You should be wary of your sex-offender neighbour

The following column was originally published in 2005.

Dear Annie: My daughter just learned that a registered sex offender is living next door to her and her family. She has a young son and daughter. We also have a preteen granddaughter living a block away. This offender has served a long prison sentence on multiple charges, at least one of which involved a minor.

This is extremely distressing to all of us. My daughter’s kids are prisoners in their home. She can’t let the children play in the fenced backyard unless an adult is out there with them. She can’t even sell their house. The law requires full disclosure, so the sellers can’t keep it a secret. Everything we have read on the subject indicates that sex offenders can’t change. What can be done? Aren’t there supervised living facilities for these people? We know they have rights, too, but what about the rights of the greater majority? Could your experts give us advice?

Not Living in Peace in Tallahassee, Fla.

Dear Tallahassee: Even sex offenders get to have a home in a nice neighbourhood. In fact, it is only in recent years that the community has been entitled to know about it. According to the Polly Klaas Foundation, your daughter’s family will have to be vigilant. Their Child Safety Kit will help (available at pollyklaas. org), but they also recommend a good physical skills training program such as radKIDS (radKIDS.org), which teaches kids how to spot the danger signals and how to escape if necessary. The family also can ask the police to come to their home and talk about general home security. Dear Annie: I suffered a stroke two years ago, and one of the many side effects is that I tire easily and am unable to walk more than a few feet. I’ve noticed in the women’s public restrooms that the handicapped stall is always the farthest from the entrance. Is there a logical reason for this placement?

Seated in the Back

Dear Seated: Our personal “Bob the Builder” says the reason for this inconvenient placement is floor space. The radius needed to manoeuvre a wheelchair makes it difficult to put the stall anywhere other than in a corner of the restroom. The entry corner would block the other stalls, which means the back corner is the only option. In spacious restrooms, the handicapped stalls can be closer to the front.