Security rent-a-cops

The security guard at work today harassed me for about 10 minutes today about how I was carrying a "closed knapsack" and I'm not allowed to have it on the production floor or in the warehouse. No one told me this before. So, I did not know. If anyone had, I would have taken measures to either carry an "appropriate" briefcase or to not carry anything to work that I can't fit into my pockets. Even now, I'll make sure to not bring my briefcase with me anymore. I'll have to figure out what to do with my files and my reference books, but oh well! - there's no real room for them in the lab I work in.

I understand the guy is just doing his job, and as I said earlier I have no problem following the rules (though I have a funny feeling this particular rule wasn't intended to ban briefcases.) What upset me though is that he followed me around the building after I spoke with him and into my boss's office where he had to repeat the rules for my boss. OK - enough already! I got the point, but unfortunately I still have to do some work and there's nothing I can do about it. I offered to let him look in my briefcase too. He said, "That's ok." But he didn't leave me alone after that. He followed me all the way out the door.

In his defense (I suppose) I also happened to not have my identification badge with me. So, perhaps that was a reason for suspicion. However, I've been working there for five and a half months! I've seen this guy at least three times a week - with my briefcase/messenger bag that he calls a knapsack.

I have nothing against real law enforcement officers. In fact, I respect them and their profession very much. I have a few friends who are police officers and regret that they often get little respect or thanks for what they have done and what they are willing to do for anyone. My friends and their coworkers will put themselves in real danger lives to protect some pretty rotten people from "reaping what they sew". For this I offer the least I can do: I try to make their jobs as easy as possible - even if only for a couple minutes. And I even extended this same courtesy to the rent-a-cop security guard. -literally, they are on contract to the building and are not employed by my company and they do nothing but sit at a desk all day and open doors for trucks pulling up to the loading dock. That's it.
I maintain that this particular gentleman was a royal pain in the neck, and probably didn't need to go to the extent that he did.

Well, at least I have this video: