And You're Guarding What?

As I left my PT session and was walking to my car, I passed the guard who is ALWAYS outside the building and I finally asked him what he was guarding. There’s no bank there. It’s not the headquarters for a branch of the Department of Defense. There always seems to be a guard at this spot, even at 7 AM. For early morning appointments when I didn’t have enough change for the meter, I’ve even given my change to the guard and told him to feed the meter if a cop came by. Anyway, our conversation today went something like this:

Me: What in the world are you guarding?
Guard (looking at me like “Why the fuck are you asking me this?”): This grate. (Standing on a large metal grate.)
Me: What’s under there? The metro?
Guard: Look, if a terrorist dropped something in there, all the people in that building would die.
Me: Well, it’s a good thing you are here then.

Good God, did Quentin know his life was in danger when he rented this office space?

Then I started wondering just exactly what was under that grate? The gas main to the building? I also wondered how a rent-a-cop could possibly stop a would-be terrorist. And perhaps more importantly just what was in that building besides Quentin’s office that anyone might target?

I’m getting a lot out of this physical therapy, but I think I’ll feel more secure when the office moves to their new location near the rink where the Caps practice in Ballston. I’ve gotten used to seeing guards at public places like our synagogue that are obvious targets, but a guard at a nondescript building in Ballston is somewhat unsettling.