Comments below: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, July 06, 2001 7:29 AM Subject: Re: Appt. Danger (partly off topic) > Terry and all, > > Each of us looks at life through a collection of experiences we have had, > combined with influences that have come our way. When I was a boy my parents > never locked the house until they were robbed. Only then did we start locking > the doors, the most obvious ones at least. <G> Same thing with my first full > job at a feed mill. We always left the truck keys stuck in the ignition all the > time (that's even illegal now, I think) until a robber rolled the company safe > onto a truck to take it to a nearby woods to force it open. One could point out that this is what I was getting at. What gives you the right to enter someone's home uninvited? They did make an appointment, but I think there is an inherent assumption that they will be home - unless otherwise stated. An appointment is an agreed time to meet and tune a piano - I do not believe it is safe to assume it is an invitation to enter a home when no one home (unless that is explicitly agreed to). I think it goes well beyond the matter of whether it is "OK", I believe it is a matter of respect for someone's privacy. If I ask my wife for her car keys, she may say "they are in my purse". I do not go through her purse, but rather give the purse to her and she will dig them out - again, simply a matter of respecting someone's privacy. > I live in an area where some clients will tell me where they've hidden the key. > Some will leave the house unlocked for me, even if I won't arrive until the > afternoon. Some will tell me not to lock the house when I'm finished because > the kids will soon be home from school. A few offer the information that they > never lock the house. A few will leave a blank check signed and lying on the > piano. I have done all these things - and in a metropolitan area of Florida! But this is not what we had talked about. In all these cases, the home/piano owner is fully aware of what is going on, and has made all the decisions themselves. My objection is when the home owner is not aware that the piano technician will be entering their home without their knowledge. Maybe the lady of the house, having forgot about the appointment, will have left her breast prosthesis or sex toy or personal photographs or cash or divorce papers out somewhere near the piano. These may well be things she/he prefers not to share with the piano technician. These are examples of why I believe one is violating another's privacy by going into a home without an explicit invitation. > I have a section in my most recent newsletter entitled "What if I can't be home > during the day when you want to come?" The only comment I've received from that > was said in amusement that I mention I might use the bathroom or get a drink of > water. > > It is with a degree of sadness that I see the way society has changed for the > worse in some ways, although some changes have been very positive and I applaud > them. But why do we assume that those who still want to trust their neighbors > deserve to be ripped off for being so stupid? I suspect that if I described > society as it used to be, many would totally disbelieve me. Why do we assume > that there is no going back, that those who wish for a better way are ignorant > and out of touch with the times? Yeah, and lynchings were commonplace too. > I think I know, but no one seems to want to talk about it. It involves societal > and personal philosophies and religious faith, and of course we "know" those > areas are taboo for public discussion, especially for those of us who have a > conservative leaning. We've committed ourselves to a philosophy that will bring > us greater and greater problems, but it never occurs to us to take another look > at where what we legislate is taking us. Hmmmm. And I have always thought that those of us with liberal leanings best keep our mouth shut. > Regards, > Clyde We are getting into tender territory here Clyde - likely best to avoid. But regarding the home-entry thing, I mean no animosity with my comments. I simply think that it is not proper to ever enter a home without the home-owner (or designated representative - like the maid) saying "please come in" (whether that is when you knock on the door, or when you make the appointment and they tell you that the key will be under the mat and to just go in). Terry Farrell > Farrell wrote: > > > Hmmmm. Well, I see no one else has agreed with me. That hasn't changed my > > mind. I would never do it, nor would I appreciate anyone entering my home > > when I was not there - even if I forgot the appointment. I would rather they > > leave a bill for the service charge. > > > > Obviously different folks have different outlooks on things. Boy, I always > > thought I was one of the most easy going folks around. Hmmmm. I'll have to > > take another look at that! Just be careful. Good luck! :-) >
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