Friday
Planning
The day actually started 2 days ago with the planning. This phase is equally as important as carrying out the task itself. It allows us to look at the venues and routes in detail so when we arrive we have either been there or feel as if we have. Also we plan our emergency procedure and locate emergency facilities along the routes and at the venues. This is a straight forward task and one which we do pretty often so the planning process is shorter this time. After the planning is done I check the medical equipment is present, in date and serviceable.
09:00
I have been up for around an hour and a half by now and am leaving my house to travel to the client’s house.
I have all the equipment we require for the task as well as the company’s paperwork. We keep detailed records of the hours we are working, expenses, vehicle mileages and condition. The drive is approximately an hour, I ensure that I am not being followed away from my home. It is important not to inadvertently take home life to work and work life to home.
“Detecting surveillance may be the first sign that a crime or action against the client or client’s property will occur"
10:00
After ensuring I haven’t been followed I arrive at the client’s house. I have an hour and a half to prepare and check the car as well as clean another of the client’s vehicles before I leave. Today is a journey to meet the client and bring them back home, and will probably take around 11 hours.
11:45
I receive a request from a member of the family to drop them off. It is in the same direction and I have some time in the bag so I am able to assist.
I know the venue so I quickly program it in to the SAT NAV, load the car and we leave. We leave the property and head to the venue ensuring again that we are not followed leaving. I will do this every time, both before and after we stop. It may seem over the top but detecting surveillance may be the first sign that a crime or action against the client or client’s property will occur. In one of my previous roles a lady employee was followed home, threatened and had her car stolen. Had she known she was being followed the incident could potentially have been avoided.
The route is very slow so I box around the traffic using the map on the SAT NAV. We arrive on time and I drop the family off.
12:50
Drop off complete I now set off to the pick-up. Throughout the drive I look for suspicious behaviour in front and behind me. Most people find long drives on the motorway mundane but I am constantly observing the traffic, looking for hazards and noting each junction number (should we have an emergency and I need to give our location) and planning escape routes. This mental occupation wards off tiredness and passes long journeys more quickly.
15:00
I take a quick stop after just over two hours on the road. A quick coffee, some fresh air and some food ensures that I will remain alert. I pick up the client’s preferred paper.
16:30
I make my way to a car wash that I know well and trust to do a good job, it is around 10 minutes short of the pick-up. Now the car looks great I fill up with fuel and make my way to the pick-up. A motorbike pays us some attention, we exchange friendly nods and he and the stunning Ducati go on their way. It’s nice when people react positively to the vehicles, often this isn’t the case. You find yourself having to minimise the profile and pick-up and drop-off much more discreetly.
17:45
We arrive with time to spare. I let myself in to the property and start to load the vehicle. I make sure the water and paper are in the right place and that the charging leads are present.
18:30
Fully loaded and client on board we depart. I vary the routes out and ensure we aren’t followed. it is important for us to do this to break up any routines that could form and make us predictable. The traffic is clear at this time.
20:15
We sail to our first stop. All clients are different, our client today likes to stop regularly and I can’t complain it is good to stretch the legs and freshen up.
22:50
After just over two hours we are approaching the client’s home. The traffic is very quiet now and I again ensure we haven’t been followed in. I open the gates then wait for them to close behind us. This prevents any opportunity of tailgating (where a person or vehicle follows another through a security measure) it’s a very easy way for people to bypass security measures. I help the client unload the car before putting it away.
23:07
After a quick check of the vehicle and taking some notes for the paperwork I say goodbye and leave. It has been a long day but I still feel fresh thanks to some pretty fantastic British/German engineering.
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