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Do I say something ( this could be a long post)

(71 Posts)
maryeliza54 Thu 31-May-18 09:11:38

I would like to know if a visitor to my house spoke to a friend and neighbour of mine. Also he’s not just some random male is he?

Eglantine21 Thu 31-May-18 08:46:12

Can I ask Petra and other’s who have advised telling your friend, what the purpose is in telling your friend?
If it is to warn her in some way because you feel she is under threat that might be a good idea.
If you’re expecting her to talk to him about it I don’t think that’s fair. The comment upset you. Getting her to fire the bullets for you isn’t right.
If you hope she’ll cut the friendship well that isn’t right either. I wouldn’t cut a friend just because someone else “reported” them to me.
If it’s just to relieve your feelings and express your indignation you have Gransnet!

Honestly, it was between you and him. If you need to say something it should be to him. It’s not your friends responsibility. Beware of making her chose between you and him. You might not come out the winner.......

sodapop Thu 31-May-18 08:20:52

It was an ill considered comment nothing more in my opinion. Don't make an issue out of something and nothing petra it's not worth upsetting your friend.

stella1949 Thu 31-May-18 08:17:03

Sounds like a weak attempt at a joke. I must admit that sometimes my own DH makes really tacky "jokes" in company, things that he'd never say at home . It's as if he is trying to be " one of the boys" but it comes across as very unpleasant.

I'd ignore this man's attempt at humour. Don't over-think it, it's nothing to do with your friend or your friend's husband. He's just a man who said something tacky.

DanniRae Thu 31-May-18 08:15:04

I think that I would say to my friend "Well I don't think much of your visitor" and tell her what he said. It was a nasty, vulgar thing to say and would have troubled me too. What did your husband think about it?

maryeliza54 Thu 31-May-18 08:09:14

I’m with grannya on this. Why should you enable and facilitate this man in his sleazey talk - a minister- really? I wonder who he might be ‘fiddling’ ( yukky word ) with and what other women or girls he is making feel uncomfortable with his totally unacceptable comments? If it were me I would say what happened next time I saw my friend and say it made you feel uncomfortable and you don’t know what to do. No wonder some men carry on behaving badly if we as women allow it and thereby encourage it

ninathenana Thu 31-May-18 07:38:07

I agree with most, that it doesn't warrant a second thought and was a feeble attempt at humour.
However, if you feel compelled to mention it to your friend, make light of it. I wouldn't quote him directly maybe just say
"X told me that, at least the car keeps DH out of mishief" said with a smile.

Besstwishes Thu 31-May-18 07:29:01

I don’t think that this has anything to do with your friend, she is friendly with someone who has an illjudged sense of humour. Sometimes people say the oddest things and at the oddest times, thinking it’s funny, but maybe he’s known for it?
I’m sure it wasn’t meant maliciously.

NfkDumpling Thu 31-May-18 06:45:23

I wouldn’t say anything now, but would store it away inside as an indication of what this minister may be like. He doesn’t sound like someone I would trust with my deepest secrets.

BlueBelle Thu 31-May-18 06:24:11

Oh my word it’s nothing why even give it a second thought it was a daft joke that wasn’t remotely funny Why on earth would you want to repeat it
It’s not exactly bleep bleep bleep is it just a ridiculous old man trying to sound hip and young
Eglantine is exactly right he was just trying to sound one of the boys
Throw it out with the bath water what good would it do to ‘tell on’ him to your friend unless you are both going to have a good laugh about what a twit he is

grannyactivist Thu 31-May-18 00:07:48

I'm going against the flow here, but as you and your friend are so close I would mention it, in just the same way as you have on here. I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't to be honest and not doing so may be to make more of the incident than is warranted.

Jalima1108 Wed 30-May-18 23:51:34

It's probably best not to bring this up with your friend - although if she is friends with this minister and his wife then perhaps she knows what he is like.

It's difficult to react when you're caught on the hop like that and I always think of what I could have said later. You could have said 'No, you shouldn't say anything like that!'.

Perhaps he is the one having a mid-life crisis.

Eglantine21 Wed 30-May-18 23:47:58

I think vicars,ministers,whatever sometimes feel they have to show that they are not uptight and prudish. The trouble is they are by the nature of their calling somewhat removed from everyday life and how people talk to each other because nobody behaves naturally with them. So they get it wrong when they try. He was trying with the car and his comment to be one of the boys.

Just try to let it go. It was meaningless.

MawBroon Wed 30-May-18 23:06:19

I would definitely try to let this go as a very feeble attempt at a joke.
A more acceptable version I have heard about an older man with a soft top car or a motor bike is that it is a safer form of “midlife crisis” than a trophy blonde.
Not very funny either but less offensive.
Unless your paths cross again I would say forget it. He may not have meant it to come out that way either.
Your friendship is much more important than this silly man.

petra Wed 30-May-18 22:51:20

jane
Thank you for your understanding. No, he is not a minister at her church. I will keep my council for the time being.
It has just come to mind that she has a problem with a minister at her church who has become attached to a young woman member at her church. She has confronted him and it didn't go well.
Having remembered this problem, I can't bring this up.

Welshwife Wed 30-May-18 22:46:36

At the best it was a very ill judged remark but I agree with the others and suggest you say nothing to your friend. It could well be that many other people find his remarks unsuitable to people he does not know - maybe she is embarrassed by him and worried about what he could have said to you and your DH.

janeainsworth Wed 30-May-18 22:34:26

What a nasty suggestive comment Petra.
It’s a form of sexual harassment to try to make you feel uncomfortable in that way, and to imply your OH might be ‘fiddling’ with other women. Yuk.
Personally I wouldn’t say anything to your friend. She’s not responsible for his actions and what would you gain by it?
You risk disillusioning her about her church (it’s not clear from your post whether he’s the minister at her church) and you know what people say about shooting the messenger.
If you really feel you need to talk about him to her you could make a very general sort of enquiry along the lines of how long had he been a minister and was he well thought of etc and see where the conversation leads.

Grannyknot Wed 30-May-18 22:32:53

Ignore his crass attempt at a joke. Sometimes people say stupid things.

Belgravian Wed 30-May-18 22:24:46

It sounds like clumsy banter?

I'm not sure why it would give you any cause for concern or worth repeating to your friend?

Is it because he's a Minister you found it inappropriate? I quite like that he has a sense of humour?

Or did he say it dead pan and was serious?

Bridgeit Wed 30-May-18 22:21:57

Is it your husband ,or your friends husband that you are referring too ?
Was the minister trying to crack a joke ?

petra Wed 30-May-18 22:13:54

I don't think I've ever asked what other posters think if I have a difficult situation. That's because I've always been able to sort things out with the help of dearest friend. There is nothing we don't discuss. We are the first port of call if anything goes wrong, even before our nearest and dearest, that's how close we are.
But this involves her.
She is my next door but one neighbor. As we were going out this evening we could see that they had friends who were just leaving.
Now my OH has a very rare car that is well known in our area. When my friends friend saw the car he came over and it was all "is it yours, blah blah blah"
I should explain here that my friend is a deeply religious person. The church is her life and although I'm not a church goer she has prayed for/with me when I've been at my lowest.
After my OH and this man had their boys and their toys talk, he turned to me and said: " As a minister i shouldn't rearly say this, but, while he's fiddling with his car, he's not fiddling with women"
I'm not easily shocked but this has got to me.
Do I say something to my friend? My OH says no, but I tell her everything, all my problems.