Victims

[Rob Stuart-Vail]

Right on - And though I don't feel that there are litigious people lurking out
there waiting to get me, I do feel we must always think ahead as to how our
presence in the home might look to others.

When a juvenile answers the doorbell, (even if its the home of a regular
client) I announce myself and ask "is your Mother home? - she's expecting me."
 And I wait outside until I get a positive response.

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From: 	owner-pianotech@byu.edu on behalf of A440A@aol.com
Sent: 	Friday, May 02, 1997 6:38 AM
To: 	pianotech@byu.edu
Subject: 	Victims

Greetings,

Jim posts, in reponse to the thread on going to homes where there is a young
girl or boy alone;

> Conduct your business ethically and yourself
>professionally and morally.  With these attributes, along with common sense,
>you will be able to conduct your business and life with little fear of being
>falsely accused.  And you will be able to go into any surroundings with
>confidence that your record and reputation will provide all the references
>you would ever need.

   To some degree, I have to disagree.  Eve in  the Boy Scouts, we leaders
now must always have two adults present. The legal ramifications of young
boys accusing a solitary adult leader of abuse were too great to allow.
    The same holds true of the adults going into homes.  If there is a 13
year old, having a bad day, and they accuse you of raping them while you were
in the home with them,  you have just spent a fortune, (perhaps your life
savings!) to pay for the legal defense that you will need, regardless of your
innocence.  This is a tremendous liability.
    I will never put myself in a position of risk.  If there is an under 18
child in the house alone,  I will not schedule a first time tuning at the
same time.  It hasn't cost me any work, and I am never in jeopardy of a real
mess that can arise.  ( My father is a judge, and has seen the ruination
caused by poor foresight in a case like this.)
    I hate it, but I am also determined not to be placed in an indefensible
position.

Regards,
Ed Foote