Hate out of nowhere
I hate to say it but as a Red Seal journeyman horticulturist and landscape manager, I stick out on some crews. Now, usually Red Seal Vas is a running joke. Deep down I’m a humble dude with lots to learn. But a recent incident highlighted for me how difficult dealing with people can be. The technical landscaping work is a breeze compared to dealing with crazies or haters.
Homo-erotica
There I was minding my own business, literally seconds from going home after a good nine-hour shift. I was tired and ready to head home. That’s when a crew member assaulted me with a totally inappropriate question, asking me, I quote, if I use my dick the way I blow? Bam, out of nowhere we get homo-erotic questions for a manager with authority to send him home anytime; and we discover that the worker has no idea how to backpack blow.
Since the dude wasn’t listening to what I said, I did the natural thing and reported him to company HR. Exposing a landscape manager and technically his superior to homo-erotic comments is inappropriate and unprofessional. Companies must deal with this garbage immediately or it could escalate into Labour Board investigations.
Hater anatomy
Haters will never accept that you might be better than them. It’s their own insecurity that breeds their hate. The dude had to pick up debris piles behind us all day and it probably bothered him.
From my side the view is clear. I can’t accept inappropriate homo-erotic and backpack blowing comments from any dude. And this dude has spent most of his adult life wearing feminine aprons and hair nets in dusty, hot kitchens where filthy language is the norm. He either failed as a line cook or the pandemic chased him out into the landscape. Whatever the case, he needs to keep his mouth shut and work. Homo-erotica directed at a Red Seal journeyman manager will not be tolerated. Ever. Period.
Landscapers get dirty; they don’t talk dirty.
Conclusion
When verbal assault happened, it surprised me but I took it up with HR the very next day. I don’t take crap from dudes who spent most of their working years wearing aprons and hair nets in dusty, not kitchens. The kinds of places where foul language is the norm and sexual harassment is tolerated. It’s important to stick to work and keep conversations with superiors clean.
Grant Cardone says that getting haters is a good sign. Maybe we’ll have to send mine back to the kitchen.
