PCA Forums

There was a thread here recently about someone having to take a polygraph test. This is a very interesting article.

What I found real interesting is that I was not aware that congress had passed a law in 1988 making it illegal for private sector employers to require that their employees take a polygraph test.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature ... 48_01.html

good article - thx

when i was a prosecutor we used polygraphs primarily as interrogation tools - the polygraph examiners has usually been sent to advanced interrogation school


Q. Well, it looks like we're about finished. You've done a pretty good job here. I can't really tell whether you've been lying or not.

A. OK

Q. Here's the deal, I can make some adjustments to the settings and we can do this over, or wold you like to just tell me now what really happened?

A. That sumbitch came through the front door yelling and screaming....................

That was me who had to take the polygraph test about 3 weeks ago. I'm angry to say, but I failed it. In fact, that article you posted is eerily familiar with my experience. I applied for a uniformed officer position in the Secret Service almost a year ago. I recieved a 99% on the written entrance exam. I passed a preliminary interview and a security interview. I passed the extensive medical physical. Then it came down to the lie detector. Just like this article says, I felt like a criminal being interrogated. I admitted to doing some stupid things as a kid but nothing at all major. I have clean criminal, traffic, work, & school records. I'm even in PA's Municipal Police Academy for crying out loud. Yet the examiner said I was showing deceptions in questions regarding spy & espionage, drug use, and work history.

Its weird, the more I talk with people about my polygraph experience the more horror stories hear. I'm not given up on getting a job in law enforcement. I was already being as honest as I could. I'm hoping for a better experience when I apply for some of the local police officer jobs in my neighboring townships.

I took a polygraph for a job back in college...
for one of those convenience stores.

When asked if I'd ever stolen from an employer... I began
to sweat, and finally broke down, and told in great detail
how I took a quarter from someone I worked for, when I
was 5 years old.

I got the job. But when money was missing from the till...
I was the FIRST one they fired. No questions asked.

They later fired 6 people, and even the manager, before they
got to the bottom of it. But they never apologized... and I still
have a paralyzing fear of polygraphs.

I would never take one again for anything.

And to this day... whenever I walk into that store, and someone
says "Hello, how are you?" .... I LIE !!!!!!

THAT'S showin' em!!!... WAHAHHAHHH!!!!