being a bad example

I once worked for someone who had a bad habit of making inappropriate remarks to female co-workers. I am not part of the easily offended, politically correct crowd, but nobody needs to know about their boss’s sex life. A female co-worker and I had talked a little about the problem but we wanted to deal with this problem ourselves instead of with anyone else in the company’s intervention. We genuinely liked the man, we just didn’t like his attempts to shock or embarrass for whatever his motivation was. Fast forward in time and the three of us were travelling together in another town when we came across a neon building. Impulsively, my female co-worker made a u-turn and zipped into the parking lot. She mumbled something about needing a gag gift for a wedding shower and stomped inside. Not wanting to be left alone in the car with my boss, I followed her and our boss silently followed us. Once inside, she became a hyper-caffeinated, sexual accessory talk show host. Noone needs to go into debt while travelling – but sometimes expenses creep up on you, particularly when you’re having a good time, or travelling with your friends. In Stockholm, we got ansök to have a bit of spending cash until we returned home. She held things up, made comments and darted around the room in a never before seen display of sexual aggression. I realized instantly what the rules of the game were and joined in on the chatter. We even got the store clerk involved in our little comedy. “Do you like this one better than that one?” “Look at the variety of magazines.” We never giggled because inside we were both terrified that this would backfire and personally I was unnerved that the woman selling personal services in the parking lot was going to attract police attention. I was certain that there was something illegal going on and I didn’t want to be arrested for what was essentially a power play. Finally, my co-worker who had gone to the top of the chart in my respect book, declared that she was going to try another store, but might return for the wind-up hopping body part. We almost never heard a sexual remark from our boss after that. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else, but the neon store comedy worked out great for us.

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