After two years together, our singer has left (on good terms) and we have auditioned and offered the position to her replacement. The new singer is absolutely terrific with great feel and we're all confident that she can deliver. However there's an issue I have never encountered before and I wondered on your opinions.
The drummer, bass player and I are all middle aged (45-50). The drummer and bass player are a married couple and drive together with their gear in a completely full van and I drive separately and we meet at rehearsal/gigs. However, our new singer is just 19 years old and is a full time student in her first year. The problem isn't a generation gap, it's more that I have some significant concerns about her transport situation post-gig.
We're based in Manchester and a lot of the gigs are around the outside of the city. This isn't like London where the public transport is good. You really need to be able to drive to get to and from these places. As a young female, having to get back to the city centre from the outskirts of the city after midnight, I am going to worry about her.
I talked to my wife and said that I could drive her back to her university accomodation after gigs but my wife immediately said she'd rather I didn't. It's not that she's worried about me running off with the new singer. We've been married 23 years and I think we're past thinking that one of us might run off with someone else! It's more that having a young woman in the car, late at night, might open me to accusations that would cause me some major problems, should that ever happen. Again, I can't see it, but I suppose the potential is there for a life-ruining situation.
I'm more guilty of thinking like a dad than a bloke. My own kids are her age and also at university and I'd want my own daughter to be able to get home safely, but I also don't want to leave myself open to any situation that might cause me a problem. I've done Safeguarding courses when I was a junior rugby coach and I'm inclined to treat the situation in the same way (i.e. always have someone else in the car at the same time, never be alone with her etc).
Thoughts from you guys?
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I've just posed this question to Mrs Oct and she said it wouldn't be a problem at all.
Her exact words were 'don't be ridiculous, of course you should drive her home'.
It is 2017, not 1917- there is no issue with two adults being in a car together, one driving the other one home.
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I don't see a problem with giving your fellow adult band member a lift home. I'm pretty sure my wife would think anything else would be ridiculous, but different people see risk in different situations I suppose.
One solution would be to set up an account with a taxi firm or driver that you trust and book a taxi for her after every gig. Paid on account afterwards so no cash has to change hands and it takes her back to her residence.
You are doing her a favour by dropping her off, why does that suddenly get scary for the driver- is she going to accuse you of assaulting her or something?
Why?
I've never given it a moment's thought about being alone with a female adult.
If she was 12 then yeah perhaps you need to think about the way it is perceived- but 19?
Not a second thought.
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Both me and my g/f have given lifts to members of the opposite sex after gigs. Neither has ever questioned each other. I see it more as a pain in the arse dropping people off at 1am than a potentially bad situation. These people are my friends at the end of the day (just ones I wish would buy a car..)
The only time I'd consider not giving a lift would be if I didn't trust the person - those people haven't ever been my bandmates anyway.
You should probably initiate a conversation with her explaining you understand she doesn't drive and ask what arrangements she had in mind out of personal concern but also the functioning of the band. I suspect a 19 year old young woman will have given this some thought.
I cant see a problem with you giving her a lift ( the extra time added to getting home and the petrol would be more my wife's issues). Just try to avoid watching the gummy de milo episode of the Simpsons in your household for the next few months...
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As has been posted above, this is the 21st Century. If you take a female friend of hers with you to and from gigs then what about the "Rita, Sue and Bob too" scenario? C'mon, it's clearly better for everyone if you just pitch in and drop her home, even if it means a later night for you.
My wife would be totally happy with me doing that, in fact she's totally happy with me having close female friends and going to the cinema, out for a meal/drink/gig with any of them. I have had a few young students, and my wife is also happy with me teaching them at home when she's out or away working.
Slightly more seriously, I'd have thought that as a 19 year old woman she was pretty capable of travelling around the city in which she lives. Might be worth checking, and if she's stuck then I don't see an issue with giving her a lift home.
If of course the bus routes aren't an option, I'd agree with the taxi on account idea; budget for it when charging for gigs. Have a band bank account or Paypal account to deal with it.
Assuming she's intending on learning how to drive I doubt this will be a problem for long.
But yeah, I'd maybe discuss it with her/the band first and foremost - no offence intended, but if you've discussed it with your wife and a number of strangers on a forum before actually talking to your singer about the issue, you're doing her a disservice.
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I'm in my 40s. I was at a party a few years ago and there was a 19 year old art student there who I barely spoke to the whole evening. When she was leaving she realised she didn't have enough money for her taxi home to a nearby town, I didn't want her stranded/walking home so I gave her money for a taxi. Boom- instant crush on her part. She got a hold of my number and it took me several weeks and a rather blunt message to get her to stop contacting me.