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The necessity of a security guard in a small Scranton business park

posted 8 years ago by NinetyPercentGravity
11 replies | jump to latest

Something just occurred to me after essentially watching the show nonstop for the past 8 years; why on earth does a small business park in Scranton need a full-time security guard?

Maybe I'm just naive to the daily operations of that sort of environment, but from an outside perspective it just seems as though the practicality of Hank's character is nonexistent. Maybe someone to do a round at night would make sense, but I can't imagine that there are too many legitimate security threats in their complex (Roy, aside).

Now obviously it doesn't matter in the slightest, and the justification really only needs to be that the likes of Paul Liberstein and Mike Schur wanted to add a security guard character. That being said, it was just something that never occurred to me.

[–] jname967 8 years ago

True, I can see your point actually!

Is there anyone here on this board from a town like Scranton who can vouch for the necessity of a security guard at an office like this?

[–] Katiedidd 8 years ago

Great question and great topic. I just happened to see this thread tonight while watching "The Negotiation," where Roy needs to be escorted by Hank. I've never pondered the necessity for Hank though, but I agree, it doesn't seem like there'd be a need for one. The small towns near where I grew up? I never saw any in complexes like Dunder-Mifflin's.

Dunder-Mifflin's office complex had other companies, but I don't know if any would be businesses where a security guard could be needed. Anyone recall the other businesses in the building? I'm not even sure which episodes speak of them. Even if none would seem to warrant needing one, could there ever have been a company that required one, and Hank was just kept on?

Perhaps after some bad incident in or around the area, the complex decided to budget for a guard there just in response to what happened, even if the area is low risk.

Those two scenarios are all I can think of for having a guard at a place like Dunder-Mifflin's, unless it may be a more common thing in some towns. (If I hadn't have gone to the mall today--I haven't been to one in years but really wanted a big pretzel, haha--I'd not have even thought of the latter scenario. There were so many security guards. Malls always have them, of course, but the higher number made me think it was probably in light of recent crimes in malls in this part of the state. Being extra cautious due to a past incident may explain someone like Hank being hired.)

[–] NinetyPercentGravity 8 years ago

Yeah the other businesses were highlighted in Chair Model when Kevin and Andy assembled the "Five Families" over filled parking spaces.

Aside from Dunder Mifflin, there was:

-(Bob Vance) Vance Refrigeration
-Disaster Kits Limited
-W.B. Jones Heating & Air
-Cress & Dye

And according to wikipedia there were several other companies that never were referenced (presumably names taken from the board in the building's lobby), none of which a guard seems particularly necessary.

Like I said, there's probably no realistic answer, other than that the writers saw it fit.

[–] Katiedidd 8 years ago

Yes, "Chair Model" discussed them! I actually was going to mention that in my post, but then I omitted it because I couldn't remember if the five families shared the building or just the parking lot. In now thinking about it again, I'm not sure there was even another building in that complex, so I think Hank would really be guarding for their benefits too.

I agree that's its more something the writers put it, but these kinds of topics on message boards are fun--to try to explain something in the show's universe so that could make sense in the real world.

[–] turk-41 8 years ago

An active uncaught murderer on the loose should be a good enough reason. Even if it's not the end of the matter, it's hard to believe everyone in this thread totally forgot about the Scranton strangler.

[–] benman46 8 years ago

The series is fictional, Hank is just another character, so who cares. Ironically the studio where the series was filmed does have security on site.

[–] NinetyPercentGravity 8 years ago

Now obviously it doesn't matter in the slightest, and the justification really only needs to be that the likes of Paul Liberstein and Mike Schur wanted to add a security guard character.

Like I said, there's probably no realistic answer, other than that the writers saw it fit.

[–] Katiedidd 8 years ago

Nothing is more pointless than someone puting "it's fiction" or "it's the writers" in a glib way as a response to a topic... especially when you made it clear that's really the explanation for it! A big part of what tv message boards are for is to discuss and make sense of an occurance on a show. The same thing is happening now on another board I occasionally visit, and it never ceases to amaze me. "Oh wow, it is just a tv show! Why didn't I think of that?" 

[–] benman46 8 years ago

Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

[–] turk-41 8 years ago

Don't mind Benny, his 300 pound hog wife hasn't allowed him his weekly trolling fix so he has catching up to do.

[–] soccertrainy101 8 years ago

There was a point in S9 where a car alarm goes off and Hank comes rushing out with a bat, "is it those damn kids again, where'd they go?" Which made me think perhaps the complex was not in a good part of town.

Other than that, there was the Phyllis flasher but he was also there before that incident.

Seems like it would be easier to get a code on the door.