Also on Brick...
Latest UWS landgrab: Doorman's chair
Friday, January 29, 2010
At one Upper West Side condo recently, a mutiny erupted when the board took away the doorman’s chair after renovating the lobby and relocating the doorman’s station.
“They didn’t do it to be mean or inhumane—they just wanted him to be more alert and pay more attention,” says Lynn Whiting, the property manager for the building.
The board's move to put some achtung into their doorman’s step prompted a “strong” reaction from residents, who circulated a petition to reinstate the chair, says Whiting.
“They thought it was inhumane to have to stand for eight hours straight or in some instances the doorman was doing a double shift,” she reports.
The chair was repatriated, but according to Whiting, that board was hardly alone in its desire to be rid of it.
Not uncommonly, she says, “there’s a sense that if the doorman is sitting, he’s not that alert and not watching, and can’t quickly get the door."
While dethroning comes up in discussion with some regularlty, few boards actually go through with it.
“Usually there are more sensitive souls on the board,” she reports. “And if you take it away you have to take it away from everyone—not just the day guy but the midnight guy. It’s hard to go for eight hours without a chair and only two 15 minute breaks.”
Related links:
Doormen no longer allowed to watch babies, dogs (NY Mag)
Related posts:
Yes, Virginia, we keep lists too
Doorman to resident: Your tip blows
Stiffed again! Doorman blasts bad tippers
Another doorman spills it online
Twittering doorman tells all - one cranky moment at a time
- Login or register to post comments
-
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
want to keep up with BrickUnderground?
BrickUnderground weekly newsletter
The New York Times calls BrickUnderground a "first stop for New Yorkers getting ready to move".
Read it here
I strongly agree with the board on this decision. As a resident manager, I often go into other building's where the doorman is allowed to sit. Unfortunately these doormen are all too comfortable and their attention is not on who is coming in or out of the building, but rather they are day dreaming or playing with their mobile devices/mp3. If they have a desk, they often are flipping the pages of a newspaper or magazine… A vehicle just pulled up in front of the building and they pretend to not see it, when the resident/guest walk to the front door they act surprised. This is all too common. In my building we have a 24hr concierge with no chair, sitting on the desk can lead to written warning as well as leaning over the desk for an extended period of time. We also have a doorman who stands for the entire shift (no chair allowed) leaning against the wall is not permitted;neither is lollygagging around the lobby/desk and a pattern of one or the other as well as length of time spent can result in a written warning for not being at his/her post. Our doorman is also responsible for the condition of the lobby and the sidewalk. He is proactive in making sure the lobby and the sidewalk (curb appeal) are always in good standing by doing what he can and notifying the porter on duty or his supervisor immediately to remediate any concerns. He also cleans the glass to make sure they are free of finger/smudge marks. In addition, personal mobile/mp3 devices and newspapers/magazines while on duty are not permitted and are strictly enforced. The board must be united in which direction they want the building to go in and not be deterred by disgruntled residents. Once the service improves everyone will be happy.
What happens when this doorman, or doormen are asked to pull a double because someone may have called out sick and there is no one else to replace the shift? How alert is this person going to be, having been on his feet for sixteen plus hours? One of the most common problems many doormen complain about is back pain. That is why various chiropractic offices flood the lobby's of buildings desperately trying to get more business, and sometimes they do. If the residents signed a petition requesting the chair be put back, it may be just a little sign of compassion for an individual that is being asked to stand at the door like some statue. I agree, if a doorman does take advantage of a privelage as having a chair and they seem to be too comfortable, then they should be called on it or given a warning, but to not try and work in a somewhat comfortable environment is absolutely ridiculous. Hell, even jail cells have a bed.