massage-2.jpgI once got a massage at this spa that was, while itself a totally reputable and completely legit place, in a kind of borderline seedy part of town. When I was ready to leave, I couldn't catch a cab for anything. Finally, after a half hour of trying to call a cab company, the massage therapist, who was done for the day and on her way out anyway, offered to give me a ride home. It was really nice and considerate of her, but, truth be told, it was kind of awkward. I mean, here was this woman who, a half hour before, had been working kinks out of my back, and now I was riding shotgun in her SUV. It was then that I thought, "You know? I don't like seeing massage therapists outside of their office."
But some people disagree with me. In Minnesota, a group of massage therapists (and the ACLU of Minnesota) is
suing the state over a rule that prohibits a massage therapist from dating former clients for two years. They also want to eliminate a statute that prohibits all social contact between therapists and their current clients.
Apparently, the law applies to a host of professionals, from yoga instructors to people selling 10-minute backrubs at the mall. Other states have laws in the same vein, but Minnesota's is one of the strictest.
It does seem awfully harsh to me. I mean, I may not want to date my masseuse, but it can be nice to catch a ride home from her if I'm stranded.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
