Most of the inappropriate behaviour has come in the corporate sector, not in anything else I’ve worked.

Even, surprisingly, in sports. The majority of the men I deal with in sports writing have been really great guys — and very protective when it comes to their less-than-steller colleagues, whether I’ve needed it or not.

Sal, I’m going to have to use that cement shoe line!

Lots of deep lakes here. In fact, we’re only an hour and a half to the Jersey shore. I’m just sayin’ it’s pretty deep out there…

Oh, and the next time you are approached like that, tell them that one of your friends works for a cement shoe company (this is the part where I am supposed to let you know I am Italian and suggest that I am in some way “connected”)

Do you have any deep lakes or ponds close to you?

For me, laugh first, and if that doesn’t work — kick ass.

Although this wasn’t my first time being around that type of behavior, in times past I’ve found it effective to just “look through them” without responding at all – – they get embarassed quickly because they think what they’re doing isn’t working. That is, of course, you get propositioned by Devon in which case you DO deck them! Otherwise, ignore them and they (usually) go away.

Case in point: My daughter (11) is constantly annoyed by her brothers (7 and 4). Sometimes they annoy her to the point of tears. I’m constantly saying to her to ignore them and they’ll stop. Men (and boys) want attention. All of the time. And, they’ll do anything to get it. If you ignore them, it takes away their steam and they feel as if they’ve lost (this is their competitive nature). My daughter tried it and the annoying behavior stopped almost instantly. Of course that was just for that particular time, as they would do it again.

My point is if we ignore some of the behavior by men, they will stop. Some of their behavior needs physical action, verbal action at times and none at others. I like to look “through” people to make them feel embarassed and take away their power. Try it. Works every time.

Or laughing at them.

And, if they get physical, I take ’em down.

Usually the sarcastic retort works. There’s a difference between playful banter and light flirting and harrassment, and I don’t tolerate harrassment. I tolerated too much of it when I was younger. Can’t be bothered any more.

I was at a temp job once at a Big Corporation, where the men went out and drank a lot at lunch (female executives always excluded). Then, they’d come back and paw at us. I complained to my temp agency, who said there was nothing they could do. So the next time one particular skeevy guy started rubbing my back and breathing his alcohol-laced breath in my ear, I got up, turned around, and decked him. I took the papers on my desk, walked into the VP’s office, threw them in his face, and walked out.

I had a lawyer send them a strong letter, and send a letter to the temp agency, threatening to go after them for condoning the harrassment.

Several people were fired.