DEAR ABBY: I have been a security guard for more than three years, and I'm dismayed at the treatment I've received. I am a person and deserve to be treated as such.
I can't tell you how many times I have been verbally abused because I simply asked someone to show an ID. Security guards are here to protect people and property. Please remember that the next time you are asked to show identification or sign in. Thank you. -- MARY IN SUNNYVALE, CALIF.
DEAR MARY: After reading your letter, I spoke to several security officers and asked about their experiences. They all said that when asking someone to show ID, it's important to approach the person in a friendly, non-confrontational manner -- because sometimes it's not what is said but the way it is said that causes people to take offense. One female officer stated that males sometimes give her "attitude" because she is a woman. But on the other side of the coin, women liked the idea of a female officer.