No Means No.

Some people are naturally obnoxious, and often unaware of that fact. I've had the displeasure of meeting someone who attains those qualities recently; and he doesn't seem to listen to anything that I say.

I've started a new job, and on my first day of meeting a new colleague, he'd found out we live in the same area and wanted a lift by telling me I'd be giving him one every day. While I assumed at first he was joking, he kept persisting with his suggestion emphasising that "my student fare has run out so it's pretty expensive for me now."

While I'd laughed it off and he spent the rest of the day bossing me about (he's not the manager), and telling me what to do (I had a previous similar job for three years that I know like the back of my hand), I asked him how long he'd worked there for.

"A month."

Hardly qualifies him to be the CEO of all things in the workplace, but he seems to project that through his ego, though he admitted he's never processed half the orders he was talking about and I had to teach him quite a few things yesterday. He's the kind of salesman that is so desperate for the sale you'd think it was his next breath; it's the kind of persistence that makes me uncomfortable and cringe, even from just watching as the customer backs off, and he is persistent with his questions too.

I decided to ask why he chose to work so far away if he doesn't have a licence to drive to work, and that prior to me working there, he must have been getting to work fine.

While carpooling and giving lifts has never been an issue for me before, recent events have left me wary of new people and trusting people in potentially dangerous situations. Irrespective of that, his sudden "pop quizzes", tech-not-so-savvy bullshit and minor bullying on the other girl have given me enough plenty of reason to decline spending any more time with him per day than physically required.

He asked me again.

"No means no."

I also provided him with an adequate reason that provided enough evidence for hesitating.

The following day, he asked if I'd be ready in two weeks when we have a late night stocktake. How am I meant to predict my level of comfort in a fortnight when I'd provided sufficient reasons as to why not.

Surely saying no is sufficient enough.

Perhaps people need to consider that they can't take advantage of a convenient situation with no regard to how the other person may feel. Perhaps they shouldn't have the audacity to even ask a stranger (especially persistently after being rejected) for anything that could be potentially dangerous.

Perhaps their egotistical, opportunistic, devoid of conscience, arrogant and pathetic selves should penetrate into their deluded minds that simply:

"No means NO!"