I was at a networking event recently, full of entrepreneurs and tech start-up types and those aspiring to be one of these.

I missed the main event — because apparently I don’t read instructions well — but was there to mingle and eat free food.

Then I was introduced to someone we’ll call David.

Organiser: Will, this is David. David, Will. Me: Hi David. What do you do? David: I run Blahblah. Me: Oh, right. Hey, you’d know Fatima. David: Yeah. Bitch. Me: Sorry? David: Yeah I know her. She’s a bitch. Me: Uh. Right. And why is that? David: Well, we hired her for a six month contract. Two months into it she takes something else and up and leaves. Caused me so much grief.

Riiiiiiiiight

I then asked David if he thought that this was a good reason to call a woman a ‘bitch’. David’s quick defence was that he had given me ‘context’ for it.

I explained I didn’t really think that mattered. People take jobs. That’s what they do. She took a job with you. She then took a different job. It happens.

But, David explained, it caused him so much grief in having to re-hire and all that…

Me: Right, I get that. That sucks. But can’t you agree there’s a better, more gentlemanly way to express your grief than calling a woman a bitch? David: Yes. I suppose. I take your point. Me: Also, don’t you think it’s a really stupid thing to be doing, walking around networking events saying these things? She is, after all, a good friend of mine. It’s also, you know, pretty stupid considering all the ‘news’ about how women are being treated in tech.

At this point, David launched into listing a series of percentages and policies that Blahblah company upholds around women. It was great to hear. Though sounded very much like he had learnt it rote for this very situation.

I rolled my eyes and told him good job but be careful about what you say about people.