Man doing my pedicure

[eyesbiggerthanstomach]

I'm having a rubbish day so maybe am being super sensitive but not sure. There is a nail bar I regularly go to. A few men work there but it's mainly women. Usually one of the women does my pedicure. I have had one or two of the men do it in the past too.

Anyway, am currently getting one done by a man and I'm feeling really uncomfortable. I can't explain why. Maybe because he is slow and so every touch feels like it's lasting ages but I'm not enjoying it.

Is it unreasonable to specify a woman does it in future?

Are you in an occupation where you touch people’s bodies for extended periods of time? I have been and I get it, and I was never offended.

I have been, yes. Nursing on a male urological ward - very intimate care including catheterising men. No one ever objected, although there were so few male nurses, and even fewer qualified to do what we did that I don't know what would have happened had a man objected.

And I'm not conflating protected characteristics. If it's ok to refuse someone on the basis of their sex, because you have a personal reason for doing so, why could you not have an equally personal reason for refusing on other grounds too?

I understand that, particularly as a customer, you have the choice over who touches you or not. No one is going to force you to have a pedicure against your will. I'm just wondering at the legal position if someone were to make their reasons clear.

If I'm being touched then I respect the right to be touched by who I am comfortable with.
Male female, not sure, non defined.

Whatever they identify with - who cares. But if they are touching me, I respect the right to decline or accept that.

that's fine but you need to tell them? You could've swapped with your OH?

I'm replying to this mega late but in this instance I couldn't, as he was called in about 10 mins before me, otherwise I would have