Washington, D.C., management consultant Michelle DeYoung used to get massages when traveling through Denver.
She would disrobe, lay facedown on a table, and let the therapist slowly loosen her tight muscles. She says she had no idea she was being videotaped. At least not until 2002 when a therapist told her so.
“I was horrified,” said DeYoung, 45. “I had absolutely no idea that that had been occurring.”
Anita Zimmerman, 59, says she videotapes all of her customers to ensure safety and quality. She owns massage concessions at concourses A and B at Denver International Airport.
People behave themselves when they know there’s a video camera in the room, she said. Clients don’t ask for sexual services. Therapists don’t offer them.
“We massage people from all over the world – China, Taiwan, France, Germany – and some of them think massage is different,” Zimmerman said.
Even some Denverites think massage is “different.” Denver police recently raided several parlors around the city where sex was for sale.
“I want all of my customers and therapists to know that they are being taped, and that if anything goes wrong they are out the door,” Zimmerman said.
DeYoung, however, said she wasn’t told about the cameras until after she had had as many as 24 massages over four years at DIA. Humiliated, she sued Zimmerman and her massage companies – A Massage Inc. and A Massage II Inc. – in 2002 for invasion of privacy and outrageous conduct. Last month, a jury in Denver District Court awarded DeYoung $40,000.
“It’s one thing to be on a camera when you are walking down the street or going into a Wal-Mart,” said DeYoung’s attorney, Jonathan Oster of Denver’s Oster & Martin. “But when you are getting undressed, you are entitled to privacy.”
Zimmerman claims DeYoung knew about the cameras and opted to get massages anyway. She said signs on the walls notify all customers that cameras are in use. In fact, she said some male customers joke about being videotaped.
All customers are asked to sign release forms, she said. But Zimmerman could not produce a release from DeYoung in court. She said she routinely destroys them after a month or so.
“I know the jury didn’t agree with me, but I think this is the biggest piece of baloney I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Zimmerman’s attorney, Julia Davidson Riley of Denver’s Brin & Riley.
In her eyes, Zimmerman is guilty only of bad record keeping when she destroyed the forms. Zimmerman said the tapes are grainy, not viable for smutty uses and are recorded over within a couple of weeks.
Even after losing the lawsuit, Zimmerman said she continues to videotape massage sessions.
“After 9/11, don’t you want safety?” she said. “Don’t you want assurance that we’re not hookers or some nut who is going to crack your back?”
Video cameras are almost everywhere these days: streets, parking lots, retail stores and especially airports. Walk through security and you may be asked to remove your shoes and belt. You may have to roll down your waistband or endure a pat-down.
“There’s no shred of dignity left in an airport,” Riley said.
But as far as I can tell, Zimmerman is the only one pointing video cameras at massage clinic customers.
“I have never known any professional massage therapist to utilize video cameras,” said Dawnette Cabaluna, a vice president of the Utah College of Massage Therapy. “That would raise all kinds of flags for me.”
Zimmerman could not point to another massage clinic that uses video cameras either. But she says most customers don’t feel rubbed the wrong way when they learn they’re on camera.
“We don’t sit around and watch videotapes,” she said. “We don’t care about those things. What we want is prevention.”
As for DeYoung, she says she still gets massages, but not at DIA.
“Until this happened, I never knew to ask, ‘Are you videotaping me naked?”‘
Al Lewis’ column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. Respond to Lewis at denverpostbloghouse.com/lewis, 303-820-1967, or alewis@denverpost.com.
