To find these "jokes" pathetic?

[comfortmonitor]

Lost in the hospital trying to find a ward so i asked a man who worked there

me - excuse me do you know which way ward 40 is?

him - you've got the wrong hospital that's not here

me - ..... erm

him - HA! i'm only joking! this way..

Another example on my first day at a new job in a shop. Window cleaner comes in and asks to be paid.
I ask how much?
£25.
I go to ask manager and get another big laugh at how funny a joke he made and it's really £2

Wtf? It's only ever men that have done this to me and I really can't imagine them doing it to another man. Is it a power thing? It drives me mad!

It's definitely a power thing.

I've only ever had it done to me when I've been stressed or tired or ill or in a hurry. When I've been relaxed and happy and feeling more sociable, people haven't done it.

Which proves that it's got nothing to do with having a laugh and everything to do with them getting a pathetic little power trip.

I assume it's because men are taught that being emotionally detached [or repressed, a lot of the time] is more manly and being more manly is being better.

So with some of them, if they get an opportunity to feel like the one who gives less of a shit about the situation, then that makes them feel genuinely superior, and they like to revel in it rather than use that emotional detachment in a constructive, helpful way.

Not that anyone on the receiving end is obliged to give a shit. If the way you've been socialised is to hurt innocent people, you unlearn it or get used to them finding you repulsive.

"Not that anyone on the receiving end is obliged to give a shit about that ". If you don't care about someone else's situation or feelings, don't expect them to care about your motivations when you respond inappropriately just for your own amusement, basically.

I have an aquaintance who does this with no regard for the sensitivity of the occasion.

These men are complete arseholes.

When my son was born he was premature and in SCBU. He'd been in for a few days when my sons father asked when does he think our son would be allowed home - knob head doctor says 'Not until after Christmas I should think ...' - it was then August. I twigged right away that there must be something wrong (I figured maybe he was thinking of the wrong baby) because our son wasn't very premature and didn't have any complications ... my ex burst into tears!! The doctor then says 'Hey don't worry I was only kidding' As if we weren't upset enough not to have been able to take our son straight home. So to be fair it's not only women on their own who deal with these kind of twats, but I do agree that it is certainly more often the case.

My MIL does this. Well, she used to do it more, but she's cut back a bit now she's realised I'm not actually a little girl.

tiggytape - I know, I was really shocked but at the time it was instant relief that he wasn't being serious, trying to comfort my ex and then I figured maybe he clumsily was trying to lighten the mood in an otherwise stressful situation

asked at the office which was the quickest bus to get to the hospital (visiting a really ill relative and feeling very anxious about it) and the bloke said 'which ever one you jump in front of'

oh come on that is funny! This thread reminds me of the old jokes of sending the 'lad' to go to the works stores and ask for a 'long stand' or 'big weight' or 'tartan paint'

5plus "oh come on that is funny!"

um... last times I visited hospitals....friend with cancer, dying relative, check ups for me after major accidents.

is there anyone who might be going to a hospital for a good reason, apart from possibly a Grey's Anatomy character who is expecting a shag when they get there?!

I've always hated this. So rude and condescending. I remember a time at a gym. I went into the sauna where there was a bunch of blokes and a young woman (maybe early to mid twenties) who knew each other. The woman said something along the lines of that she'd seen one of them driving his van through town. He said he hadn't. She said he had, she'd seen him driving his white van. He then swore blind that his van was blue. She insisted it was white, he spent the next ten minutes denying doing something like either denying his van was white, or denying he drove a van or something equally idiotic just to wind her up. She eventually stormed out. Cue guffaws from the men, no doubt at the silly emotional woman. What a dickhead.

In all honesty, I don't really get upset by this sort of thing, I did 2 degrees when I was younger and this sort of banter was commonplace. I do think it's a bit pathetic though. I tend to respond, 'Very funny'.

It would be upsetting in the context of a hospital appointment though. There is a time and place for it.

I hate this with a passion. My FIL is full of it and he is a class A dick...

FIL - "Hey, Buttonz, your dh just showed me a picture of you on the loo!"

ME - "Whaaaaat???!"

FIL - "Only kidding, it was a picture of you at The Louvre!"

We had just been on holiday to France.

Worst thing, he kept repeating the joke until I was ready to kill.

There sadly are men around like that who honestly think they're being funny. It's pretty pathetic really. You have my sympathy having a FIL like that though. With fellow students I could just avoid them if I didn't like it.

I agree with previous posters that one of the wonders of being over 40 is that men often don’t bother with this shit any more and when they do they get a death stare.

Another time, I was walking my dog and a bloke jumped in front of me and told me my dog had bitten him.

He then bellowed "Only joking!".

Not funny.

It’s not funny at all. I hate it as i’m Quite gullible and would be the apprentice going for a ‘long stand’. Althoighmi’d Laugh along after realising it was a joke i’d Actually be really hurt and feel so stupid.

It's sad how much this happens

I’m so glad - in a sad way - that this happens to other people and they mind too.

I remember so clearly as a teenager, I used to have to get myself and my little sister from our mum’s to our dad’s house for the holidays - usually 3/4 trains and a 6/7 hour journey, with tickets booked for specific trains. One time, the train on one of the legs was delayed and I remember sprinting onto the platform with our suitcases in a panic. Seeing two men in rail uniforms I rushed up to them and if eg the 14.57 to Bristol had gone. They insisted with straight faces ‘oh I’m sorry you’ve just missed it’ as I worked myself up into a panic. It was only from their smirks that I slowly realised they were joking. It was almost like a punishment for being anxious and stressed, like I would ‘get it’ if only I chilled out. I remember nearly bursting into tears and ending the conversation with a totally strangled voice as I took my sister to find the waiting train. Twats.

5plus, having spent most of the day at the hospital after my fiance was in an accident on the way to work (he's walking wounded, fortunately) I'd have probably punched someone if they'd said the same to me.

I agree with other posters, it's often done when (frequently) are anxious or upset or asking questions as if they're in a position of power.

DH does this.

A recent example at the airport...

Me: ‘you’ve got the passports right?’
DH: ‘no, I thought you did’

Cue stricken looks and swearing before ‘only joking, I do have them’.

Going to show him this thread I think!

That's the sort of thing that my DH would say as well, @ReggaetonLente maybe I should show him the thread too. I normally just say, 'Very funny.' But it does get a bit boring sometimes.

I seem to always get the funny twat when having my car MOT'd I know it's going to fail don't make me paronoid about thinking how I'm going to afford it when it's only £70. This has been 3 separate garages.
I won't go on my own now dh or ddad come with me.

My dad's terrible for it too, he only seems to do it to me though. Today for example
Ring my mums phone,
dad answers phone.

I ask for mum
He says but you rang me
I stupidly check
I ask again for her
He tells me he's going to have to find her (I can hear her asking who's on the phone and they live in a bungalow not a mansion)
So then I silently groan and wait while he tells me what room she isn't in.

But heaven forbid if I mess about with him I'm been childish.

Men pfft lol

It’s to catch someone off balance. To wrong foot them. It’s a power play.

When I worked in retail someone wanted to buy a TV and I told him "oh we don't sell TVs on a Friday!" He responded with "I've never hit a woman before in my life but you're fast going to become the first." Lesson learnt!