Outrageous sexism alert.

[derxa]

I was at an agricultural trade fair/show today (AgriScot). I went to look at quad bikes because ours is knackered. i asked the salesman about one of them. He said, 'Do you want it for a toy?' What would be the perfect MN response?

APlaceOnTheCouch

Well anyway, OP, that'll teach you not to wear a jaunty bonnet and visible petticoats at a technical agricultural trade show.

Just I think you're confusing MN with a court of law. I don't need to prove my statements but I can say in my many years of attending agricultural shows, both as a customer and exhibitor, I have never heard anyone ask a man if they want a quad (or any other item) as a toy.

Well Liney I was wearing industrial boots, leggings and a Barbour jacket but I'll try to de-glam the next time.

I don't need to prove my statements

I OBJECT!

I always associate quad bikes with Rik Mayall and Ozzy Osbourne ... oh and those (usually foul) terrier men that the hunts employ.

Were you buying bulk amounts at the time, that's why? If you were buying one item you might get asked if it's for a hobby.

Just have you ever been to a trade fair? Specifically a book fair? It's not like popping in to Smiths at Gatwick for a Marion Keyes before your flight.

I've never been to an agricultural trade fair but I imagine it's the same concept.

I'm comming across like i was the guy at the trade show now.

But Just it only took 134 messages for you to realise it which may be faster or slower than it took the salesman to realise he had potentially blew a sale

Just have you ever been to a trade fair? Specifically a book fair?

Not a book fair, i once went to the Nuremberg Toy Fair that was fun.

It sounds like agri-trade shows have by and large come a long way if this is the hot news to bring home.

As a woman who frequents many other types of industrial trade fairs I can tell you sexism remains rife.
Motoring/tooling/construction. You'd have a field day.

I think you may have got the wrong end of the stick OP. My husband works in a similar field. I've been to lots of these kind of shows. From my experience it's common parlance to refer to an exciting bit of new machinery (which a quad bike would qualify as) as a 'toy'. I've even heard it used in every day life, eg man talking about buying a fancy new BBQ 'I've bought myself a new toy'. Now obviously I wasn't there but I'd maybe give him the benefit of the doubt.

I am trying to think of a reversal case involving a male customer and a female salesperson at a trade show.

ego147 I can't conceive of it outside the obligatory trade fair episode of The Apprentice.

It's sexist and it's also crap sales technique.

Yes he was sexist and a crap sales person

So many posters seem to have missed that it was an agricultural show and not a toy show

I'm with Derxa on this I think a lot of posters don't really get the agricultural context this happened in. I hope the sales guy realises he made a prat of himself.

I would have been cross, but I probably wouldnt have said anything. I would loved to have used something like susans response though!

I also disagree with all the posters saying that most farmers have quad bikes just to mess around on. Utter crap! We can barely afford to keep ours in fuel for day to day work let alone to mess around on.

Ive asked DH whose whole family are farmers.

The first thing that a sale men is likely to do is to judge the person on their clothes/behaviour to assess id they are 'real' farmers with a need of a 'real' quad or someone who just wants a toy.
Second, knowing that the OP has never had that sort of answers and seeing the show she was at (very clearly directed to farmers), it is very unlikely that the OP doesn't come across as not a 'real' farmer.
Therefore the question was inappropriate and sexist.

Interestingly enough, his reaction was the same than the OP. 'I wouldn't buy anything from him'....

So many posters seem to have blown in with the daily mail unknowingly sexist tumbleweed but hey, it's business.

Btw, yes i aslo agree that in this context, talking about the quad as a 'toy' is about talking about buying something 'just for fun but not for serious practical reasons'.

I can promise you that if a salesman was talking about a 'toy' to my PIL about something like a quad bike, they would hit the roof.
Just as they woudnt appreciate hearing about a tractor referred as a toy etc etc.. its their business after all and those are the trade tools.

Liney yy I completely agree. There are a few threads today showing an influx of sexist attitudes. The balance of attitudes has definitely shifted on MN.

I can clearly see how that is sexist, I'm surprised that many can't.

'Do you want it for a toy?' Is clearly a leading question that makes assumptions about the person to whom it is addressed.

'And what will you use it for?' Would seem to me a much more professional sales opening.

I'm comming across like i was the guy at the trade show now.

That's not how you're comming over to me just

This is the blurb for the show. It's obviously the 'go to' place for any housewives looking for Christmas toys for the children . No clue at all that anyone attending might be a farmer looking to buy agrictultural equipment .

" AgriScot [for ] the trade and a wide cross section of farmers eager to seek out the products, services, advice and information necessary for their farming businesses..... the best commercial and technical advice is on offer ......the Country’s largest winter display of machinery where visitors will be able to view the latest developments in farm hardware and technology…from the latest tractors to equipment for both arable and livestock farms...... Add in competitions for aspiring young agricultural professionals, silage and new products, business seminars, technical demonstrations and over 240 trade stands exhibiting a wide variety of products, services and advice covering every aspect of agriculture and it’s easy to see that AgriScot is the place to be if you are in the business of farming"

It's fascinating in a horrible way, APlaceOnTheCouch. You get a longstanding poster like derxa, a woman and a farmer, who starts a thread and it just reads in part like the Daily Mail comments section.

I don't think it was sexist. Nor do I think that the only farmers go to and purchase things at agricultural shows.

I live rurally and know load of people who have quad bikes as toys. Some are farmers some aren't. Most were bought at agricultural shows.