Can we be friends?

You heart your client. You and her hit it off right away and chat about things you both love. You ask to Facebook friend her.

Yes? You love her!
No? Doesn't matter. She is a client.

Can I see your pictures

Just to follow up on the last post, should you even be looking at a client's pictures? Is it ok to show then your pictures?

Can you find me a job?

You interpret a job interview. The deaf client turns out not to be qualified for the job. As you are walking out, she asks if you know of any jobs available and if you'd ask around.

--on one hand, you admire her resourcefulness. Of course you'll help.
--on the other hand, you've just met this person and only spoken with her for 15 minutes. How can you possibly help her find a job.

Um, I'd rather not say

You are interviewing with a journalist who is writing an article on work - life balance. You recently had a baby do your input is applicable to this research. You describe what you do and where you work including that your life is so much easier because you have an ongoing gig in a school. The journalist asks which school you work in.

--do you tell the journalist? After all, she wouldn't know any of your students.
--hell, no. The journalist will publish the research and then it'll be all over the world forever more that you work (worked, rather, because who wants an unethical interpreter) at Nice Gig Public School.
--how do you politely decline to give the info?

What is your fee?

You get a call from someone, not an agency, asking if you can interpret a meeting. You look at your calendar and see you have a prior engagement. You decline the assignment but recommend a colleague you respect. The person hiring then asks your opinion on the fee they were going to offer.

--if you can't take the job, should you even comment on the fee?
--is it ethical to say, "that is within the range we work", "that is low", or "that is high"?
--should the fee be different since the job wouldn't be through an agency?

Dance dance dance

Your client is performing a short, original dance as a class project. The performance takes place on the classroom and will only be seen by the class. You want to record a video of it to share with other interpreters who work with your client and know s/he is doing the performance.

Is it ok to ask your client if you can record them and share the recording with other people they know?

Suppose it's not a solo, but a group performance. Do you need to get the hearing people's permission too?

One drink, please

You are interpreting at a social event where people are drinking. You don't drink while on assignment. Period. It isn't professional. Plus, it's against agency policy. But even if your agency was silent on the issue, you wouldn't drink on assignment.

You are politely sipping your water when a guest at the function brings you a glass of white wine. You will be with this guest most of the evening and he was clearly uncomfortable with your teetotaling. You accept the wine with a gracious smile.

-Do you drink the glass and get another later in the evening?
-Do you keep the glass on hand so when people ask, you can say you have a drink?
-Do you explain you can't drink while working?
-Do you claim to practice a religion that forbids alcohol?
-What are your other options? What are the repercussions of each decision?

How about a poem to me?

Your students are assigned to write a poem praising something. After you interpret the assignment, you suggest writing about your favorite interpreter--you! (me!)--in jest, of course.

Is that overstepping boundaries? Or is that relationship building?

Would it be different depending on the age if the client? (elementary vs high school vs college)

When would this kind if banter be acceptable or not?

A personal question

You interpret regularly with a client. One day, as you are waiting for the meeting to begin, your client asks, "How long have you been married?"

+What is the conflict?
+What Code of Professional Conduct informs this conflict?
+What do you do?
+What are the long- and short-term consequences of your decision?