Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To dob these men into their work?

322 replies

Stickywhitelovepiss · 16/05/2019 11:32

Not a pearl clutcher in general, but am in two minds on this one...

Yesterday on the (very crammed) train home there were a group of about a dozen blokes essentially effing and blinding and cunting at top volume all the way home, just generally being very vocally laddish and objectionable. Including having a great old joke at the "jumper" who had caused the problems the line that evening.

My little cousin was with me, but I still chickened out in contronting them and as per usual did the very British thing of seething impotently instead.

They were all in their company polo shirts.

Part of me really wants to contact their company and let them know about it. Part of me thinks I'm sounding like a grumpy old women before my time.

Looking to Mumsnetters to give my head a wobble either way on this!

OP posts:
VladmirsPoutine · 16/05/2019 12:03

Yanbu. People should behave like adults in public - save the debasement for your own home.

PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 16/05/2019 12:06

I make a point of remembering the reg number and contact details of van drivers who tailgate and drive like twats and I drop them an email of complaint later. Most of the time I get no response but I have received phone calls back apologising for the actions of their employees. Threats of never using their services if the need demanded it seemed to jolt a few conscious managers into action.

SinkGirl · 16/05/2019 12:06

If it were my company I’d want to know.

DontTreadOnMe · 16/05/2019 12:07

We were always reminded that when wearing our school uniforms we represented our school and should take care in what we said and did.
My husband drives a liveried vehicle and is always conscious that he represents his employer.
If they want to be crass and boorish on the train they should wear mufti. Guess what @Herbella, you’re not at school anymore, grow up.

Hecateh · 16/05/2019 12:07

I would - the law is a bit 'wooly' but people were intimidated and children were present so I think if not actually covered it is coming close
In England and Wales, swearing in public where it is seen to cause harassment, alarm or distress may constitute an offence under section 5(1) and (6) of the Public Order Act 1986. In Scotland, a similar common law offence of breach of the peace covers issues causing public alarm and distress.

I would send a general JFYI report to the company that, due to their staff behaviour, you would avoid using their company (if it is a company that you could possibly use) and that having reflected on the situation decided that letting the company know would hopefully get a better response than posting on social media.

NewGrandad · 16/05/2019 12:08

effing and blinding and cunting at top volume

I would definitely, as their boss, want to know if they were all in company uniform. TBH you're not identifying them as such. A general email from management reminding all employees that while wearing the uniform they are representing the company would be my response to such an email/phonecall from a member of the public.

bellinisurge · 16/05/2019 12:08

They were wearing company shirts, call the company. If they want to be twats, they should wear their civvies when they do it.

Julietee · 16/05/2019 12:09

I reported two young male gym trainers who were looking on Instagram and talking about tits on the gym floor. They got told off.

SinkGirl · 16/05/2019 12:09

Why would you grass someone up to their employer potentially losing them their jobs and impoverishing their families just cos you didn’t like their craic? Get a grip. I don’t get this attitude on here, ‘I don’t like what someone said, so I’ll tell -teacher- a random authority figure.’ Some of you haven’t grown up from school

If you ran a business, you’d be happy with a large group of your employees in your uniform acting antisocially in public? Really? Just a “craic”? Repeatedly yelling fuck and cunt in front of kids in your company’s uniform?

I’d want to know - at the very least I’d be telling them not to leave site in uniform!

greenlloon · 16/05/2019 12:09

im sure the company will want to know how their employees are representing the company.

Amibeingdaft81 · 16/05/2019 12:11

School children - absolutely

Adults - no.

DontTreadOnMe · 16/05/2019 12:12

If you ran a business, you’d be happy with a large group of your employees in your uniform acting antisocially in public? Really? Just a “craic”? Repeatedly yelling fuck and cunt in front of kids in your company’s uniform it would be none of my business what they get up to off the clock

Amibeingdaft81 · 16/05/2019 12:12

I reported two young male gym trainers who were looking on Instagram and talking about tits on the gym floor. They got told off.

They were at work. Being paid. Ok site. Totally different

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/05/2019 12:13

YANBU. It's antisocial behaviour. And it's not going to lose them their jobs (which I agree would be disproportionate).
You would approach the complaint in a friendly spirit of 'maybe you should have a word in their ear because it's not going to make anyone want to employ your company' rather than 'omg I demand you sack them immediately!'

IAmTheChosenOne · 16/05/2019 12:13

It was a constant, top-volume, ever other word, round of expletives

TBH swearing isnt illegal, and if it were a large chunk of posters here with potty mouth syndrome would be carted off.

I sincerely doubt they were using words that any child in the playground hasnt heard before.

I too dont understand this habitual desire to report, all the damned time, rather than deal with problems face on. It's pathetic.

CitadelsofScience · 16/05/2019 12:18

I'd report it, if you're wearing a company uniform then you're representing the company. All these people saying it's none of your business, if you were a small business owner would you really want your workforce displaying loutish behaviour, in public? No you wouldn't!

DontTreadOnMe · 16/05/2019 12:18

You would approach the complaint in a friendly spirit of 'maybe you should have a word in their ear because it's not going to make anyone want to employ your company' if you think the “spirit” makes a difference to the outcome you’re either naive or a little bit dense.

Foslady · 16/05/2019 12:18

Every job I have had I have been expected to behave appropriately if I was in any way identifiable to the company - even if I was just wearing a lanyard, part of the contract.

If I’d been alone I might have ignored but crossed them off my list of who I’d use, but having a child with me I’d be like you

CottonSock · 16/05/2019 12:20

I would, although if a small firm would worry the boss was potentially one of the idiots. In my workplace we would be seriously told off

Eliza9919 · 16/05/2019 12:21

@BarbaraofSevillle Thu 16-May-19 11:39:14
While they're in company uniform, they're representing their company, in this case, very badly. If the company is at all concerned about their public image, or something like the considerate construction scheme is relevant, then it will be very interested in the behaviour of their employees.

That's a bit of an assumption isn't it? Where did the OP mention that they were construction workers?

Or are all construction workers loud mouthed yobs?

Foreverexhausted · 16/05/2019 12:23

Seriously??

You seriously want to contact their employer because they were swearing and "generally being very vocally laddish and objectionable. Including having a great old joke at the "jumper"? You wouldn't be taken seriously.

Now if you had said they had uniform on that indicated they worked in a 'care' profession e.g. nurses, care home and were mocking the residents, laughing at treating the residents badly then I would say yes. If they had logo bearing clothes on indicating they were teachers/teaching assistants and were calling the children little cunts, swearing and mocking then I would say yes.

Otherwise I would say although it is bloody annoying there is little you can do and perhaps you should've moved to other seats and I say this as a regular commuter who has changed carriages rather than sit and listen to people argue over leg space or whether someone is too close to them etc....

Tinkobell · 16/05/2019 12:24

Actually I would email the firm if you felt the behaviour was truely obnoxious and anti social. Equally if an employee was wearing uniform and did something kind or impressive, I'd let the firm know too. A Hermes driver recently returned our 15 month old puppy to us after she bolted on a walk....that was on Monday, I need to let Hermes know!

StrongTea · 16/05/2019 12:25

There was a child with you? If so, I wouldn’t be happy. Especially about the circumstances they were commenting on.

AssangesCat · 16/05/2019 12:27

It is not a right to swear loudly in a public place, in particular if it's likely to be intimidating people who witness the behavior. What Hecateh said, potentially an offence under Section 5, Public Order.

Anyone who wonders why the OP didn't challenge a large group of loudmouthed men when she was responsible for a youngster hasn't been out the house much. They might respond well, they might react very badly and make the situation much worse. I wouldn't have tackled them and I'm no shrinking violet, it's just common sense.

MightyDonut · 16/05/2019 12:28

No, i wouldn't report them. Simply because if it led to dismissal then the employee could lose their home, and if they have a partner and children, it would lead to them losing their home too.
Why cause their innocent families to lose everything.
What you could have done is found the conductor and reported it to him to deal with it.