Security Guards at the National Gallery of Art

[Anonymous]

Has anyone else had bad experiences with security guards at the National Gallery?

Even though my three year old is well behaved he got yelled at by a guard on our last visit because the guard *thought* he might be about to touch a painting. the painting in question was way out of his reach, even if he had been trying to reach it but he knows not to. I was standing right there and saw exactly what happened. Of course being yelled at upset my son and in the 30 seconds it took me to comfort him, the guard told me to take my child outside. I was livid. Prior to this he had been thrilled with the paintings and was pointing and excitedly looking at the art and asking me questions. Just the kind of engagement and interest from a child that an art gallery should look for.

This wasn't the first bad experience I've had there with a guard. The previous time, I was reprimanded for using the exit to an exhibit instead of the entrance when I was trying to quickly reach my husband (inside the exhibit). I had a two week old baby in my arms who was in urgent need of a new diaper (with my husband) and was having trouble walking! It was a weekday morning, there were no crowds.

And they don't just politely point things out, they yell and bark at you.

I'm not sure if they just don't like children, or if this disdain is applied equally to all.

I love the National Gallery but now I'm not sure if I want to go back.

[Anonymous]

There have been other threads about just this topic. It has happened to both my niece and my DS. The same thing -- a pre-emptive scolding about not touching the art. Not just a nice little lecture, but a scolding that led to tears.

Yeah, not a good way to introduce children to the museum.

[Anonymous]

Agree they don't like kids at the NGA - the security guards at least. Other people there seem to like kids and enjoy kids reacting to the art but the security guards not so much.

[Anonymous]

See this thread, for example.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/174840.page#1638435

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I've also experienced the National Gallery guards being aggressive and over-extending their authority toward children. I have not experienced similar attitude from guards at other museums, even other art museums like the Freer-Sackler, so I'm not sure what the cause is. Are they trained to act that way? Or maybe it's just the culture there to be overly protective?

I've seen it with my kids and with strangers' kids too. They get very tense about children getting close to the art, even when the children make no move to touch the art. They also get mad when children do anything but stand on the underground moving walkway between the two gallery wings.

I don't understand it.

[Anonymous]

We had a horrible experience last year. And not with kids. The security guard was an ass to my DH.

How do they keep their jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a horrible experience last year. And not with kids. The security guard was an ass to my DH.

How do they keep their jobs?

if you tell us what your DH did we'll be able to tell you how they keep their jobs.

[Anonymous]

I recall reading that all the NGA security staff is retired/former military- it might explain the strictness/ rigidity of the guards. they have also had to deal with people attacking artwork under their watch (remember the lady who went after the Gauguin?) so I cut them some slack. They take their jobs very seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I've also experienced the National Gallery guards being aggressive and over-extending their authority toward children. I have not experienced similar attitude from guards at other museums, even other art museums like the Freer-Sackler, so I'm not sure what the cause is. Are they trained to act that way? Or maybe it's just the culture there to be overly protective?

I've seen it with my kids and with strangers' kids too. They get very tense about children getting close to the art, even when the children make no move to touch the art. They also get mad when children do anything but stand on the underground moving walkway between the two gallery wings.

I don't understand it.

I've been taking my son here since he was a wee smunch. I have found some guards to be perhaps overly hypervigilent when it comes to small kids and art (though I don't blame them), but we bounch on the moving walkway EVERY TIME we visit becaue it is bouncy and wonderful, and have never gotten the stink eye from employees at the museum. Snooty twentysomthings, sure, but I don't care what THEY think. But maybe they just aren't going to argue with a mid-thirties lady bouncing on the walkway.

[Anonymous]

Hey also? A bit OT, but taking your kid here with a couple of sketchbooks is a wonderful way to spend some time, and I've never had a docent be anything other than appreciative that we are sketching the art.

[Anonymous]

They are like that because kids are always trying to touch the art. I'm sure that all of the kids "know" that they aren't supposed to, but they are kids.

[Anonymous]

if you tell us what your DH did we'll be able to tell you how they keep their jobs.

Honestly, I don't think he did anything. They thought he was going to take a picture. But he didn't have a camera or even his cell phone. I had both in my purse. The security guard was so incredibly rude. To make matters worse, we had family visiting from out of town. It reenforced everything they had heard about rude people in D.C.

My husband is not a rule breaker. He was really nice to the security guard. All I could think of was really? This is the best they could hire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... They also get mad when children do anything but stand on the underground moving walkway between the two gallery wings. ...

... but we bounce on the moving walkway EVERY TIME we visit because it is bouncy and wonderful, and have never gotten the stink eye from employees at the museum. Snooty twentysomthings, sure, but I don't care what THEY think. But maybe they just aren't going to argue with a mid-thirties lady bouncing on the walkway.

You're lucky, or maybe they've loosened the policy. For me, it was about three years ago, and my daughter (then 4yo) got barked at twice within a month. The first time, she was really bouncing and laughing, and I probably was too. Out of nowhere, this guard started yelling at us to stop. No warning, just flat out yelling at us to stop bouncing.

But the second time, a month later, I warned my daughter as we started across that she wasn't allowed to bounce. So we were just walking normally. I guess the guard must have resented the spring in her step, or maybe he just thought she looked a little too happy, because he started yelling again. "No bouncing on the walkway! No bouncing on the walkway!" To be fair, his yelling the second time had more of an announcement-type tone, and less of a reprimand tone, but he was clearly talking to my daughter.

Typing this, I know I sound like a crazy person to dredge this up from three years ago. But it was pretty over-the-top offensive, so I've never forgotten it. Indeed, when friends visiting DC tell me they plan to visit the Galleries, I always warn them to watch out for the strict guards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:See this thread, for example.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/174840.page#1638435

Oh my, that thread is awful! Everything that's wrong with DCUM. People being told that the guards were just doing their job and their kids must have been running riot and sanctimonious posters saying that their kids have never been reprimanded in a museum because they are perfect and never do anything wrong!

Well, my kid wasn't doing anything wrong either! He's a mellow, laid back kid. He's the rare three year old that you can take out for dinner and he'll sit happily and entertain himself for two hours in adult company. Not to say that he doesn't have tantrums but if he does we immediately remove him from the situation. So for a security guard to yell at him for something he didn't do and then tell me to remove him when he cried momentarily (and understandably) was galling.

But even if the guards are just being over zealous in protecting art, why do they care if there is a little noise like a few seconds of tears? If either of my kids ever make a scene I immediately take them outside, but this guard acted like you weren't meant to even speak above a whisper.

I'd like to complain, but I don't even know where to start to make sure it's effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I've been taking my son here since he was a wee smunch. I have found some guards to be perhaps overly hypervigilent when it comes to small kids and art (though I don't blame them), but we bounch on the moving walkway EVERY TIME we visit becaue it is bouncy and wonderful, and have never gotten the stink eye from employees at the museum. Snooty twentysomthings, sure, but I don't care what THEY think. But maybe they just aren't going to argue with a mid-thirties lady bouncing on the walkway.

It is seriously the best moving walkway I have ever encountered. I love it.