Monday, July 23, 2007

Scantily Clothed Tiger Time Lawn Care Workers Legally Increase Business or Open Door for Liability?


A lawn care business in Memphis Tennessee apparently believes sexuality sells service. Often, products have been associated with sexy actresses. But Tiger Time Lawn Care has extended this philosophy to the service industry by offering customers bikinis clad women to mow their lawns. Not surprisingly, passing cars honk and yell their appreciation, and we speculate they are not showing their interest in the lawn. Blair Beckman, 21, is one such employee. She apparently likes working in the sun. Apparently some customers sit back, have a cold drink and watch their lawn being mowed. Lee Cathey is the owner of the business. Lee apparently is willing to offer leaf raking on similar terms in the fall. (Photo courtesy of WXIA T.V.)

To date, there apparently has not been any interest in a male version of the bikini lawn cut.

Legal Pub's questions if there is an accident caused by a distracted motorist, does Tiger Time Lawn Care become liable in damages? How about liability for sexual harassment by customers or those passing by?
Update 12-31: Happy New Year to our male readers. Fox Video Link.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Iron Mike said...

If I lived in Memphis, I probably would never personally mow another lawn again.

Now if I lived in Memphis, I would probably not be able to afford insurance. My eye would not be on the road. (It takes a big man to admit his weakness.)

Iron Mike

Anonymous said...

This just proves my point. Men are pigs! Men will pay twice as much to have their lawn cut by an attractive woman in a bikini. I know, Mike, I could make a fortune down there! That is not the point. The point is here is a company willing to risk all kinds of liability for accidents, sexual harassment and possibly "side deals for trimming" all because sexual images sell.

I doubt many women are paying for this service!

Shell

Anonymous said...

I hear you Shell. Time men recognize us for our minds. Maybe if we cut grass in our PH.D. caps, men would take notice.


Bertha

Did You Stop to Think? said...

The picture is way too small, I cannot give an honest opinion without a bigger picture. Please blow it up and send it to me. In fact, send me blown up pictures of all the bikini employees; it's only fair I have adequate knowledge before I pass judgment...

There is a grad student in the Chicago area who started doing the same thing last year. I don't know if she is still around. Unfortunately, I don't have a lawn. Thankfully, I do have a beach, or at least live near one. I'll bring a mower down with me this weekend to interview prospective employees... If they can push a mower through the sand will be the test.

Anonymous said...

You are so right, Sir. We need a larger photo. Actually headline news (CNN) has now picked up the story.

The girls all have very nice bodies. Surprise, surprise!

Bobby Joe

Ms Calabaza said...

"side deals for trimming" . . . great line

Actually Rosie O'Donnell hires them all the time when she's in town.

Ron said...

Liability from passing motorists who cannot keep their eyes on the road..........very limited to none.

Liability due to sexual harrassment from customers and spectators.....low risk since this is occupational risk.

In Northern California, this service would be popular with men and women customers. And yes, we need better photos and pricing to better understand this business.

Legal Pub said...

Ron, thanks for your comments. I wish you were an insurance risk underwriter. My clients would be able to cut their insurance premiums in half. A more realistic assessment would be as follows:

Probability of being named in an auto accident because of a distracted driver: moderate. Plaintiff unlikely to win, but he will still sue the distracted driver and the source of the distraction.

Probabilit of being named as a defendent in sexual harassment suit: very high.

The "occupational assumption of risk" argument is not a defense. Ask Hooters! The girls have a right to expect that their employer will protect them from unwanted offensiver remarks and touching. Failure to do so is actionable under the "hostile environment theory."

Likelihood of employer liability high.

Anonymous said...

I got it! This is the new job for bad girls like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton!

Shell

Anonymous said...

There is a nice video of Tiger Time in action on MSNBC. The employee interviewed prefers this job over being a waitress or cashier.

Legal Pub said...

While in Kentucky this past weekend, I saw a woman mowing the grass in a swim suit. It did momentarily distract my attention from the road, but not nearly as much as the slap I got from my better half when I looked...

Anonymous said...

Put a tiger in your tank... tiger girls got it going on!

Anonymous said...

Tiger time for me! Growl...

Anonymous said...

Put a tiger in your tank, that cracks me up. Come on up north and mow my flat, Baby. I will give you a huge tip.


Horatio

Anonymous said...

Liability for sexual harassment by customers? You Bet!

Anonymous said...

Now I wish I did not live in an apartment.


Julian

Anonymous said...

Worth planting grass on my porch just so I can get a close up view.

Anonymous said...

Everyday is tiger time!

Anonymous said...

Hope tiger time expands to shoveling snow in bikinis! When it is warming up you will be able to look out and get a temperature reading just by looking at the "indicators."

Legal Pub said...

Snow shoveling in a bikini is a great idea!

Anonymous said...

A fire department recently had a topless car wash as a fund raiser. But it turned out that it was male fire fighters without their shirts that did the washing...

Anonymous said...

scantily clothed is right! I literally almost ran off the road gawking. But that was nothing compared to the distraction caused by my wife hitting me in the private parts!

Anonymous said...

Tiger time may not have been the first, but it was definitely the best. The company is doing very well in TN.

Anonymous said...

Bikini covered indicators will give us an idea of the temperature this fall and winter without going outside!

Anonymous said...

So hot right now, not even the grass is growing much right now...

Anonymous said...

As the weather breaks and the girls switch to raking leaves, I bet there will be more than one thing growing...

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to experience the changing temperature indicators!

Anonymous said...

More photos Pubmeister!

Anonymous said...

So eye popping outfits on gals too close to the road may create liability?

Anonymous said...

Yes, a distraction by the road could result in the folks responsible for the distraction getting sued under a negligence or nuisance theory.

Renaldo

Anonymous said...

A distraction with benefits!

Legal Pub said...

Update 12-31: Happy New Year to our male readers. Fox Video Link is at the bottom of the article. Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the video link. I am convinced that Legal Pub catapulted Tiger Time Lawn Care out of the cage and into the big time! While a T.V. spot lasts a few seconds on head line news, this article and comments never seems to die!


Kyle

Anonymous said...

I wonder is the vibration from the mower, with the handle rubbing up against the bikini bottom, has any "vibrator like " effect on the girls?

Curious

Anonymous said...

Don't be silly. This Tiger Time is strictly a visual aid!

Anonymous said...

Legally Blond part XX

Anonymous said...

They can was my car anytime

Anonymous said...

Put a tiger in your tank? You bet. Best car wash ever!

Unknown said...

nice post

this has just become a fashion with every product girls are being associated

Arizona Lawn Care