Last night I ended up joining in with a game of poker that’s started being a regular fixture at the pub my husband and I often go to. And something struck me as being very unusual about this particular game. No one looked surprised when I sat down and no one asked me if I knew how to play. It’s become that common place for people to question a woman’s ability to play cards that I actually noticed it not being asked last night... It’s a really bizarre feeling. And the more I thought about it the more it became apparent that it happens so often in various situations that are deemed “unusual” for a woman to supposedly be in.
When I bought my last car I went to a dealership to take a look at the particular model I had in mind, and the salesman immediately addressed the man who was with me as he assumed the car was for him. It was pointed out by both of us that the car was actually a purchase for me but he continued to address all questions and answers to the man present. In the end we walked out. I finally bought the car from a dealership that didn’t employ sexist idiots and instead choose to have staff that didn’t alienate half their clientele!
When I had my car serviced with a different garage I asked them to retain the brake drums as they had warped very quickly and I thought this was a fault of the parts rather than just wear and tear. They called me to let me know they were finished and I could come and collect, I reminded them about keeping the parts, all fine no problem. I arrived at the garage 10 minutes later to be told that they didn’t know anything about a request for retaining the parts (this was the same guy who called me) and that in the fifteen minutes since removing them from my car they had apparently been binned and collected so they couldn’t get them back for me. To be fair I raised all holy hell in the salesroom and ended up with £100 knocked off my bill. Again it was because a woman couldn’t possibly in their eyes know what they were talking about when it comes to a vehicle.
I used to be in the habit each weekend of walking into my town and buying something for breakfast and a motorbike magazine, my version of coffee and the papers in bed. Every single weekend without fail the guy in the newsagents would tell me that my “boyfriend should buy his own magazines” or words to that effect. Didn’t matter how many times I told him that it was actually for me, I still got it.
Simple version people, I personally am not a girly girl. I am a petrolhead, I like tattoos and I love playing cards. This isn’t something you could tell by looking at me really, you’d have to know me. So to any men reading this, please stop making assumptions that a female can’t possibly know or like whatever it is you’re doing. It kinda makes you look a bit dumb, and it’s patronising. Now run along and do some DIY ok...?
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