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Back in the late 70s, "JY" (my husband) was working at the URL Library at UCLA as a Security Guard. I don't know how much "security" was involved; according to JY, he spent most of his time walking Connie Chung (TV anchor) to her car at closing time, breaking up "trysts" in the private rooms, and busting guys who put mirrors in their books to get a view up girls' skirts. He got several fan letters from a patron; he was very disappointed that it turned out to be a gay guy who admired his motorcycle boots. But he still brags about the fan letters. Frankly, I think he held out hope longer than he should have that they were from Connie Chung.
JY regularly patrolled the roof of the library looking for jumpers. I've always hoped it was an urban legend that students threw themselves off the roof during finals, but JY swears he saw a few chalk marks.
Around 1978 or 1979, a dignitary was visiting UCLA. JY doesn't remember who, but if I remember the original story, it was the Shah and/or his wife.
As he arrived for his shift at the library, he saw a commotion out front with lots of security and cop cars. So he headed to the roof to take a peek, thinking someone had taken a jump. As he looked over the ledge, his radio went off. When he answered, somebody said: Get your a** up to the roof and get rid of the idiot up there. And let him know he's in a sniper's sights.
I guess I don't need to explain why this memory bubbled up from the old memory hole.
P.S. Not the last time JY had a gun trained on him... a story for another time.
Discussion (8)
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I have found such occasions very clarifying. Communications skills quickly come to the fore.
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One couldn't cast oneself off of the Illinois Undergraduate Library. One had to cast oneself into it. It was buried, legend has it, to prevent its shadow from falling on The World's Oldest Experimental Cornfield.
If there was security, it was very discrete.
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Who is JY?
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Husband. He shares a first name with my father, brother, son, nephew, and father-in-law, and is known exclusively by his initials.
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So the J is for Jehoshaphat, then. These common names can be a bit of a confusion.
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