We Saw How This Was Going To End Three Waivers Ago

I work at a rural Boy Scout camp. Troops from around the country come out to the camp for up to a week at a time to practice camping and outdoor activities – archery, swimming, and canoeing, pitching tents, etc. – under our supervision.

In the past, we’ve had a lot of parents and troop leaders who ended up locking their keys in their cars when they arrive to drop off or pick up their troop, so the camp has put together a tool kit to help unlock cars if the driver doesn’t want to wait for a sheriff’s deputy or locksmith. We’ve also taken steps to protect ourselves if the driver later chooses to complain, most of which will be explained in the story.

Most people who choose to allow us to unlock their car are OK with the conditions, both because we don’t charge money for the service, and because they don’t have to wait for a sheriff’s deputy or locksmith to make it out to our VERY rural location. 

But there are also plenty of drivers like this one…

Driver: “Hi, do you have a number for the local sheriff’s office? I locked my keys in my car.”

Counselor: “Yes, it’s [number]. But, if you don’t want to wait for them to get out here, some members of our staff actually have proper training in opening car doors. [My Name] over there is one of them. Would you like him to handle it for you?”

Driver: “Okay, yeah, we can do that.”

[Counselor] calls me over and explains the situation.

Me: “Yeah, I can do that for you. But before we do that, I’m going to have you read and sign four waivers. The first waiver is to acknowledge that I have showed you my training certificate from [County] sheriff’s office, verifying that I have received proper training in unlocking car doors.”

Yes, it’s a real certificate. The sheriff’s office recognizes that our camp has a legitimate need for the knowledge because of our very rural location, so they provide training for some of the senior-level camp employees. Any employee who does not have a certificate does not get to use the tool kit.

I show the driver my certificate and he says okay, so I hand him the waiver.

Driver: “Can we just get out there? I don’t have all day.”

Me: “Without your signature on all four waivers, I can’t unlock your car. You’re welcome to call the sheriff’s office or a locksmith and wait for them.”

Driver: “Fine, give me the paper.”

He signs the waiver, clearly without reading it, and I put it in a folder with his name.

Me: “Waiver number two is you giving us written permission to unlock your car door.”

The driver grumbles again about the delay, but he takes the paper and signs it.

Me: “Waiver number three is an agreement that you will NOT hold (camp) responsible for any minor damage caused by me unlocking your car, such as scratched paint. It also declares that if any additional damage occurs, such as a broken window, we will negotiate on payment as needed.”

Driver: “Jesus Christ, how long is all of this going to take?”

Me: “Again, you’re welcome to wait for a sheriff’s deputy or locksmith. This time of day, they should be able to get here in about… an hour? As long as there are no other emergencies in the area that they have to deal with first.”

He grumbles, but signs the waiver.

Me: “The final waiver states that I will be filmed by a camp employee for the duration of unlocking your car. The video is meant to ensure that I follow the proper procedures and will be used to document any potential damage to your car if we need to negotiate payment, per waiver number three. You also agree to be filmed depending on your position during the procedure – if you don’t want to be on camera, you can stand behind the camera operator or somewhere else out of the video. You are also welcome to film the procedure yourself if you choose to do so, provided you do not block the view from our own video.”

More grumbling from the driver, but he signs the fourth and final waiver, so I grab the tool kit and tell [Counselor] to grab the video camera and come out with me.

We get out to the car, and the driver stands directly between me and [Counselor].

Counselor: “Sir, I need you to step back. I can’t see [My Name] on the camera.”

Driver: “Just get on with it, would you?”

Me: “Sir, I will not unlock your car unless you allow [Counselor] to film it. If you want to watch and you don’t mind being on camera yourself, you can stand on my other side, but you can’t block the camera.”

The driver grumbles a bit more, but eventually steps back. [Counselor] confirms he can see and hear me on the video, so I proceed to unlock the car, narrating every step for the benefit of the camera. I manage to get the door unlocked and open, and [Counselor] moves in with the camera to show close-ups of the work area and the results of my work. [Counselor] then declares that he has seen what he needs to on video and is ending the recording, so I step away from the car to allow the driver to retrieve his keys. The driver makes a grand show of inspecting my work.

Driver: “You scratched my paint! I’ll sue you for this!”

Me: “You’re welcome to try, but remember – we have not just one, but FOUR pieces of paper signed by you, AND we have the entire thing on video. I’m sure you can figure out the odds of winning if you actually do take us to court.”

Shockingly (sarcasm), we have yet to actually be sued by any driver, thanks to all that documentation.