To be fed up with male tradesmen making funny jokes that are anything but

[Allerlugi]

Carpet fitter came. He starts unrolling the carpet and then gets really serious, asked me if I’d measured it (yes), then proceeds to say it’s not going to fit, it’s too small and the measurements aren’t right. Meanwhile I’m feeling sick about having to fork out for another carpet.

Oh, but he’s joking! He was just having a laugh! The carpet’s fine, lol.

Delivery guys come to collect a mattress that we’re returning. It says on the website that they will bring wrapping materials and pack it up. They arrive and start to say they can’t collect it as it’s not wrapped up. I tell them what it says on the website. Nope sorry, the website’s wrong and I should have wrapped it up. Meanwhile I’m starting to get stressed and wondering how long this will have to take to resolve with the company.

Oh, but they were only joking! Haha isn’t it funny!

Believe it or not I had a third example from the past fortnight but I must have blocked it out.

I’d bet you a tenner that these guys don’t do it with men.

Loosen up a bit and take the stick out of your arse.

Life is for smiling and laughing, not spending every day being miserable and uptight.

We don’t sell clotted cream. We can’t fix your car. Your puppy has escaped and is running down the road. Your carpet measurements are wrong. We only have brown bread. Here’s the woman who wants to beat me up. You’ve spilt bleach on your trousers. In what universe are any of these things funny? Who, apart from a six year old boy who thinks whoopee cushions are the height of comedy genius, is going to smile or laugh at any of those statements?

I get that comedy is subjective and one person’s Victoria Wood is another person’s Bernard Manning. But, seriously, none of these statements are designed to make anyone laugh or even smile. What you’re really saying is that we should be kind to people who don’t have the self awareness to realise that they don’t have any sense of humour. And that if we don’t have the time or patience for it, then there is clearly something wrong with us. Fuck that for a game of soldiers.

As I was reading I was thinking that they wouldn’t make those jokes to a man. Maybe to a young boy…but, yes, I think it’s sexist. It’s a man sexist man on a little power trip trying to make you feel like the silly woman who doesn’t know what she is doing and getting things wrong. It’s very irritating.

Love this!

If a joke makes someone feel sick and panicky, its just not funny at all.
I dont like this "banter" either, because im trusting and i believe people.
In fact, taken very very baldly, they are simply lying to cause a reaction.

Life is for smiling and laughing at things that you find amusing or witty, not for massaging the egos of people you find moronic or boring.

"Oh I seeee. You're joking." Totally unsmiling face.

That's what I do now after years of giving a fake laugh. Like many here, perimenopausal me takes way less bullshit.

Not at all. Your way is very boring lighten up.

Oh right, so it's my fault the mechanic thought it was a good time to make a joke? My body language probably said I was sad a bit fragile. Divorce can do that.
He can just do his job.

Roll your eyes so hard that they see the white rage.

I am not great at banter and don't take it well, my Dsis OTOH is a character with great quick witted come backs for cheeky comments.

It cracks her up.

Some people love it.

You as well! 🤣🤣🤣

Wink when the penny finally drops! I won't hold my breath though.

🤣🤣

Younger me would just have burst into tears.

Yes! Exactly this. Bollocks to politeness for people who are like this. They aren't polite when they make someone think their puppy has escaped.

I had this is hospital from a surgeon. I was about to get my first ever general anesthetic and was incredibly nervous.

He put a serious face on 'I botched this surgery yesterday so at least I know what not to do now.'

Silence.

'Hahaha only joking'

The anesthetist then asked me to 'do a forward roll' onto the surgery bed.

It's like they simply can't get their head around saying nothing!

They have to fill the silence with absolute twaddle. If they hit a wok, it would make more sense and be more useful.

I bloody hate people like that.

It's a skill you obvs haven't got never mind.

Wtf was Permanentlyexhausted's post deleted for? reported by someone who can't take a joke maybe? (I read it that she was more gently pulling the chain of those inclined to accuse others of having sticks up their arses. )

Last year I missed a connection at Exeter railway station and had nearly an hour to wait. As it was during covid, you had to keep your mask on the whole time even if you were on the platform. The barriers were open, so I decided to go for a walk outside the station.

When I came back, the barriers were closed. I had my ticket but the guy on the barriers decided it would be funny to tell me there was a new rule you had to have ID with your ticket. When he saw my face change he said "just joking". It wasn't really funny, it was annoying to have missed my train by seconds in the first place. To be fair I did say that and he apologised on behalf of the rail operator for the delay. But I also wonder if he would have bothered with his "joke" with a male passenger.

I did have my driving licence but it was buried in my bag somewhere.

MN seem to be very trigger happy deleting threads and posts all over the place.

Surely they should only be deleted if defamatory or properly offensive.

Haha! Me too! 😂

Having to deal with hilarious but slightly incompetent trades is why I end up doing a lot of work myself (well I will get round to it eventually).