General Chat

Oh gosh - flashing!
That's only happened twice to me.
Once, walking through Southampton alone, during the day, a man appeared from behind a bush and exposed himself - I just looked him in the eye and said something like 'So what? If I were you, I'd cover that up quickly' - and walked off.

Another time, I was with a friend when it happened - we just both stood there laughing the most awful, loud, raucous laugh we could, thanked him for the laugh - and walked off.
I admit, I never reported either of them. Pathetic specimens that they were.

I think, as women, we got used to the odd 'cat call' from builders, and (in my case) either ignored them, or told them in no uncertain terms what they could do with their 'admiration'.
My late brother in law's brother (R) owns a scaffolding firm, he started it in the 1980's.
One of his rules is, and has always been, no cat-calling, or you're sacked.

Apparently, this came about because he and I, aged 15 and 16 (I'm the elder) used to go out (not romantically), but, ummm - drinking :-S
His brother (B) (not my future brother in law), a year older than me would sometimes come too.
Well, In my platforms, I was inevitably quite a way behind him/ them, when walking from pub to pub,(I never said they were gentlemen!) so it looked like I was on my own.
They were embarrassed at the cat calls, and other 'assumptions' I encountered - things I just brushed off - but they were astonished that a girl/woman, apparently on her own, could encounter.
Actually, if the situation got too bad, I would just shout - and they'd come back - and, as B was built like a proverbial brick wotsit - the creeps soon disappeared!

I was never too scared - my dad was an expert in unarmed combat and had taught me one or two little 'disarming' tricks! But I was lucky. :-D

Just like to say, I love what Aled's mother in law has said:
'He is as capable of sexual harassment as Mother Theresa' :-D :-D

We tolerated all sorts of unpleasant behaviour in the sixties, seventies and eighties because we had no option. There was nowhere to complain and if you did it was your word against the gropers.

Barb.......

<3 <3 <3

when my Son started a driving job he enjoyed it & liked being out & about delivering car parts & warehouse work .this a few years ago .one of the manages didn't like him & was always picking on him about late deliveries petty warehouse things .but he was being set up by another warehouse man .& he left because of bullying .its not only women who are harassed at work my Son was 20 years old .. :-(

Bullies have no age limits. And silence encourages them to continue the nastiness.

Very true .the manager & warehouse man were sacked .my Son got another job & believe you me didn't get bullied again .he does stand up for himself :-)