h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

... MEN!

One of my friends took me out on Saturday night to dinner with a couple of her friends to cheer me up. As we'd travelled to Kent, one of her mates (male) said we could stay the night at his place so that my friend could have a drink, so we agreed and everything was lovely.

After the meal we went back to his place, stayed up and chatted for a while, then decided to go to bed, and of course her friend then decided he'd like a bit of action and pestered me for about two hours before he finally gave up and decided to kick us out of his house. So we had to drive home from Kent at 2am, bearing in my friend wasn't *drunk* drunk, but must have been over the limit at least a bit.

Then last night I sent the news about Buster to a couple of friends, one male, and also let them know that I'd split up with Bill (I hadn't told more than a few people because online sympathy I can deal with, but it's taken me a while to tell some of the people around me). This male friend, after a few texts only offered his no-string fun shoulder to cry on (between me and him of course). I knew exactly what he meant - there's no mistake! We've been friends for over 20 years, and he's been living with his girlfriend for about ten years.

What is going on?

I'm not surprised. Men look at everything as an opening for sex. They think we're as obsessed as them (apologies to lovely men who don't, but you'd be amazed who's tried it on with me)

A friend of mine complained to her father-in-law about her husband's lack of interest in sex, and he told her, in no uncertain terms - that if she just wanted "seeing to" they could come to some arrangement. Shocking.

As I said, I'm not surprised.

Traveller in Time confused
"I hope you are overreacting.

Nasty trick, inviting you to stay over and ending with kicking you out "

I want to meet a guy who knows there is middle ground. It's either men with no interest (and please don't complain about this post - I said "MEN" not "ONE MAN") at all, or those who don't know how to keep it in their trousers.

To be fair, I do have a healthy interest in the physical act of lurve, but there's a time and a place, and that doesn't include paying for a night out and B&B, or helping an old friend cheat on his family.

GB - I suppose we can't help being gorgeous babes, we should just learn to live with it. I wouldn't have mentioned either if they hadn't happened one after the other!

Hi, I'm really sorry to hear of your experience. It frankly puts men in a poor light as usual. Fortunately we aren't all the same. I have no time for any guys who treat women as a sex object rather than as a person and worse are those guys who play on the feelings and emotions of vulnerable women, whether that woman has just gone through a relationship break up or whatever. That is the lowest form of sexual predator apart from child perverts.

In defence of us mere males as well it happens the other way round as I sadly found out many years ago when my former partner was caught, red handed, in the act of betrayal in our own home. Needless to say, end of relationship, nothing said or done by me to her, the male, well, he was ok after hospital treatment. Her bags were packed and she was gone same day,have never seen nor spoken to her since.

As always, it's a two way street is affairs of the heart, sometimes you meet in the middle, other times you pass by, sometimes you crash head first into each other and it's great.

I see nothing wrong with some good old fashioned respect to women, I have 5 brothers, we were brought up in this mode, we still 'give up our seats on buses/trains for a woman standing,open car doors for you, simple, common coutesey. Yes, we can also be, err, hmmm, avoiding a yikesing here, lets say adventurous when needs be and the time is right, with the right partner.

My apologises on behalf of those who share my biological make up who forget that to be respected they should aim to have the prefix gentle placed before their gender-specific designation.

You know that another meaning for "gentle" is "maggot"?

You do know half the world's population are men - you kinda picked a large group to tar with the same brush. (Not that I'm offended )

I suspect the problem is that there are too many stupid men out there busy giving their gender as a whole a bad name - the ones who know how to sleep around and force themselves onto women but haven't got a clue how to cook, be romantic or generally hold down a meaningful relationship. These sorts of people need to be avoided, although there are some which can be fended off with the words 'I'm already taken'. There are other ways of getting rid of them, but pacifists and those without good knee-to-eye coordination may prefer the above.

You have to accept that all men are obsessed with sex, even the lovely ones. The good ones are the ones who have learned to control their urges.

Yes - when you put it that way, stupid men can be placed in the same group as those who start eating before everyone is at the table and those who play loud music on buses. They just have a complete lack of social consideration.

It's a shame that men don't have to chase women. If a woman wants a man, she'll let him know, in no uncertain terms. All he has to do is stand there and well, not even that, sometimes.

I'll rephrase that:

"It's a shame that men don't know that they don't have to chase women."

Now I'll go and have a (sorry - brain disfunction, I'm nil-by-mouth until tomorrow afternoon)

Mmmmm, perhaps I've known too many shy women!

"You have to accept that all men are obsessed with sex, even the lovely ones."

Sadly I've found that *not* to be the case. You meet a guy, think he's the best bloke in the world, makes you very happy, then three months later goes off sex, and all the arguments seem to be about how obsessed *the woman* is and how he can't possibly keep me happy in that department. A friend of mine suffers much the same problem with the men in her life.

Maybe it would be more true to say that men are more interested in having sex with different people, rather than with one person all the time.

I don't mean to say that half the population of the world is like this - after all, I know lots more men than just the two I mentioned, and they haven't tried to remove me from my underwear. It's just the way they both suddenly tried to leap on me in the same weekend! At least I know I've still 'got it'.

But ST is right, they both thought I was vulnerable and that some casual sex would be just the right thing to cheer me up after splitting with my boyfriend and worrying that my dog is about to die. Which makes them bad guys.

I'll keep the bad guys at a distance, and just let the maggotmen close to me.

I think 'maggotmen' might also be a good insult for those who are trying to get into your pants when you don't want them to...