No Means NO You Sick Old Pervert!

The BBQ Pit
1

Let me explain a bit about the cozy little world of general aviation. There are family/tribal aspects to an airport community - and small airports often are small communities. We celebrate holidays together, weddings, birthdays… occassionally we even bury each other.

There are various sub-communities, of course - pilots being one obvious group. Mechanics are another (and there is some overlap). Linepeople. And so forth. Part of the support staff is a sub-group known variously as “the front desk girls” (although they may be old women or sometimes they’re) or the unicom people. Basically, they’re the friendly voice on the ground-based radio that lets you know if your radio is working, which runway folks are using, arrange for the lineguys to fuel your plane or call a taxi for you or recommend a restaurant or hotel to the out-of-towners. They see that passengers get coffee and directions to the Little Pilots’ Room. When there’s an emergency they call 911 or the fire department. They take your money and keep paperwork in order and relay messages and basically help coordinate communications at airports too small to have control towers. As such, they are very much considered part of the airport community even if they’re terrified to fly themselves and don’t know which end of wrench to take hold of.

At my local airport, our “front desk people” actually are girls on the weekend - 19 and 20. Cute and perky and genuinely nice, happy, friendly people. Over and above the usual, the airport regulars have “adopted” them into the family. Heck, sometimes I stop on my way home from work just to chat for 20 or 30 minutes as a friend and not just a customer.

Well, there always has to be a bad apple in the bunch. And there is one at my local airport. I won’t use his real name. I’ll call him… Asshole Gramps.

This guy has, apparently, been trying to hit on/seduce the cute, perky 19/20 year old desk girls. Been telling one of them (at least) “ditch XXX (her 20 year old boyfriend), you can do a lot more with me 'cause I have money and I’m more than he’ll ever be.” (Oh, yeah, great line. Yeah, that’ll make a girl’s panties damp :rolleyes: ). Did I mention that this old fart is older than either of these girls’ fathers? He’s almost old enough to be their grandfather.

Being young, the girls put up with it longer than they should have. But he was apparently getting pushier and THEN he started calling them at their homes and trying to get a date! (My God what is this man thinking? One of the girl’s father is the mechanic who works on his airplane! I don’t think the mechanic would do anything wrong - no, he’d more likely drop this bloated goatfart as a customer - but a less scrupulous man…)

The girls went to the airport manager and said something. Which is exactly what they should do. And the airport manager took them at their word, which is not surprising since both of those girls are very honest and Asshole Gramps has, apparently, a history of being an asshole to young women. And his wife. (Did I mention Asshole Gramps is married? Not that it seems to matter much to him.)

Mr. Airport Manager went and had a word with Asshole Gramps.

That’s when Asshole Gramps started calling the front desk girls lying sluts, accused them of instigating the “seduction” (I believe one of them burst out with “Ewwwwwwwwww! Sex with HIM? I’m gonna puuuuuuuuuuuke! He’s old enough to be my FATHER! I’m gonna be siiiiiiiiiiiiick…” at that point.)

Well, according to Asshole Gramps, he “put [Airport Manager] in his place!” Bullshit. “And those sluts are liars” Bullshit.

Over the past week, two men have had to be physically restrained from dragging Asshole Gramps out behind a hanagar and administering some “street justice”. That’s besides Miss Giggles’ father, who I am sure is aware of this but apparently Asshole Gramps is just barely smart enough to stay out of his sight. The girls have been instructed to call for help via the radio if necessary, or by phone, if Mr. Asshole Gramps gets too creepy. The deputies from the Sheriff’s aviation department just happen to be hanging around the front desk drinking their coffee instead of hanging out in their office.

Asshole Gramps has threatened to sue the girls for “defamation of character”. Two lawyer-pilots have offered to defend the girls for free in the event that happens. Over a dozen other folks have volunteered to act as character witnesses on their behalf. So far, no one have volunteered a kind word for Asshole Gramps, although several have recited a long list of other women who have been offended/harassed by this jackass.

What the fuck is wrong with this guy?

What drives this piece of worm shit to pursue girls younger than his own offspring? What the fuck is wrong with his mental machinery that he doesn’t understand the nausea he is inducing? When the cute young thing stands up and screams “NO! I HATE YOU GO AWAY YOU CREEP YOU MAKE ME SICK LEAVE ME ALONE!” he thinks “oh, she’s just playing hard-to-get”. No, you sick fuck, she’d about to VOMIT on you. This guy does not understand that the situation is getting to the point that he is in real risk of physical assault. The airport crowd likes these girls. There’s at least a dozen men who would happily come to their defense be it verbal or physical (the fact this guy is an all-around asshole and a beating would allow a lot of folks to settle old scores is also a contributing factor).

I mean, is his ego so warped that

  • he actually thinks an 18 year old would be interested in him?

  • he actually thinks he could seduce an 18 year old?

  • he thinks this is OK?

  • he thinks his wife doesn’t know? (She does. She’s known for years of his attempts to seduce teenagers.)

  • he thinks everyone else thinks this is OK?

I mean, he’s not physically repulsive - showers regularly, has all his teeth (or good facsimilies), most of his hair - but his personality has all the charm of maggot-filled dogshit crossed with the aroma of roadkill skunk on a summer day. And that’s beyond just his general horniness. He’s an all-around jackass, thoughtless, insensitive, offensive product of incestuous tapeworms.

He is so fucking clueless it would be funny if things weren’t getting so serious. He doesn’t seem to understand the word “no”, or that his actions are way out of line. If anything, he’s only increasing his asshat-quotient. If he lays a hand on either of those girls all hell is going to break loose.

I don’t really want to see mob violence in action. Not because I care about Mr. Asshole Gramps - hell, on a certain level he deserves a good beating - but because I am opposed to physical violence on general principles (except in self-defense) and I’d hate to see the good, upstanding, quality men who might be involved acquire legal complications or other problems from having a “talk” with this jackass behind one of the hangars. Also, the front desk gals are sweethearts who might feel bad if Gramps got kickass beating, even if it was on their behalf. I don’t want them made any more uncomfortable than they already have been.

Absolutely, if they needed help I’d come to their defense. Absolutely. And so would 99% of the rest of the airport family.

But this guy’s ego is out of control.

What a fucking mess.

2

I said something about paint thinner and eyes, at some point. I can’t remember exactly what it was.

But let’s just apply it to this guy.

3

He’s not going to learn, unless someone teaches him a lesson he can’t forget. Either legal, or the other ways such things are dealt with. Just gather evidence and be patient, is all I can offer. He won’t change, unless he’s forced. You’ve got a great group there, it sounds like.

4

Is it axiomatic in all cases that a girl could never be romantically or sexually interested in someone old enough to be her grandfather?

I don’t think it is.

I certainly accept the OP’s contention that in this case, these girls are manifestly unintersted in “Gramps,” but I don’t agree that the disinterest may be absolutely known merely because he’s old enough to be their grandfather. Ask J. Howard Marshall II.

  • Rick
5

Oh, it doesn’t have much to do with his age–though I do think that a relatively small percentage of 20-year-olds want to date someone that is (I am guessing?) 50 years old or thereabouts.

But, amongst the small percentage that do want to date 50+ guys, I assume the guys would not be raging assholes. Which this guy certainly is.

6

Well, now I made it sound like these girls want to date 50+ separate guys at the same time. But you know what I meant–50-something guys. Some 50-something guys (and 40-something guys, and 30-something guys, etc. etc.) are hotties, some aren’t. And certainly the ones that are obnoxious assholes are NOT hotties.

7

Some people are not capable of learning that which they do not wish to know.

Under such circumstances, the best one can do is make a few things perfectly clear, so to speak.

“Screw around with me, and I will hurt you. I don’t care why you’re doing it, and I’m not interested in hearing you out. Leave me alone, or pay the damn price.”

It’s a sad and shameful thing, but some people are truly LIKE that…

8

Is there an anti-stalking law in your state? Sounds like restraining order time to me.

Oh, and the girls should be sure to have some handy pepper spray or Mace. Why make the men take care of it for them? Let them deal with Gramps themselves!

9

Why is the creep still employed at the airport?

10

  1. I’m sorry to hear about the harrassment.

  2. I’m pleased to hear about the friendship and support.

  3. I’m depressed to hear about the proposed vigilante justice.

  4. I hope that legal proceedings will take place to establish what crime, if any, has been committed.

11

Yeah, time for the young ladies to file a restraining order for their own, and the asshole’s sake. It’ll give members of the community a chance to speak up on their behalves and get their anger out of their system, and it’ll give the aviation sherriffs more than enough reason to haul his butt outta there if he shows up again.

12

Yes, folks, I am aware that May-December marriages occur. In fact, the owner of our happy little airport married a woman 48 years younger than him (yes, I did say forty-eight) A major difference between THAT pairing and the current nasty situation in the OP is that the man and woman in question LIKE each other. If either of those girls had the hots for Mr. Married I probably wouldn’t interfere - they’re young, but they are adults. In fact, one of their predecessors was having an affair with a married flight instructor. None of my damn business, since all parties were adult and consenting (well, the wife wasn’t consenting, which is why she was divorcing his ass shortly before he had a close encounter with a Kentucky mountain but I digress…)

The BIG point here is that the girls in question don’t want this guy’s attention. And he’s not taking no for an answer.

Yes, we have an anti-stalking law in our state. But why would this guy respect a piece of paper?

Mace? Pepper spray? I’m just hoping none of the gun enthusiasts loan the girls pistols. At least not without teaching them proper safety and use.

The girls are not particularly big or strong (Asshole Gramps has not hit on me because he knows I’d knock his block off. I’m loud, mouthy, and I can haul 2100 lbs of machinery out of a hangar with just my own muscle power. He doesn’t hit on any of the female pilots because we’re self-confident and used to dealing with problems far more dangerous than him on our own). He’s obviously targeting young, naive girls hoping to flatter them so much that he can manipulate them to his own ends. He looms over them, using his physical size to intimidate (he’s tried that on me a time or two, but I’ve spent my whole life being short so “big” doesn’t impress me much, I’m too used to it). He’s told them no one would believe them if they said anything - well, he’s a lying sack of shit, this isn’t news.

He’s also tried to bully Miss Giggles’ boyfriend (he’s a line guy - I did mention we were sort of a big family/tribe, right?) And her brother (he’s another line guy). The other gal hasn’t been there as long, but she’s “family”, too.

Well, like I said, the sheriff has an office on the airport. I live ten minutes away and both my husband and I are more than willing to go down there if the girls feel unsafe (they work weeknights, too). Let’s be real, here - there’s a good two dozen men who have volunteered to sit in the front office with the girls if that’s what it takes to make them feel safe. Half of them come down to the airport just to hang out with each other, they’d be just as happy hanging out in the front desk area as anywhere else. The gals will be supported and protected as best as humanly possible.

It just pisses me off that this shit happens. Young women should be able to work a job like that without being treated like this. It’s wrong. It’s that simple.

13

He’s not an employee, he’s a customer. He rents a hangar in which to keep his airplane, buys gas, and so forth.

14

My thoughts exactly.

15

I’m 46. When I was growing up, it was more or less acceptable for guys to vigorously pursue women. In fact, it was a common thread in stories…that a man kept after a woman until she DID go out with him, and then she’d fall in love with his masculine strength of character. It was considered at least somewhat admirable and romantic for a man to pursue a woman this way.

Most everybody has grown past this stage now. Not everybody, and especially not Asshole Gramps. He apparently does think that this behavior is perfectly normal and acceptable. His wife puts up with it, why shouldn’t everyone else?

CAN the airport manager ban him from the airport? Frankly, I’d love to see him shunned by the whole airport community, if that’s allowable. He doesn’t get his airplane serviced, nobody will talk to him except to tell him to go away, he isn’t allowed to take off or land at that airport, he isn’t allowed to keep his plane there…you get the picture. I don’t know if any or all of this is legal, but it’s more appropriate than my first thought, which is DEFINITELY illegal, against board rules, and something that I’d have to chastise other people for suggesting.

16

Gadfly, don’t advocate grievious bodily harm unto others.

Lynn
For the Straight Dope

17

1> Video cameras are your friend. Tape some of his behavior. Perhaps a hidden camera behind the desk girls connected to a button they can push to turn it on when he’s there and doesn’t think anyone else is watching. Perhaps taping some of the intimidation attempts will help too.

2> I think he’s spent too much time visiting teen porn sites.

18

I was reading another thread in MPSIMS, and came across this link: http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html Basically, it says that the stupid and incompetent often are too stupid and incompetent to realize just what losers they are. Asshole Gramps apparently is just another stupid incompetent jerk.

19

Since he seems to think that everyone else would believe him over the word of these two girls is there any way to set him straight on that? Perhaps on of the lawyer/pilots could tell him that he, the l/p, would defend the girls for free. Can the Air Sheriff tell Asshole Gramps that he would believe the girls word over his, Asshole Gramp’s. Can someone send him a note explaining that the tribe/community would support the girl’s word over his – and have it signed by most of the people at the airport? Can the owner of the airport tell AG that yes, he has a much younger wife and yes, he understands the appeal of younger women, but this particular younger woman has said NO repeatedly and if he AG doesn’t stop harassing her he, Airport Ouner, will have no recourse but to recommend that the girl take legal action against AG. If he won’t listen to this kind of ‘correction’ legal action on the part of the girls – sexual harassment by customer who has been warned by the AO – looks like the best way to keep AG from being ‘corrected’ behind a hanger.

20

{quote]Mace? Pepper spray? I’m just hoping none of the gun enthusiasts loan the girls pistols. At least not without teaching them proper safety and use.
[/quote]
Actually, the more I think about it, the more appropriate Mace or pepper spray seems. Just have the young women make SURE that it doesn’t backfire on them. If the wind is blowing the wrong way, for instance, it’s nasty.

Ideally, both of them would take martial arts classes, to give them the self-confidence and the physical skills necessary to enforce a verbal “NO!”.

I had really hoped that this sort of mindset had withered away. I guess that was too much to wish for.