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Original poster

Woman doing a ‘man’s’ job

35 replies

Sunshine9356 · 12/07/2022 08:46

I noticed that the driver of our bin lorry today was a young woman. I was surprised, although I know I shouldn’t be.

Are you a woman in a male dominated field? What reactions do you get and do you find it frustrating that it is still commented on?

OP posts:
FatOaf · 12/07/2022 21:02

Fair enough. Usually when a first poster starts a thread with the whole 'tell me about your experiences' it turns up in the daily mail a day later when a dumpster fire of a journalist who couldn't be bothered to do a modicum of research just got mnetters to create content for them.

...And, of course, such a "journalist" would never lie about being an accountant?!?

It may have escaped your notice, but the world has been entirely taken over by liars during the last 6 years.

TopCatsTopHat · 12/07/2022 21:06

Not paid employment but I am building my own house (myself) and the attitudes from suppliers range from bemused to amused to confused.

PlanetNormal · 12/07/2022 21:11

Boohooyouho · 12/07/2022 19:01

Another tube driver here. Mainly male in my depot but in the previous one we were about 80/20 as it was a younger depot. Don’t get any comments now but when I first started 15 years ago I had a few, I think because I still looked young in those days. I did once have a man stop me and make a suggestion about how I could drive my train to make the journey smoother as he ‘knows a bit about trains’. Not enough to know the train I was operating ran automatically apparently. I’d lay money that he wouldn’t have made the suggestion to another man.

If the train runs automatically, what does the driver’s role entail?

Fifthtimelucky · 12/07/2022 21:20

Headbandheart · 12/07/2022 19:12

I think what is sad, at my age of 60, is


  1. I had my first female heating engineer visit last year to service my boiler

  2. my first and only female boss was for the last 2 years of my career - a 38 year career

  3. I have never worked for a company that had a female CEO

  4. we never had a female leader of the Labour or liberal parties

  5. I have never had a female builder working on my homes - ever

  6. I have never had a female electrician working in my home.

  7. nor a female financial advisor

  8. i have never dealt with a female car salesperson - I would like to as the male ones are so bloody patronising

  9. there is still a fucking gender pay gap

  10. there is also a fucking gender pension gap

You seem to have forgotten Jo Swinson (admittedly she wasn't Lib Dem leader for long).

I have had many female bosses (and was a female boss) but worked in the civil service where that was common.

Otherwise I agree with you.

NiceTwin · 12/07/2022 21:26

Started off as a maintenance electrician in a factory, late 80's Nickname was Gash 🙄

Then taught myself Unix and worked for Britain's biggest defence company. It was a lot more civilised and when I left in 2006, I was still the only female on the technical team.

It was 2017 when I finally worked in a team with women, happy days 😃

FourChimneys · 12/07/2022 21:37

A tree near us was damaged in the storms earlier in the year. The three tree surgeons who cut it down were all female.

ArchitectBarbie · 12/07/2022 21:44

Oh my god I’d love to be a tree surgeon!

XenoBitch · 12/07/2022 21:46

I was a hospital porter. The only female one in the NHS trust I worked for.
Would sometimes get a ward bleep me and ask for a man.

chiffchaffchiff · 12/07/2022 22:02

I have to confess... we called a plumbing company and I was surprised to see a woman turn up. I was open enough to express my surprise and she said she gets it all the time. She said that whenever they have elderly women call they send her. A lot of older people feel more comfortable with a woman in the house.

Mariposista · 12/07/2022 23:40

Me no, but my very close friend is. She is a nautical engineer and is often the only woman with over 50 men at conferences.

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