“Mike Rinder Was Nuts”

Marcy

What I experienced over the four years I worked as Mike’s secretary was an ever-increasing anxiety, because he was such a volatile person. I was always on my guard and often in fear of him because I just never knew when something was going to tip him over the edge. It was like working for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

I’ll give an example. One day I decided to work late. This was my own choice because I was trying to catch up on some things. I was at my desk and Mike came over and told me angrily to “go home.” I didn’t want to go home and there was no reason that I couldn’t stay to get some things caught up.

I don’t know why Mike was so compelled to be angry with me. I wasn’t doing anything that would disturb him or bother him. Mike then got more angry and red in the face and told me to get out and go home and started to come at me. I quickly got up and left the office and immediately went to another of our offices until I thought he had calmed down.

I was on my way back to my own desk, having gone up the back stairs, only to see him coming toward me as I started up the hall. Mike was red in the face, veins visible at his temples and coming at me totally hostile. Then he started to run toward me. I turned and ran at that point so he couldn’t hurt me. Mike Rinder was clearly nuts.

It wasn’t till Mike was removed that I came to realize how cowed I had become as a result of working for him. A few staff even told me they were glad to see me back to my old self after I was no longer anywhere near him.