I really do not care if they get an attitude. I want them to do their job within the guidelines laid out for them. When they find I know them, it makes them less likely to cop an attitude.

I say it nicely and with a smile. If they take it wrong they should not be working in a job that deals with the public. It is not a threat. They have the opportunity to do their job within defined guidelines and I am giving them the opportunity to do so while at the same time letting them know I know the limits of their authority and am not cowed into submission of their blue uniform and tin badge. They need to know the repercussions of their decision. It is their choice to escalate or say, "You are quite correct, sir. Please feel free to do what you need to do to watch your belongings."

By the way, mutual respect has no application at the CP. They do not respect me and I reciprocate. I can still be nice and deal with them in a businesslike manner. It is not a social event. Their own procedures create an adversarial relationship.

Finally, if you and I were in the process of a difficult business negotiation, the first thing I would do is lay out the ground rules as I understand them and suggest if you disagree, that you might indeed need to get someone that had the authority to act if you do not. If you take that wrong, then I would make no apology. I very often end up in very difficult situations to resolve involving multiple competing interests across departments or even companies. It is hard to do without a firm understanding of the responsibilities and limits laid out at the onset of the process.

At the CP, I am not there not there to be nice or make friends. I am there to successfully move through a process that is fraught with potential legal repercussions and loss of considerable valuable property.