The narrator, a former lifeguard at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, recounts a story about overcoming his fear of confrontation. During the hotel's busiest time, guests would reserve pool chairs by laying out their towels and personal items, only to leave for hours, causing problems for other guests and pool servers. The narrator devised a system to address the issue by giving out wristbands with numbers and times, and if a guest didn't return within 30 minutes, he would take their belongings to the lost and found. This plan worked initially, but soon led to confrontations with angry guests. One particular guest, a large and aggressive man, threatened the narrator, who stood his ground and refused to back down. Despite the chaos, the narrator's efforts earned him Employee of the Month and Employee of the Quarter awards, which came with a total of $2,000. The narrator concludes that facing his fears and taking action led to positive outcomes, and encourages others to do the same.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker worked as a lifeguard at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando for over five years.
2. The hotel is connected to Universal Studios and guests would often reserve pool chairs and then leave for the parks.
3. This led to a problem where guests who wanted to swim during the day had nowhere to sit.
4. The speaker's supervisor, Jimmy, was laid-back and didn't want to deal with the issue.
5. The speaker decided to take matters into their own hands and implemented a system to deal with the problem.
6. The system involved giving guests a wristband when they arrived at the pool and writing down the time and number of chairs they reserved.
7. If a guest didn't return within 30 minutes, the speaker would take their belongings and put them in lost and found.
8. The system was successful in resolving the issue, but it also led to some confrontations with guests.
9. One guest, a large and aggressive man, threatened the speaker and caused a scene.
10. The speaker stood their ground and didn't back down, despite feeling intimidated.
11. The incident was witnessed by many guests and staff members, who were impressed by the speaker's bravery.
12. The speaker was awarded Employee of the Month and Employee of the Quarter, and received a total of $2,000 in prizes.
13. The speaker's annual salary as a lifeguard was $11,000.