How I Fended Off Sexual Advances And Abusiveness As A Service Worker

What happens culture, class, and cues collide

Photo by Kevin Quezada on Unsplash

When a hotel guest, the age of my mother, invited me out for a drink, I nearly choked on my saliva as I tried to respond.

It was 1995. I was a naive 23-year-old who wore a silly uniform behind the front desk at one of the most prestigious New York City hotels. I had noticed this woman wait for my station to become available. Perhaps I had assisted her before, I thought. I had only been working there for two weeks and had already dealt with returning customers.

Despite the late hour, the lobby bustled with activity as she approached my station, and I welcomed her with our standard greeting.

“Good evening. How may I be of service?”

“Be of service?” she asked. “My. My. Interesting. Checking in.”

I looked up her reservation, and she continued. “You look tired.”

I beamed a smile, fearful of being reported for my sour expression. “Sorry, it’s near the end of my shift.”

She asked me a series of personal but innocuous questions as I swiped her credit card and coded her keys.

“Hey,” she said. “Does your girlfriend know you flirt with your customers?”