To be disappointed with how soft play handled this man

Hardly warrants him being frogmarched off the premises, no.

Ahhh, so you're saying a teenager won't yet be desensitised to low level sexual harassment, and trying to equate that desensitisation to 'maturity'?

You think that a woman's 'maturity' depends on her ability to smile and take it in stride as a man makes a very immature sexual joke about her?

How interesting.

Because I doubt he would've have made the comment to a 70-year-old woman, considering it was sexual in tone.

You're also very confused if you think that a man making that comment to a 16-year-old would be a paedophile.

I also chose that age as an example because despite the fact that legally speaking he could have sex and a relationship with that 16-year-old, it really clearly highlights just how inappropriate and invasive the comment is.

Because things are considered appropriate or inappropriate depending on the audience - we have film ratings, for example, for this very reason. Mild lewd humour is not something the vast majority of grown adults would reach for the smelling salts over, whereas a teenager or child would be, presumably, far less resilient and far more self conscious and wouldn't have the maturity to laugh it off in the same way.

I suspect you're not actually asking to understand others' views but anyway, there it is.

I didn’t say the joke wasn’t sexual. But even so, anyone with common sense can understand some situations are different to others. Why are you using a child as an example rather than a 70 year old
woman?

OP was there as a parent of a toddler, the man was there likely as a parent of a younger child also. It was a clumsy joke in an awkward moment that was poorly received, that doesn’t mean he’s basically a pedophile making sex comments at children. You aren’t making OPs POV any stronger

I'd have said: "You should see what you get for £15!"

But again, that's why I'm self-employed

So if she was 17? 18? 20? At what point is it okay? And why is it not okay if she's 16? After all, apparently it's not sexual...so what makes this joke fine to say to an older woman, but not fine to say to a 16-year-old (who incidentally, as I pointed out, is not precisely a child considering he can legally have sex with her, soooo....he can have sex with her, but not make a non-sexual joke with her? Hm...)

(To clarify, I also think it's gross that he could have sex with her. Ew.)

And what is that context, please? Why is it okay to (apparently non-sexually) tell OP that if he'd known he'd get an arse in his face (hers) he'd have paid £10 and gone there months ago, but not to tell an older teenage girl that? Considering it's not sexual, apparently.

Because she’s not a 16 year old girl, or a young teenage girl, or a child.

Context is everything but you seem unable to understand that.

Sorry, I would have laughed. It's quite funny. It was a comment that could have been delivered to a male or female and was general as in not referring to any of your personal features as everyone has an arse.

What was different in OP's case?

Sorry OP, I thought it was funny!

Completely different story if he'd said it to someone younger, though.

How is it different? It's apparently not a sexual joke, so why isn't it okay to say to a teenage girl? What about an 18-year-old woman? Would that be okay?

I didn’t dodge it at all, I literally said it would not be ok. But that isn’t what happened to OP which is why her replies are different. Not sure why you struggle to understand that.

I think if it's not a sexual joke, then why is it inappropriate for him to say to a teenage girl? Please explain why this specific joke is appropriate to say to an adult woman, but not a teenage girl.

What’s the cut off age please? Just so I know whether something is a harmless joke or sexually inappropriate. Is it 20? 25? How about 18? 17? That’s not that far from 16 after all.

Would a woman uave said the same 8n 5he same situation? Probably...then its not unacceptable and 8 think your being ott to not laugh it off.

Don't dodge it. If your 16-year-old daughter (or even 18-year-old), of an age where it would be entirely legal for this middle-aged man to have sex with her, took her younger siblings to soft play, he said this to her, and she reacted the way OP did, would you tell her to calm down, it was just a joke? Or would you then suddenly realise how inappropriate it is?

It’s a joke and making light of an awkward moment. Sometimes you can just laugh and get on with your day.

A couple years ago when my sister was 25 we were all on holiday and she went up on one of the water slides and the small child in front of her changed their mind about taking the slide and turned round to go back down the steps so my sister went instead and flew off it into the open waiting arms of a male OAP who was expecting it to be his granddaughter. There were many jokes made that alleviated embarrassment on both sides and that was it.

Do you think there are any differences between a 16 year old girl and a grown woman? Any at all?

Obviously, that’s a completely different scenario. Can’t you comprehend that?

That would be a kid in soft play, the situation would be totally different, it obviously wouldn’t be fine. That isn’t what happened here, the woman was a fully grown adult, and another adult made a joke.

Oh, I can understand that women have varying opinions. But I think that particular opinion (excusing men making sexual jokes) is dripping with misogyny.

It's nice to know you'd be fine with a man saying that to your 16-year-old daughter, though. As it's only a joke.

Your 16-year-old daughter. Would that be fine? After all, legally speaking, he could have sex with her if he wanted. And it's only a joke, right? Not even sexual, right?