construction workers hitting on you
 

Now to start off, i apologize to any "normal" construction workers out there.
But WHY oh WHY do construction workers/repairmen/men with jobs of that type have to make catcalls and comments everytime a decent looking woman walks by? Do they really think they're going to get a response? Do they ever (besides the finger or some profanity) even get a response?
I can usually just see it coming... i was walking to the post office during lunch and saw some telephone repair workers taking their lunch break. I just knew some sort of comments were coming. And sure enough, they did. I ended up walking back to work a different way because I didn't want to deal with it.
They're almost impossible to avoid, my school and work are in a busy city neighborhood with constant construction. I'm not dressed to provoke it in some tube top and daisy dukes, i'm wearing a perfectly respectable dress today.
Is this a job requirement for men to hold those sorts of jobs? Having an arsenal of cat calls and sexual explicit remarks for innocent passerby?
I usually just ignore them, but geez, it gets annoying!
Just wanted to rant, i'm sure this happens to most women.

Well you are not going to stop it . . . so take it as a compliment! Imagine how you would feel if they whistled at all the women . . . except for you.

I have seen women, even young women, that have been ignored walking by, I kind of felt bad for them.

LOL, I saw the topic: "Contruction workers hitting on ya" and then I saw James' name to the right. I thought maybe he's been hanging out with the Village People.

Come to think of it, its not a bad idea for those who think it's ok, to stroll through some places where they can be the object of some unwanted public affection. While it will happen from time to time, it doesn't make it any less annoying when a group of guys revert to a pack mentality.

It can be a compliment to a certain extent. But, when you have a greasy, nasty looking guy started whistling and making all these obscene gestures pointing at you with all his buddies it just gives you this icky feeling all over. In that case, it's not flattering...it's degrading.

On occasion, it can be flattering (like when you're having a "fat" day and think you look like crap). But there's not really a justifiable reason for doing it. You don't see [many] businessmen in suits running around catcalling....
I agree totally what ZTAngel said about it being icky guys.

I think that would totally depend on where you are. I see quite a few "businessmen" catcalling and whatnot in downtown Milwaukee. Then again, not all businessmen would do that, nor would all construction workers.

What approach would you prefer them to use?

lol
 

Dani sweetie...

You'll be singing a different tune when it still happens to you at MY age!!!!

;)


(11 days till the big 3-5!)

We are not icky. According to ZTAngel, we are greasy and nasty but we make you feel icky.

Well KDDani, it seems that the issue of them being constuction workers etc. is more of an issue than the cat calls. I have been to the mall and plenty of college educated guys do the same thing. Personally, I like the attention. :D

If you object to it and don't want to go out of your way to avoid it you always have the option of making them feel like idiots in front of their coworkers. Something along the lines of a comment like: 'Has that approach ever actually worked for you? i mean since 5th grade.' or 'Does your wife know that you are trying to pick up women?' If he is married actually ask to see his drivers license and call his wife at home. Betcha he won't do it tomorrow. Bet he won't show you his license when you call him on it. They do it to embarrass you, if you don't respond as they like they will ignore you the next time they see you or call you unflattering names. Don't get mad or offended, play with it and offend them. They won't expect it and it will stop.

Yeah, that's all well and good if they're actually in front of you. What I can't stand is random catcalls along a busy street when I'm out walking the puppy. It just seems cowardly and immature to drive around honking at girls but staying far away from them.

Damn 35 year old KIDS!:p Wait till you really Grow up!!

Hey, if your a hot chick dont feel to bad! Just ignor the cranial rectosis morons and walk along you merry path knowing you are more intelligent than they are with the crack of their asses showing when they bend over!

Never understood why they wear heard hats when if something hit them in the head and said DA!:D

I get VERY offended when a slimy guy hits on me. What does that make me look like? A slimy girl.

Nah, it just means that YOU are cute and THEY are sleazy. THat's all.

I am an old, old hand at fake-ignoring- never walk anyplace without a walkman AND a book, lol. I will never forget the day I was ont he subway with my MOTHER and this dude started singing "sexual chocolaaaate" at me- she gave him the WORST look, and I had to pretend like I didn't notive any of it, lol. To this day I CTFU at the memory of her face...

When that happens,t he reaction they get depends on how they approach. If the man starts out with "excuse me miss" he'll get a smile and nod as I keep walking.

If it's "psssst" (I HATE that) or "yo shorty" then they get nada. All they want is a reaction! Don't give them one!

Try to take these guys up on their generous offers and see their reaction. They'll most likely back down and never bother you again. :p I saw that in Sex and the City. :)

and it's always...
 

Usually I get yelled at the most on the days I feel like I look the worst. Let's picture it, I work in a HUGE hospital with CONSTANT construction and I obviously wear scrubs. Now I don't know what it is about the scrubs, but they draw attention no matter what. Simply walking from my car to the unit I work in is difficult some days. While it's usually flattering, since ilike I said it's usually on my worst days, it is still insulting when done in a degrading manner *i don't know what wouldn't be degrading, but you know what i mean* or by someone that creeps you. AND it's really annoying when you have to go out of your way to avoid these men. I mean really, have some class...if catcalls and slimy remarks EVER got you anywhere, I'd like to meet the girl that took you up on the offer. And, yeah, most of them would back down if you tried to take them up on it...maybe I'll try that next time...my luck he'll be dead serious. Anyway, please men of GC, don't do it, not that any of you would...;)

Tara
I have a Phi Mu castle...

Re: and it's always...
 

This reminds me of something that happened to me yesterday. I work at an outdoor summer music festival, and every morning there are tons of maintainance guys cleaning up the park, replanting flowers, cutting the grass, etc.. Most of them are of hispanic descent. Well, yesterday morning I was putting out a sign for that night's concert. There I am, feeling fine in my cute new sundress when two of guys drive by in their golf cart and say "bella!" at me. Well, it was more like "belllllaaaaaa!" I have to admit, it made me feel good. I don't think things like that are degrading at all. Maybe I'm stereotyping, but I like that about mediterianian and hispanic cultures - it's not a crime to appreciate a woman's beauty, and it's (usually) done in a tasetful manner. Just my opinion, though.

CTFU -- it's very likely that would shut those low-budget buttclowns up real quick.

Even though this thread is about construction workers, it also reminds me of unwanted play from security guards. :rolleyes:

ctfu ??

CTFU= Cracking the f@$# up.

It happens to me on occasion. I used to flip them the bird, but I then realized I was giving them what they wanted - a reaction. So now I just ignore them.

LOL @ Cream's suggestion. Maybe I'll try that... :D

;)

Hey, I don't care what they yell at me as long as they follw the Look But Don't Touch Doctrine. I am always up for some ego-stroking, lol!

yeah
 

On a side note, I'd just like to say I'm getting pissed of that nurses and flight attendants, both female of course, always find the need to make cat noises to any male they see. Seriously, a guy can't be comfortable on a 4 hour flight or in an emergency room with all those improper acts occuring.

- Rudey
-- Anything you see on sex and the city is a fantasy.

I read that and instantly thought of, "All I heard was an 'excuse me miss', ya cant get a girl like me with a line like this."

So for the rest of the day I'll have "I gotta man - - Whats your man got to do with me?" stuck in my head.

hahah


On a more serious note...

Is it me or does this kind of harassment REAK of potential sexual harassment lawsuit? I would be pretty sure that the construction workers employers wouldnt be too pleased if they knew their employees were behaving in a manner that would open tthem up to potential lawsuits.

If I was a gal who was being harassed verbally the same tiem and place every day, and didnt want it, I would approach the employee, get his name, (verizon, sbc, utility workers all wear nametags) and call or write the company. At least he might not do it again when he gets something in his personal file.

Now I have that song stuck in my head! :rolleyes: Old version! ;)

Ah.....it is really not that serious. For the people that are truly offended by the catcalls, why? Better they give you an off-color "compliment" than an insult. Would you all rather they called you ugly/fat/etc.?

Honestly, ignore these guys and forget about it. Unless they are cute of course, lol. ;)

lifesaver, little can be done about comments made in a public place. Pesky First Amendment with all that free speech and all. If you don't agree with it, you are free to ignore it.

OTOH, PhiMuNursie is experiencing a problem that is occurring in the work place. That is an entirely different story. PhiMuNursie, if I understand you correctly, the people making the sexual comments toward you are working on the hospital in which you work. I would suggest that you bring this to the attention of the management IMMEDIATELY by written notice. They are required, under federal law, to do something about it and they must do so immediately. If they do not act then the company becomes liable. If they do act and the incidents continue you may give the company a second notice that the abuse is continuing. They are pretty much required to remove the problem people from the property, failure to do so could mean that you will be the new owner of a hospital.

"I got a man."
"....but your man ain't me."

I'm not tryin to hear that, see

HAHAHAHAHAH now this is funny.

Btw, I wave and if I'm in a really good mood, slap my rear end. Surprisingly it usually quiets them down -- I gave them what they want, attention -- and by the time they think up something else nasty to say, I'm outta there.

Besides. Not like they'll ever get a quality girl like us. :-D Which is of course why the guys on GC have no idea what we're talking about.... when you're getting plenty of feminine attention without any effort, you don't need to scream "Baaaaaay-beeeee, give me a little honnnnnnay!" from your workpost.

I'll admit that this strikes a nerve in me. I work doing road construction during the summer. Not one day goes by that I don't get honked at, asked to give out my number, lude and rude comments yelled at me, and stares. It really annoys me that I can't even go to work without being treated like that. I seriously wear jeans that are a size too big and a large t-shirt to work, it's not like I'm showing off skin or anything. And my last little rant is that I don't go to peoples places of work and treat them like this.

*End of rant*

Come on now. This post just sounds pretentious. Some of the guys are probably very happily married. They are just being men.....obnoxious men, but men nonetheless. Blame society.

Women, flame me if you must, but I think we need to stop being so sensitive. So what a man yelled something at you? Yell something at him! Who cares?

And acting like construction workers are just SO beneath you is sorta snobby if you ask me. I am pretty positive that I am not gonna marry some guy off the street who cat-calls me. At the same time, I am not gonna look down my nose at him either. Whatever, my life will go on as I continue down the sidewalk, lol.

Lighten up! :D

Re: yeah
 

Um, what ER are you going to? Because at the hospital I work at, it's all business. You're a patient-not a sex object-sorry. :rolleyes:
We may comment about a guy in private and amongst other nurses, but it would be completely unprofessional/inappropriate to say it to a patient's face-ever heard of a sexual harssment suit?? :rolleyes:

I agree, Jenn. Both nurses and flight attendants are in a service field where their job would be at risk if they were to make cat-calls.

Construction Workers
 

My campus has been under construction since I transferred 3 yrs ago. However, it wasn't until this past semester/year that I noticed a lot of Mexican/Latino men working. Most kept their comments to themselves, but there were a couple who would always say "Cht cht" as you walked by. My reponse to them was: "Buenos dias/tardes senyor." Meaning: "Good morning/afternoon sir." Keep in mind, I say it with confidence and respect. This changes their attitude towards me and gets me a: "Disculpe senyorita, buenos dias/tardes." Translation: Sorry miss, good morning/afternoon. As it turns out, I have 4 of them as my upstairs neighbors! They are completely respectful and if they see us taking out our trash or carrying lots of groceries, they are quick to help!

Quite the turn of events, don't you think?

Re: Re: yeah
 

First of all, you don't know me so stop telling me I'm not a sex object. And by the way, "ever hear of" joking around?:rolleyes:

-Rudey