Beach Nanny

Alfredo Lopez

Our nanny moved with us from the West Coast to the NYC area. One of her favorite things to do is go to the beach with the children during the summer. We live in a very safe area, but I wonder about Jones Beach and Coney Island and the beaches around the city, first for general safety.

I'm also worried that because she has to travel so far to get there, she might attract the attention of a sinister male and he might try and follow them and put the children in danger. I haven't discussed this with her yet, because she did me a huge solid to move with us to help acclimate us to the East Coast. The kids, (3 & 7) are very happy to have her here.

She is a very attractive young woman, with a very curvaceous figure and she dresses in attire that doesn't hide it. I am not saying she should hide it. I had no problem with her taking the kids to the beach in California, because it was literally within walking distance and very local. But now she must travel sometimes on subways or by car and I don't know how to broach with her that crime is more rampant in NY. I also want to make sure to talk to her about concern just for her, not just about my kids being victims by association.

She is a wonderful nanny, but she's also a young heterosexual who doesn't mind the attention of men. And she is trying to meet people since she is new to the area. I've just started having an anxious feeling in my stomach when I see her leaving for the beach. Tell me I'm wrong. Talk to me about the safety of the beaches.

Something bothering you? Email isynblog@gmail.com.

Broken Mirror While Babysitting

     Last night I was babysitting until close to midnight. Everything was fine, and at some point during the night, I heard glass break. There are a couple of bars around the corner, and I figured the glass breaking was dropped beer bottle. I literally sat near the window all night, and could see my car parked across the street. The dogs were calm as well; one of them saw rabbits across the street near my car and started spazzing out. Other than that, they didn't see anything either and start barking to alert of me strangers. MB and her boyfriend get home, we chat, she pays me and I leave. I get down to my car and get the surprise of my life: someone broke my driver's side mirror, and the glass I heard breaking was my mirror shattering. As I stated before, I sat in front of the window, and didn't see anyone physically touch my car with their hands on foot. I did see a dark blue or black SUV drive past in the northern direction of the street, turn around in MB's shared driveway (she lives in a stacked duplex and has neighbors underneath her) and drive south on the street. After that I heard the glass break.

Hecki Dunno

     I have insurance on the car, but because my car is older, I only have liability, not comp coverage. I'm thinking what happened is someone either hit me by accident or was drunk and hit me, not realizing what they did. I was babysitting in the city where I work (different from where I live) and the area of town where I was at isn't seedy or a bad neighborhood. I don't have a mirror on my driver's side, and taking it to the shop would be at least $500-600, according to a friend of mine. The pay wasn't that bad, but now I am wondering if I should stop babysitting for them because of what happened. It wasn't their fault, but I'm now out of a mirror, can't afford to have it fixed (it was completely destroyed) and I'm lucky that's the only thing that happened. I like this family, but what if I babysit again during the same time period, and something worse happens next time?