Last week, a new HVAC guy came into the building to service our system.  As an IT person who has a server room to keep cold, you befriend the HVAC guys and try to determine how crazy competent they are. Our last couple have been dimwits.  They would change a filter in the HVAC system – and our server room would get hot.

The area of the building where my cubicle is located is cold.  They designed the building to be “green” which means lots of natural light, auto-dimming lights for when the sun actually shines outside, etc.  Because of all of the natural light, they put the HVAC output vents along all of the windows.  I sit next to the corner which means I have about 4 more vents of cold air pumping down on me than a normal person the building.  It is why I usually have polar fleece on when it’s 90 degrees outside.

The new HVAC guy came into my cube and asked if I was cold enough.  I responded with my smart ass remark of “I can store frozen things in my cube with the risk of melting – what do you think?”

He laughed and explained why it was happening.  He also explained how he was going to fix it.

I’ve heard this before – so I nod my head and left for my meeting.

I came back and was met by the guy in my cube.  He had moved the sensor and wanted to talk to me about temperature regulation or whatever.  He starts talking, and his eyes start moving down…. not to my tits as I was expecting, but to my feet.  Because I’m not shy with inappropriate male behavior in the work place (especially creep guys), I ask him why my feet are interesting.

He gets all flustered and makes up some excuse about women and shoes and temperature regulation.  I don’t say anything.  Finally, he looks at me and says “I don’t have a foot fetish – I swear.”

Yeah, right.

The next day the Facilities Manager drops by and asks me what I thought of the guy.  “Oh, you mean Mr Foot Fetish”.  I thought Grizzly Adams (our Facilities Manager does look like him, thus the name) was going to explode right there.   I guess the HVAC guy pulled that shit with me and about 10 other women in the building the day before.  I was the only one who didn’t complain but called him on it directly.  Grizzly Adams was going to go have words with the man.

So, I’m thinking last week, that the foot fetish thing was done.

Wrong.

Being in IT, you learn too much about people especially when you get devices back from departed employees.  A upper level manage was walked out the door yesterday, and we got his corporate Blackberry back in the department today.

What was his background on his Blackberry?  His kids?  His wife?  Pets? His favorite sports team?

Nope.

A picture of two pair of women’s feet – toe nails painted bright red.  My boss showed it to me shaking her head and wondering what he was thinking.  Then following quickly with, “On second thought, I don’t want to know.”

About 5 minutes later, Mr Chatty (who was given the device) came by to show me the same thing and to express his disgust.  I pointed out to him it could have been worse.

I’ve seen people hand back something with worse.  At least the guy was gone – the worst, as I pointed out to both of them, is having to deal with the person afterwards.  Can you tell I’ve been there?