Ya' Can't Hit on the Female Operators

"Ya' can't hit on the female operators."  I said this often to one foreman.  Boy howdy, he was persistent.  He hit on me so many times I lost count.

I warned him often of his flirtatious ways and their dangers.  He never thought he'd get in trouble.  Besides, men will be men and women will be women and everyone understands.

He was so relentless, I asked the female operators about him quickly and they understood him and left him to his ways.  They believed he was a good man in spite of his flirtations.  He never forced the situation.

He was in a bad marriage and didn't want to divorce because of the children.  That was admirable, since so many dads don't fulfill their responsibilities.

He was a good performer and had drive to do a good job.  Production ran better under his supervision.  He didn't mind telling people how to do their jobs and expectations of them in a non-threatening, 'matter of fact' way.

I liked him in spite of his problem.  He had hobbies, seemed happy overall, was good to work with, knew his job, and was willing to help others at work.  He never showed up late, left early, called in sick to get a day off, or slouched on the job.

Ultimately, he hit on the wrong female hourly worker in the last plant and she turned him in to management.  He was fired.  I don't know the details of this situation but I do know mine.

I transferred to another plant and was free from his advances.  What a relief to leave those behind!  Some months later, he transferred to the same plant and began his pursuit anew.

We had a civil discussion about his ways.  He was going to persist.  Consequently, I emphatically told him to stop and he stopped.  He slipped occasionally but it was infrequent enough to handle.  At times, it was a laughing matter and other times it felt awkward.

It was a relief to not be pestered further in that way.  It wears on your nerves and you tire of addressing the same issue.  It distracts you from your job.

I warned him that one day he was going to hit on the wrong woman in this new plant, who would not be forgiving or understanding.  The union was much stronger in that plant and the people were different.  She wouldn't give two cents about his home life or that he was the only breadwinner.  He believed he would be OK because women understand how men are.

Women do understand men.  Unfortunately, he didn't understand women.  Unlike the dictionary men have to understand women, 'no' does mean 'no' and not maybe or perhaps for quite a few us.  Some of us don't tolerate games at all.