7:34 p.m. | 2002-11-19 Purse Strings. So Boss, Colleague and I went to lunch today. I�m quite sure you find that surprising and all. One of the many things we discussed was the �purse rule�. You know, the rule that prohibits men from going through a woman�s purse, especially their woman�s purse. Some men, mostly neophytes, rifle through women�s purses with reckless abandon. Some men will only venture into a woman�s purse to retrieve car keys or money. Some men, usually old hands, will bring a woman her purse so she can retrieve something for them. Finally, some men refuse to even acknowledge, look at or touch a woman�s purse. Apparently, Colleague falls into the second category and Boss� husband and my man fall into the third category. Anyway, Boss told us about this boss she used to have (not Boss� Former Boss previously mentioned here) whom she caught going through an employee�s purse. When he started pulling out panty hose, Boss told him that he needed to get his hands out of that purse and put it back. Then she asked him what he was looking for. He said he was looking for matches. (It turns out that he was actually looking for a cigarette, but didn�t want to cop to the fact he was trying to pinch a smoke off an employee.) We were all quite appalled by such barbaric behavior. Then, while walking back to the office, we passed a man and woman standing outside of a restaurant. Here�s that. (Colleague:) Did you see that?! That man had his hand in that woman�s purse! (Boss:) Well, that�s better than having it in her pants. (Colleague:) That�s where his other hand was. (CI:) One hand in the purse and the other in the pants. See now, women are kind of territorial about their purses and their pants. That could be a little dangerous. (Boss:) Well, she probably doesn�t mind the hand in the pants. (Colleague:) But he probably should get his hand out of her purse. (CI:) Women have their priorities, you know? Yes, we do talk that way sometimes. Usually, however, Colleague has his fingers in his ears and while repeatedly saying �La la la�. Because he�s so moral and all. We took a different route back than we normally do. Guess who we ran into� � � �the ol� cigarette pinching former boss who rifles through women�s purses. That�s the first time we�ve ever run into him while out and about. your thoughts? seed flower