To refuse to commute with my colleague after hire car policy changed

They’d be stupid not to. What he is doing with the comments about women, slowing down to leer at women etc is classed as sexual harassment (it doesn’t need to be directed at the person complaining; his doing it around her counts as sexual harassment).

Once she reports sexual harassment, they would be absolutely idiots to then continue to force her to get into a vehicle alone with him. They must protect their staff from sexual harassment, they’re already guilty of not doing that but once they know about it, it is 100% their responsibility, if they put her back in that car with him then they are putting themselves at risk. If he says or does one more thing, after she has already complained, she can sue and win.

Under the circumstances it would certainly not be unreasonable to make an exception to the policy. What do you think the journey in one car would be like if she has to share with him after raising the issue? Uncomfortable for OP, and not something she should need to endure, whether they educate him on expected behaviours or not.

That doesn’t mean they will now pay for 2 cars instead of 1. The duty of care could be having a discussion with the guy about what’s expected on these business drives, they don’t have to change their policy and get 2 cars

Was about to write this. He wouldn’t do it in-front of the senior management meeting that you were travelling to.

Don't say anything yet, write down everything you can remember so far with dates. Next drive, record covertly. Submit it all to HR.

LOL. You reckon he'd have let rip like that in front of a senior manager? Some women are so naive.

Oh come on of course the majority of people can hold their bodily functions in and if he couldn't, the least he could do is apologise. Sounds like he just simply didn't care about his loud performative fart and wanted to make the op feel awkward.

Yes, I'm sure you're right. 👍🏻

Explain in full to work manager.
Have them brain storm an answer to your problem.
You should not have to put up with that rudeness.

You work with Jackson Lamb!!

I am always perplexed by comments like this or the comment that it is not possible for people to control their farts.

We all live in the world so know that we and others can control our farts to a very, large degree (continence problems withstanding). Very, very rare accidents aside, I've never farted in company and no one has ever farted in my company. I've been on the planet for 56 years. This is how things are when people are respectful in company.

If you are in company and you need to fart, you go to the toilet (or a place where no one is). You go to the toilet if you need to fart, pee, poop, or do other things that you shouldn't do in company.

If you are in the car with a work colleague, for instance, you either hold it in until you arrive at your destination, or if that will take too long, you say you need a toilet break, interrupt the journey and use the loo.

But why am I even writing this, we all know this.

So ridiculous defending loud farting, as many has said, it doesn't usually happen in meetings does it? And we all know what kind of fart it was, not one that was inevitable but a performance one, which is incredibly unprofessional and totally immature and juvenile. Have a word with line manager/HR and see if you can use your own car as it's more convenient.

Yes, this is what a normal person would do when travelling with a colleague. He's at work, he should behave professionally.

He is at work while driving, and his behaviour is not acceptable in the workplace. Refuse and explain why, and give them a link to this Acas page which explains it's sex-based harassment not directed at a specific person.

www.acas.org.uk/sex-discrimination/types-of-sex-discrimination#:~:text=Example%20of%20harassment%20not%20directed%20at%20a%20specific%20person

Unless someone's got continence issues of course they can hold a fart in.
Surely you don't sit farting during work meetings or at parents evening

Take headphones and an audio book (or just a book), totally ignore what he does or says and enjoy your peaceful ride to and from the meeting. Or take a laptop and paperwork and sit in the back to work, let him be chauffeur, either get ahead on your working week if you can, or catch up on your social life, or post a running commentary on MN.

Of course there’s no difference in the ability to hold back sneezes, farts or hiccups - they all happen when your body needs them to happen and the vast majority of people in real life can’t stop them.

if OP finds this man’s behaviour so unpleasant, surely the obvious thing would be to challenge him rather than to report it?

Yes, absolutely this. Straight to HR.

His comments about your driving are sexist so need reporting as does his harassment. You don’t have to put up with this - ask for your own car or is public transport an option?

(Most) builders wouldn't do that if there was a woman in the vehicle.

People can generally control farting unless they have a medical condition.. there are plenty of situations where its not appropriate.
Hiccups and sneezes can't be held in until a better moment like a fart can. Pulling over for a toilet break or leg stretch would have been the logical thing to do.

There's no issue working with men who don't repeatedly make sexist comments and slow down to creepily perv on women pedestrians. That's not normal behaviour at all.

If that’s your logic, surely this is why men shouldn’t work at all?

If men are intrinsically unable to work in a way that is respectful to colleagues, probably best we leave the important work to women who can control their sexual desires when required.

Would all the people who are so outraged about someone farting be similarly horrified by someone sneezing or hiccuping? They’re all normal bodily functions, and most people I know can’t stop any of them, although I think it’s usually possible to control the volume, but not always.

Yes of course he should have !
Showing who you really are too with that comment .