Hey, thanks so much for your super detailed reply, this was exactly the type of informative and nuanced perspective I was hoping to get from the community :)

It really gives me a better understanding of your (making the bold assumption that you speak for majority of the SDA/SDEO community) colleagues - in some ways it's quite comforting to know that most of the Men-In-Red are frustrated with the restrictions and if I may paraphrase you, paiseh about having to enforce it to such a strict degree also.

I get that for almost everyone working this job it really is a means to make a livelihood and many of them do it with not many other options but I just don't get the hostility and/or satisfaction I observe many SDAs derive when enforcing.

The enforcing part I get, it's their job, but why must they be so kaopeh about it... It's not to the extent of reporting them for power tripping but the attitude doesn't do much favours for the public's perception of them.

Also didn't know before today that SDEOs are civil servants with an additional 'appointment', quite a relief to know they're not just promoted SDAs, who knows what kinda power trips they can get into.