My workplace "found out" and they made it clear that whatever I do in this "eccentric and unprofessional behavior" (their words) is a reflection on the company and that I should "watch it." Later, I got in an unusual police report w/o the costume. No citation or anything, but it hit the fan. My appearance in the report was obviously Geist-motivated and the cops and my company knew it.

That's when I was given a choice between a 23-year career or Geist. I bargained at the end of my rope and offered to stick to humanitarian work in my city. Their final word a year ago was, "just stay out of police reports." and I have.

I am stretching my interpretation of that by assuming that it means police reports that they'll hear of in our city and patrolling other cities. I'm also not sure how they will feel about upcoming positive publicity if they happen to see it. I'm hoping it will paint a better picture of what we do and make them look bad if they fire me for being Geist.

So that's my selfish reason for being a media whore, too. That's a bonus answer!

I'm sure you could sue them if you get fired for being Geist. They have no business telling you what you can and cannot due in your off hours.

Exactly what I was going to say UA.

The boss pays for your time and service, unless you work for the military they have no say outside of work hours. as long as you dont break any laws that is. You could probably go to the labor board for them even making the threat. Pretty sure that is illegal anywhere.

If I ever get arrested (as in booked, and in the news paper's twice-weekly booking gallery) I'm fired on the spot. That goes for anyone who works for my company. Other than that, I think I'm safe.

I haven't been photographed in any sort of RLSH capacity except right outside my office when I did a coat drive in November. My coworkers were involved in that; they all helped me when I was raising money for the family I've been helping; they pitch in to my animal welfare cause, too. Pretty much, they already know, they just don't "know"

I think rather than "unmask" I'm just not going to worry about being found out. There's something nasty brewing at work and one of my coworkers is digging for dirt on me as it is. There's always going to be somebody up to no good. I'm going to do my best to be over it before it even happens.

UA and Atisterol,
My company has clauses about conduct outside of work written into the employee handbook and work agreement. Over the years, I've had to sign a few things about non-work behavior which seemed sort of benign, but would be legally binding. It's a company in which the reputation of all employees is part of the business. Let's just say that I don't work at Burger King.

McD's will do that to ya

I kept things secret for a while, but really I've only gotten good flak now people know.

It's awesome

I would tend to think that a company who fired someone for doing GOOD would suffer more from THAT bad publicity than from any supposed bad press from the employee's actions.

But then again, I live in a world of spandex suits and high ideals...what would I know.

where I used to wrk I would have ben fired as well if it got out what I was doing simply because it was 'not normal behavior' and not "low key and distinguished'

BS

What I found pretty useful was to tell everyone at work, personally. That way I had control over how the message was packaged -- and this is army intel, btw. They had no problem with it. My regular comedy routines genuinely help with this (co-workers have seen them -- when they attend I always call them out as "the undercover narcs trying to catch potheads").

Hiding something invites people to dig deeper into it and it invites paranoia as you become convinced people are trying to dig up all your secrets.

I kind of find it hard to believe many civilian employers would object unless it was presented to them in an objectionable way. If you were on film doing what DG does -- maybe, but even then I don't think they could tell you to stop.

I've realized that's a good way to go, too, E0n. I told my office-mate about Thanatos on Friday and have been easing a few others into it. I'm starting with my team, the ones who have my back on the toughest days.

I hadn't realized the implications of this fact: It is known by all that some of my coworkers are "Jager Girls" - ie, they wear skimpy clothing in skanky bars pimping hard liquor all night long.

I guess I've got nothing at all to worry about - I simply hadn't thought it through. People already laugh at me behind my back so it'll be nothing new.

Just "spin" it. Once they think they know all about it if they hear something instead of becoming alarmed, they'll probably talk about how it was inaccurate...

"Shock batons... where'd they hear something like THAT from...?"



P.S. This is an area where people who go on record about how worthless charity is are stabbing themselves in the foot. It's like an onion... build a lot of layers into it and as people peel back each layer they think they've found out "the dark secret" and stop peeling.

If that makes any sense.

Some select few know what I do, and a few more know some of it. The people at work know nothing. If they ever find out, I just explain that I'm doing community watch, which is true. I patrol in my civvies, anyway. My big thing to remember is that if I get caught in anything fishy, I will probably lose my job, and if I'm convicted of any felony, it'll cost me my license to do my job. So I gotta be real careful.