I know what you mean - and I don't think you're being silly. However, I had one semi-significant experience that has taught me to be cautious. I was pitch-raising and tuning a long-neglected piano for a lady who told me she had to leave for whatever and that her daughter was home. For whatever reason I just assumed she was 18 or older. Turns out she is maybe 13 (best guess) or so and has a girlfriend about the same age over. They start coming down the hallway from her bedroom (I presume) while I am tuning - and pulling each other's pants down a bit (not really revealing anything personal - but I did get flashes of polka-dot undies) and pushing the one who just got the pants pulled down into the living room where I was tuning. It took me about one nano-second to pack my tools, put the lid down on the piano and exit, stage left. I called the lady that evening and told her what had happened, she seemed sympathetic, and we finished up the piano another day when she was home. I guess that experience has made me a bit more sensitive to these types of situations. I had another kinda similar situation arise one time. I was tuning and the lady said she had to leave. Okay, not big deal - just lock the door behind me. After a little while I realized there was lots of noise from children coming from the backyard. I looked out the window to see that there were three small kids (maybe 6, 8 ,10 years old) playing in the pool in her backyard! I freaked!!! I packed my tools and left the house as I called her (I had her cell phone number). She said that her neighbor could see the kids from her back window. I told her I wasn't comfortable with the situation, had to leave, and that we could finish the tuning another day - which we did. Personally, I would have liked to slap her around a little bit - but I didn't and just finished tuning her piano another day and left it at that. So yeah, I've become a little bit sensitized to some of that stuff. Just not worth it IMHO. Terry Farrell On May 17, 2012, at 7:33 PM, David Skolnik wrote: > You guys's a bunch a 'WIM'ps. All you's need is a cell phone app that does what those cameras in police cars do. Video the tuning. Next generation ETD's should come with them installed. I'm only half kidding. Something about this Brave Litigious New World really bugs me. Maybe the more techno-current amongst us could have a pre-written document on their laptops, or, if not so savvy, on their person, which could be presented to the owner for signing in the event they chose to leave us unattended. Frankly, if I had ever had a previous experience of having my integrity challenged, I would not hesitate to do so. > > And then, there's the whole other side of this, which is what (most likely male) teachers of adolescents constantly have to be on guard for, which is our own impulses. The permutations are seemingly infinite. Know thyself. And, of course, we've totally ignored the reverse scenario: a female technician (What? such things exist?) left unattended in the presence of males, or, maybe not male. This can get very confusing and complicated. WIM! This is not like you. > > David Skolnik > Hastings on Hudson, NY > > At 06:24 PM 5/17/2012, you wrote: >> I'd ask her age. If less than 18, I'd tell him I'm not comfortable in the home alone with her and will finish the piano another time. IMHO, just not worth it. >> >> Terry Farrell >> >> On May 17, 2012, at 5:35 PM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote: >> >>> Most of us have expressed the opinion that you would not want to service a piano where the only person in the house is a teenage girl. But what you do in this case? >>> >>> Appointment is at 9 AM, regular once a year customer. Husband/father lets me in the door, and I get to work on the piano. About half way through the tuning, he comes in the room and asks how much the fee will be. I tell him. When he hands me the check he says, "I am leaving for work, but my daughter is home with a cold." I look, and see it's his teenage daughter. >>> >>> Now, mind you, I have been servicing this piano for 4 years, and have met the girl before, and I know the mother. But it still made me feel uncomfortable. I finished the tuning and left without incident. But what would you do? >>> >>> Wim >>> >>> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20120517/1fb85fa2/attachment.htm>
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