Have you calculated the safety factor of your students and customers?
There are many jokes about women drivers. But jokes aside, women drivers often rely on their “instincts” for anything that is somehow connected to their driving or to their cars. Just think about parking. Think about a woman parking her car in a dark and lonely multi-storey car park…
Can you feel “unsafe” with the student and customer?
The danger is real enough that the situation has been accepted for what it is ? dangerous for women parking alone in an empty and dark car park. They counteracted with having special places for women by the exits. A small comfort, but better than none.
Have you thought about what dangers you willingly take on by accepting students and customers into your private home?
How “safe” is your new student and customer?
Have you ever thought about the dangers you are willingly taking on when you open your front door and allow a “never-seen-before” person into your home? How can you possibly be sure that this person has no ulterior motives? How can you be sure that this person is not mentally stable ? and is not a psychopath?
How “safe” is your new student and customer?
These may be horror scenes, and the chances are fairly slim that you will never be a victim of a psychopath or burglar, but… are you really willing to take the chance?
A psychopath or burglar doesn’t stop because you are a man or a child. However, are you willing to be a person who just happens to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time?
On women’s safety: A woman is more likely to be attacked by someone she knows. Just because you are taking on a student who you’ve met and socialised with may be just as dangerous as a stranger. Don’t let your guard down.
On men’s safety: Women are not the only people who are sexually attacked. Men can also be sexually assaulted or robbed. Men don’t often speak of this which is why I bring it up.
What safety precautions can you take?
Do nothing if you want to tempt fate… take precautionary measures if you want to avoid it. Being prepared makes common sense when you are opening your door to private students, especially when you know you are alone. A few arrangements are all that is needed:
- Always make sure you are not alone when you meet a new student and customer for the first time ? and for the next few lessons until you feel you know the new student and customer well enough.
- Always have a phone within arm reach during the lessons. Save the emergency number (police) so that it appears right at the top of your list of stored phone numbers. Give it an alphanumerical name such as “aaa SOS” or “111 SOS”.
- If you have the possibility, install an alarm near your front door and another in the room where you work and in the bedroom too.
Summary + Next Step
Often I am alone in my home when my students arrive. Many are students I have been teaching for a long time. However, there are times when I may have to open my door to a new and unknown student. And I am sure if you give tuition to private students within your own four walls, there will be times you open your door to someone you don’t know and tempt fate…
- Have you thought about what dangers you are willingly accepting by accepting students and customers into your private home?
- And have you thought about taking a few precautionary measures to avert the worst?
- And did you think about what measures you can undertake to protect yourself ? should the worse happen?
You need to create the equivalent of the women’s parking spaces near multi-storey car park exits to have a better chance should fate attack.
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