You may think that the e-mails you send are a private correspondence between yourself and your recipient, just like the handwritten letters you used to mail in days gone by. Wrong. E-mail is not a private affair. You can't control where that message will end up and who will see it. To drive home the point, I've compiled some e-mail horror stories that I'd like to share with you.

Chait Room

Every one of us has sent an e-mail that we later regretted. Claire Swire is no exception. This English lady sent a naughty e-mail to her sometime boyfriend, Bradley Chait. Mr. Chait was so pleased with the salacious missive that he forwarded it to some of his friends, who in turn relayed it to a few of their own mates. And so on, and so on. To date, Ms. Swire's "private" e-mail has been sent to more than 10 million people in cyberspace.

Humbled Hubbie

Keep in mind that e-mail messages are copied and stored on multiple servers and can be subpoenaed at any time. Catherine Davis learned this lesson the hard way. While on her honeymoon, she sent several private e-mails describing her new husband's sexual exploits to her friends back home. One of those friends just happened to be Monica Lewinsky. When special prosecutor Ken Starr subpoenaed Ms. Lewinsky's laptop, Catherine's honeymoon correspondence became a matter of public record. Soon the whole country and indeed the world would learn that Catherine's husband had a troubling tendency to do things prematurely.

Digital Miranda Rights

When it comes to e-mail, you have the right to remain silent and what you say can be used against you in a court of law. Chevron probably wishes some of its employees had exercised their right to remain silent after plaintiffs in a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company discovered e-mail lingering in company files containing jokes that were demeaning to women, such as "25 reasons beer is better than women." The company ended up settling the case for $2.2 million.

Stick This in Your Pipe

A few years ago, Siemens Solar Industries bought the solar division of Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) only to learn that the division was overvalued. Siemens sued ARCO for misrepresentation to recover some of the money it overpaid for the division. One of the key pieces of evidence in the trial was an e-mail between two mid-level ARCO engineers saying, "As it appears that [ARCO's solar technology] is a pipe dream, let Siemens have the pipe."

Bushwhacked

Unlike phone calls or verbal conversations, e-mail correspondence leaves a permanent record. Florida Governor Jeb Bush and his press secretary probably wish they had known that. After the 2000 presidential election, Governor Bush "recused" himself from the Florida vote recount. But the Gore team found evidence that the Governor had meddled in the dispute. Voters had complained to the Gore camp and urged them to pressure local authorities to recount the votes. When the Governor found out, he e-mailed key aides with this tag: "This is a concerted effort to divide and destroy our state." His press secretary responded: "Ve have our vays also. I'm working on this." Of course, all of this came to light.

Conclusion

To all of you safety professionals out there, I urge you to remember that Big Brother is watching you. According to the American Management Association, 45% of U.S. businesses report that they monitor employees' use of electronic communications, including e-mail. Yours might be one of them. So watch your words carefully and don't hit that SEND button unless and until you're comfortable with the thought that your message will be read not just by your intended recipient but by countless others.

HEROES OF SAFETY

Candy Lightner: Founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Candy Lightner

By Glenn Demby

In recognition of Mother's Day, SafetyXChange would like to pay tribute to Candace Lynne "Candy" Lightner, the organizer and founding president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

In 1980, Cari Lightner, Candy's 13-year-old daughter, was walking down a street near her home in suburban California when she was fatally struck from behind by a car. The driver sped away but was later apprehended. It turns out that he had been drunk when he hit Cari. To make matters worse, he had a history of drunken driving including three prior DWI convictions. He had been released on bail from a hit-and-run arrest just two days earlier.

But despite all of this, the driver got off with just a two-year sentence. And he was able to avoid prison by serving time in a halfway house and work camp. Candy Lightner was enraged and determined to do something to ensure that other parents wouldn't have to endure a similar ordeal. So she created an organization to raise awareness about drunk driving and push for tougher laws to combat it.

Back in 1980, drunk driving wasn't seen a serious safety hazards. Getting caught driving drunk was regarded as an embarrassment and a cause for teasing rather than as an act worthy of criminal punishment. But thanks in large part to the efforts of Ms. Lightner and MADD, American attitudes began to change. States began passing laws providing stronger penalties against drunk driving.

Ms. Lightner is still active but has broken with MADD because in her view, the organization has become "neo-prohibitionist" and more interested in fighting drinking than drunk driving.

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