Why do men think it's ok to act this way towards women?

[FreyaFriday]

I am in my late thirties, but am small, and blonde, and look younger than I am. As a result of this I often find that men are a bit patronising towards me and treat me as though I'm stupid and need a big strong man to help me do anything taxing. I get it a lot.

I went to the supermarket just now and was queuing behind a man in his fifties or early sixties.

After he'd put the 'Next Customer' sign on the till I started loading my bits up and he suddenly started rejigging everything, and was really patronising saying "Come on, you won't fit everything on here loading it like that. What are you like, hey?!" as if I was some stupid thick thing that needs help to put a few items on a conveyor belt.

I just glared at him and said "I can manage, thank you" in an icy tone. I know it's a small thing in the grand scheme of things but I get this kind of thing ALL the time from men, and it just makes me so cross because I just KNOW that he wouldn't have done it to another man!

I also get wolf whistled at fairly often and that pisses me off too. Two men that I regularly walk past on the way to work wolf whistle at me and make smutty comments. It fucks me off!

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

It's not just a little thing. It's a little thing that adds to the pile of little things that grows into a huge problem.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

I am also a short woman and I look considerably younger than I am. People are always looking down at me so I'm not sure if it's a feminism issue or just people in general patronising me and treating me like a child or a lesser being.

[FreyaFriday]

I also had an incident recently where I was pulling into a parking spot in Asda and a man standing near my car started making hand signals to 'direct' me into the parking space.

I felt like giving him a mouthful.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

URGH! I'd get out and give them an earful!