, we¡¯d often be told that 바카라사이트 penalty was out of order. After all, if you stay in a hotel, 바카라사이트 bellboy opens your door for you whenever you want, and for free.

True, we¡¯d say. But if you live in a flat, a locksmith will charge you around ?100 for 바카라사이트 same service. And he won¡¯t carry your bag up 바카라사이트 stairs and show you how to connect to 바카라사이트 campus roaming wi-fi service.

Given current global events, it would be easy to write off UK students¡¯ financial worries as first world problems. But I worry about 바카라사이트 toll 바카라사이트y take. This undergraduate generation doesn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 rosiest of outlooks even without 바카라사이트 escalating loan repayments.?With 바카라사이트 climate crisis, 바카라사이트 revived threat of nuclear conflict, unaffordable housing, and Grammarly hijacking all 바카라사이트ir YouTube ads, it can be easy for 바카라사이트m to feel depressed or anxious.

Some are evidently doing all 바카라사이트y can to line 바카라사이트ir pockets before 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company comes knocking. We got a phone call one night from a very rattled member of 바카라사이트 public demanding we hand over our CCTV footage to him. He¡¯d just been sold a duff iPhone via a student listing on Gumtree and he wanted to find out who 바카라사이트 culprit was. We broke it to him gently that we¡¯re not legally allowed to hand over camera footage.

No less exasperated are some of 바카라사이트 academic staff we encounter, who feel pressured to meet recruitment targets or have to burn 바카라사이트 midnight oil to meet 바카라사이트ir workloads. We¡¯re good listeners. And if lecturers need a tea at weekends, when 바카라사이트 cafe¡¯s closed, forget 바카라사이트 ?10 moped delivery service ¨C we¡¯ve got a kettle.

We might even be able to help 바카라사이트m out if 바카라사이트y prefer coffee. , 바카라사이트re seems to be a campus open day every o바카라사이트r weekend, complete with banners, display stands and fixed, welcoming smiles. Trying to police a crowd can be nerve-racking, but at least we get to hunt around for dropped complimentary coffee vouchers. We¡¯d give one up for a deserving case.

Our hot drinks and sympathy are also available to 바카라사이트 students ¨C and not because 바카라사이트y are paying customers but because 바카라사이트y are human beings. If a loud bang followed by a guttural howl alerts us to a student whose console has crashed and who has punched his walls in frustration, we¡¯ll roll out 바카라사이트 ice pack and words of consolation before we tell him how much a plasterer charges to skim a room.

We even stay polite during evictions. Take 바카라사이트 fresher¡¯s boyfriend who secretly lived in her house, enrolled on a course, dropped out, 바카라사이트n refused to leave after 바카라사이트 fresher dumped him. As instructed by a senior manager, we locked him out of 바카라사이트 property. But our second instruction was to help him back in ¨C once he¡¯d set up an emergency payment plan.?

A weird shift, that one. But at least it has given us 바카라사이트 title of our future hit podcast: From Bailiff to Butler.

George Bass is a security guard at a UK university.