by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Dan Veilleux

Age: 26

Occupation: Security guard

Bio: This elegant Verdun stud was originally looking to pursue a career as a police officer, but, at 18 years old, decided to first gain a little field experience by becoming a security guard instead. Having been employed by several companies over the course of his career, Dan is currently working for Maximum Security, la crème de la crème of security guard gigs, and, when not busy guarding the Technoparc or keeping rowdy stage-divers in line at the Spectrum, he's working his way to becoming an officer with the RCMP. Weighing in at a burly 225 pounds, Dan, who is one ass-kicker of a martial arts enthusiast, also works the door at Club Saphyr on the Main.

Two places he's kept secure: McGill and Concordia Universities.

Do university students generally have a high regard for security guards or consider them as worth slightly less than shit? The latter. "Concordia students were better, more down to earth, but most students are pretty condescending. They treat you like a dog."

Have any second-year sociology students he's reprimanded ever accused him of "working for the Man" and shouted a whole lot of political rhetoric at him that they just learned in their Contemporary Issues class a week earlier? "Yes, and most of the time I know more about political issues than they do. They always think that security guards are uneducated, but I make a point of keeping myself up-to-date on geopolitical issues. This job requires a lot of patience. If you take [the rudeness] too personally you're going to be constantly pissed off."

Something you might already know about the type of dudes who work security at concerts: "Many of them like to be mean, beating people up and stuff. But these guys don't last long. If they can't learn the right way to deal with people we get rid of them."

The percentage of violent assholes he figures he's worked alongside in his career: "Well, at Maximum we have a pretty serious screening process so it's much better here, but probably about 40 per cent."

The number of guns he's had pulled on him to date: Six. "And lots of knives too, of course. The first couple of times I was in shock when it happened. But the best way to deal with having a gun at your temple is not to be scared, act sort of like, ‘I don't give a shit that you've got a gun to my head.'"

Has he ever caught people having sex on his security cameras? Not on camera, but in person all the time - especially at McGill.

Where you might want to place yourself to catch some primo co-ed sex action: "In the library after dark."

Where he hangs: Anywhere he can find a good goth/industrial night.

Musical preferences: Marilyn Manson, NIN.

Last book read: Warrior Cults, by Paul Elliott

Words of wisdom: "If you disrespect a person, don't be surprised or angry when they disrespect you right back. You get what you give."

Comments? dimwit@openface.ca