So today, I made a point and the Men didn't like it.

[howtorebuild]

I don't know if it was a case of attempting to put a Woman in her place or not wanting to do extra work.

I was picking up a new car today. I ordered as Ms. The paperwork was Miss so I said I would like it changed. My goodness the almighty fuss they caused when I asked to have my preferred title used. First out came Mr big boss, aggressive and going in for attack to squash me into submission. Second came Mr middle manager trying to rile me with a huge grin on his face loving the whole thing.

In the end I won, it took an hour and a half, me keeping them on focus, loads of suggestions, a threat of wanting a refund. In the end I thanked the big boss for sorting things backing down and he said stop you're making my blood boil. Mr salesman kept out of it and later when showing me how to use the radio, told me his partner is a feminist.

I am new to all of this and dread to think how hard it's been in the past. I only wanted my title of choice, you would think I was trying to take a car for free, due to the uproar.

Good for you for sticking out to your preferred title.

Did you ask them what they'd do if they had ordered a car and their name came with Ms instead of Mr?

When I bought a car I put down Dr. Easy and no confusion. We should all become physicians or get PhDs.

I once refused to pay our service charge after the third or so time of telling the management company my new married name. They managed to change the name but left me as Miss. When I threatened not to pay the bill they soon got it changed.

I don't think anyone using miss is stupid. That would be massively presumptuous of me. I am called miss everyday. I don't assume everyone around me is stupid. I don't think I am stupid because I respond to it. I would prefer it if one title was used as it is for men. I picked up on the word stupid to point out that one person calling something stupid doesn't make it so.

Lweji DH was once inadvertently mis-titled as Reverend Dr ManPlump in the BT database. He called up to complain and was connected with an overwhelmingly polite and respectful young man from Eire. DH says he has never felt so important in his life and was quite sorry to lose the title but felt guilty about accidentally causing people to respect him

As an aside, I now desperately wish he was indeed called Dr ManPlump. How awesome would that be?

Well done you. It's infuriating isn't it.

I'm single (never married) and always correct people if they;

a) marry me off and call me Mrs
b) call me Miss when I ask to be called Ms

By bank still call me Miss and all my cards state 'Miss' as well

Why does marital status matter in this day and age?

All women should be Ms
All men should be Mr
If people want to be gender neutral that's fine too.

Maybe he could change his name by deed poll? First name Dr.

I've only skimmed the thread but just in case this point hasn't been made:

• In Germany every grown woman is Frau
• In France every grown woman is Madame
• In Canada and the US every grown woman is Ms

Regardless of marital status.

It's about fucking time the UK caught up with the rest of the world.

i got what you meant annie. i thought you meant that we even have words that announce whether a woman is married or not in her title is stupid.

mr and ms seems enough words to me.

Why do titles exist anyway?

or hey we could just have ONE word given it surely isn't even essential announce what sex we are in our name is it?

oh and the barrister business probably comes from the time when women did not work after marriage much as all teachers are called miss (men are sir rather than mr notice - a title of respect - failing that respect title being given teachers were called miss not because miss was equivalent to sir but because it was the title all teachers had as they were all unmarried)

I'd like Dr. I've noticed in quite a number of European law firms everyone has the title "Dr".

I suppose it's possible they do all have the equivalent of UK PhDs but it seems slightly implausible and I wonder if there's some routine post-graduate Law qualification which confers "Dr"

Thanks HoneyBadger. Interesting point - it is in a school where I am 'miss'

Presumably you can legally call yourself any unqualified title?

I'm a Miss who is married. I'm not breaking any law.

I assume if I asked to be referred to as Mr that would also be perfectly legal.

I dated an Italian with an undergrad degree and he got called Dottore on all his correspondence - he said that people in Italy did it to show respect, even if you didn't have a PhD, ALass.

I'm a Mrs and I hate using it but I don't like Ms or Miss either. . I really don't want to use Mr.
OP, I admire your tenacity although I'm not sure I could have been bothered

My personal campaign is for using no title.

By bank still call me Miss and all my cards state 'Miss' as well

Have you asked them? My 2 Clydesdale accounts and cards have been Ms for years. One of the Bank of Scotland ones has Ms but the other has dropped the title completely.

I think what you mean by Dr in European law firms it means that they have a graduate degree.
It should actually be dr (lower case), not Dr, or actually Doctor, AFAIK, at least where I live.

Why are 'titles' important?

Master for a young boy, Mr when he gets older (and heaven forbid anyone gets it wrong if he adopts another title)

Women - Miss for a young girl, and for the rest of her life unless she gets married. (and the utter confusion that ensues if she decides to adopt another title other than this binary).

If I were head of the world for a day I'd pass a law that put Ms for everyone. M for the Mr/Master, and S for the Miss/Mrs/Ms.

Oh and I have a bank card without the title, it's not compulsory.

Thanks Contessa definitely seen "Drs" all over the place on Italian firms.

That's not to say you still shouldn't complain about the treatment you had howtobuild

What would happen if we dropped titles? Trying to think of the impact .

I flummoxed a young lad once, when he asked "Is that Mrs or Miss?" I replied "Mr". (I am female.) I told him to put what he wanted, I wasn't that bothered. I never get the big fuss. First name, surname, surely that's all that's required for any situation??