Am I the only one who gets irritated when someone shares this?

I actually witnessed this happening on a bus when I was at school. It was a fellow female pupil who helped the girl in question though.

Why are some of you so invested in the idea that periods are so shameful they cannot be spoken of by a boy?

Very true

I love the rosy tinted view on here that all girls are part of a lovely sisterhood that will help each other out

Same
Can just imagine if someone had pointed out at school all helpfully "as they're another girl" - there's a lot I'm thinking of I would NOT have wanted to know, as they'd have been awful about it!
Far rather some discreet nice boy point it out at school rather than talk to the nearest girl to let me know.
A lot would have been awful and taken the piss.

Oh god, this reminds me of when I had a leak once and I was wearing pale grey trousers. Thank god nobody said anything, I’d have been mortified. I tied my own sweater round my waist though, it seems pretty odd that the girl in the story didn’t have one?

My son would have done this, and he would never have told me, if he had told me, I would not have shared this on Facebook. Because neither one of us is a fucking attention seeking twat.

Not a rosy tinted view - oh ha ha.

If this story were true the boy in question, who is in the year above her and doesn't know her, is expected by you to look round to find a female friend of his or hers. If this were true god help her if he happened to pick one of the small group of girls who made my life a misery in 3rd and 4th year.

I still don't understand why it is so wrong, if it were true, for him to speak direct. Why are some of you so invested in the idea that periods are so shameful they cannot be spoken of by a boy?

It's not a rose tinted view.

And it's not about any old random.

It's a female friend of his. Or of hers.

Who would clearly not be arseholes.

No it didn't happen.

I have certainly been asked by men to check on girls/ women. And that's ok.

In an ideal world it would be different. That's not the world we live in. And in the world we live in, women and girls often feel more comfy being approached by another female with this stuff.

There's a lot of holes in the story but "why didn't he draw more attention to her by telling another girl" isn't one of them.

I love the rosy tinted view on here that all girls are part of a lovely sisterhood that will help each other out.

No not even more people.

One person of the same sex on the school bus.

When I've had men come up to me and say eg so and so just burst into tears and went into the bog / I'm a bit worried about that girl over there she looks upset and it's late / there's a girl over there who's so pissed she can't stand up. I say ok and go and have a look.

It's not unusual. A quiet word in an ear is not pointing out out to more people. And it's ok to know that in some situations, in the society we live in, it's better coming from some sorts of people, from time to time. That's just being sensitive.

So point it out to even more people to look at her?
I'd have been more embarrassed at that to be honest rather than one person just discreetly telling me!

'"And consideration would be to ask one of his female friends, or hers, on the bus, to tell her."

Why? Are periods so unspeakably awful that men can't even mention them?'

When you're a girl on the school bus. Yes! If course.

It's not girls fault that they are considered like that. Blame many mainstream religions. Blame patriarchy. Blame the Victorians.

It is not schoolgirls fault. It is not women's fault for remembering being schoolgirls and how embarrassed they would have been.

It's also the norm for women to help with 'womens stuff'. Because of all this. Maybe one day it will be all aok but that's not where we are.

I've been in many situations where a nice man has said there's a women/ girl there she needs xyz can you help. And I go and help.

I would say that's what a normal nice bloke do does tbh. Because we are where we are. And tbf. Same sex are more understanding you know, we've maybe been there or can imagine.

Remember we're talking about children on a school bus.

And yeah. 100% this never happened. She told him she was 'kind of embarrassed'? He said I've got sisters it's all good? I mean bleeding through your clothes happens unfortunately but not that often and not to everyone. Makes it sound like it's common. Standard.

And if it's a school bus. If she was sitting down he wouldn't know. So they're standing up. I know nothing of USA school buses. On the Simpsons they're always sitting! If standing then it wouldn't go through the skirt. Gravity. And if that packed that he could talk to her without being obvious and give her a top etc. How did he even see?

Million holes in this story.

Yes I maintain that in a situation like this the kind thing to do is mention it to one or her friends or a female friend of yours and get them to tell her.

I get where the OP is coming from - I do wonder what the point of sharing this is if it's true (much like happy Boxing Day fox tales), plus I vaguely wonder what it's supposed to be saying if it's just made up.

But, FWIW I had a vaguely similar incident maybe 15 years ago - spotting a woman who had a sanitary towel stuck to the back of her skirt.

This was walking into town down a side street with the other half, and she was some way ahead of us - I guess we'd both just come out of our houses. So we were faced with the social dilemma of politely ignoring it, or making the effort to try to catch up with her to point it out before she reached the main street.

We went for the fast walk and "er, there's something stuck to your skirt", and then overtaking and going on ahead to let her sort herself out on her own.

Never felt any need to share that story, but I guess may as well offer it up as a real-life one, compared to whatever that is in the OP. Certainly didn't feel like having some sort of bonding experience with the woman over it...

Not only did it never happen, its just another reminder that period blood is unacceptable and shouldn't be seen. If she'd had a nosebleed she wouldn't have to cover it up.

Didn't happen.

I'm with the OP.

Yes. It's the different versions that gives it away. Internet 101.

Maybe if periods weren't seen as something shameful, such laddish heroism wouldn't be necessary.

Also, the idea that some men get off on the idea of a girl being humiliated by her period makes me fucking murderous.

Seems like a decent thing to do, if it happened. Heavy periods that spill over sanitary protection can certainly stain the back of your trousers, especially if you're caught out without a replacement.

Something similar happened to me way back when I was in my late teens. I was out shopping and 2 very embarrassed looking lads came over and mumbled something about skirt and blood. I don't know who was cringing more, them or me.

I suppose it's the way it's done I guess. Although it's the sort of gushing drivel I expect on social media.

Its a bit like the single dad thing.

Boy/man behaves like a decent human being and its social media/ news worthy.

It illustrates an attention seeking parent with an incredibly low bar for behaviour standards.

pulled her aside and whispered in her ear on a bus? And being spoken to by an older boy on a bus and being given his clothing?
Clearly didn’t happen.
It’s American (sweater/pants/mom), but surely people aren’t having private chats on their school buses?

Blood stains on the back of your trousers definitely happen. It happened to a friend of mine at a party where she was the guest of honour. She was wearing tight white trousers. Someone told her and she spent the rest of the night with a borrowed cardigan tied around her waist. I can't remember who told her. I vaguely recollect that it was a woman.

But I see no reason why a kind boy with sisters shouldn't be helpful in this way.

"And consideration would be to ask one of his female friends, or hers, on the bus, to tell her."

Why? Are periods so unspeakably awful that men can't even mention them?

It's an urban myth.

It sounds like some kind of urban myth. I don’t know any teenage lad who would do that or would speak that way tbh. (Mainly because the nice ones I know would be either a) too embarrassed or b) wouldn’t want to embarrass the girl)