Everyday sexism

[nicola18737]

I was shopping for a new car yesterday. I went into Jaguar and was chatting about what I wanted and how I was going to order it today. The salesman said to me "aren't you a bit daunted?". I looked at him quizzically and asked why he'd say that. "Well ladies usually bring someone with them". "Like a man you mean?" I replied. He then backtracked saying he didn't mean any offence and no they usually brought a friend.

I wasn't offended, more amused. He was probably right that women would normally bring someone with them, yet I still felt like he was thinking me a brave little soldier for doing this all on my own.

Even when you do bring a man with you they end up talking to the man, even though you've made it clear you're buying the car. Cant win, can we?

Happened to me aswell. I went to go and buy a car and my dad decided to tag along.
(I didnt need him there. He was being a nosy bugger and just wanted to see what I was buying)

I explained to the make salesman I was buying a car for me. I asked a couple a questions, just to check somethings before I bought it.
Everytime I asked a question, he gave the answer to my dad!
My dad even said to him "errr, it's my daughters car. I have nothing to do with this, just tagging along".

I was flat out ignored in 2-3 car showrooms, and the last one then man tried to sell me a "nice little Clio", when I had specifically asked him about the Golf GTi rght in front of me.

I was so angry by that point I didn't know what to say so I completely missed my chance to let him have it and just walked out. Still regret it.

Also - my very first car developed a fault soon after purchase. I went to the dealer and said "I think it's the xyz" (after a mechanic in the family told me it WAS xyz!)

Dealer brushed me off saying my car didn't even have xyz.

I had to - for shame - get my FIL to come back with me and persist with the xyz until the dealer sent it for repair and sullenly agreed that yes, the faulty xyz would be replaced.

Fucker.

Yep same issue here wiuth car dealers.
The one that are treating me like this means they dont get my customs. Well thats £10k+ loss for them, not me.

@minou123 Oh I know it's so annoying when you ask a man a question and he replies to the man who is with you. This happens all the time with tradesmen with me. It gets me so angry.

Just heard an advert on the radio for some insurance company (Admiral, I think)...something along the lines of man has been so busy with life admin lately, last week it was his wife's car insurance and now the home insurance.

WTAF?! Is this implying that women aren't capable of sorting out own car insurance? Why on earth would the husband be doing it?? Everyday sexism at its finest...

I saw an advert on TV for a custom PC builder.

3 types of user (I think): The maths/science geek, the gamer and one other stereotype.

All men of course. Maybe if they did a pink version for us ladies?

Lol at admiral ad

Who usually does all the boring as fuck and time consuming paperwork and 'life admin' in families? Thread after thread after thread asking this question reveals yes of course it's the woman!

This is a stories men tell thing isn't it. Which are the opposite of the truth.

DH does 90% of the boring life admin and then gets all excited when we get good deals.

Anyway my everyday sexism is why are little girl clothes so flimsy? All DSs clothes are practical but the same thing in the girl version always looks a bit rubbish to play in like flimsy sandels or really short shorts that don't protect legs as much.

Lol at admiral ad...This is a stories men tell thing isn't it. Which are the opposite of the truth.

Admiral Head of Marketing, Alex Murphy.
Looks young enough not to be a sexist dinosaur, but what do I know.

twitter.com/webuccaneer

I’m disappointed to hear of your sexist salesman at Jaguar, OP.
I don’t get any of that shit from my Ford dealer. I’ve been widowed for 28 years, and have bought a new car by myself every 3 or 4 years in that time.
My dealer never once tried to patronise me, and always got me a really good discount on the new models. He discussed top speeds, petrol consumption and brake horsepower, never colour schemes or vanity mirrors, and was just as polite and deferential as I’d expect him to be to a male customer.
I told him once, many years ago, that the reason I always came back, apart from the sheer reliability of the cars, was his lack of sexism. He was genuinely surprised and said it would never occur to him to behave like that. He recently retired, but the new chap is just the same.

I bought a van a few years back. I took my OH with me and the sales guy started directing responses to my questions to my OH and he said 'I don't know why you are talking to me, I'm not buying anything'. So he directed his remaining responses at me.

I picked up a few issues I needed dealing with if I was to buy the van, and I heard him later in the office saying 'we need to do this and this, she's spotted X and Y, no idea how'.

With my eyes you twat. My eyes.

Yes, but..., you have woman-eyes. These can't see anything more than the pretty colour of the new brum-brum and how the ickle light comes on inside for you to check your lippy-wippy. The only time you might be interested in the clever technical man-stuff is to see if the family shopping will fit in the boot.

Now run along.

Never happened to me either.

Must have been lucky.
Bought many cars with DH and they've never ignored me to address him.

I had cold call about investment opportunities. I told him I was not interested. Then he tried to mansplain to me what investment is. 'I teach investment law you wanker' was my reply. God that felt good.

The job centre round the corner from me has these Pop Art pictures in the window. The women are

1. Sexy secretary, complete with the arm of the glasses on the tongue like the opening scene of a porno
2. A maid wearing the full black and white with tiny skirt and little white headdress.

The men are a Welder a butcher and an Engineer

I really want to post pictures but it would be so outing.

I'm not in the UK but am in Europe

@MaximusHeadroom If it's in Italy you could tweet it to @occhioallospot

I bought a new car recently. First car I bought myself and I did take DP with me. He did ask a lot of things that I wouldn't have thought to ask given that he had bought a car before and I was ok with this. Anyways a week after I got the car I got in touch with the garage to let them know that it was making a strange noise which worsened when the headlights were turned on. I let them know I suspected it was a grounding fault and something needed rewired (This I got from the guys at work. We work in an engineering firm with lots of electricians, etc. Again they knew from experience not cos they were male)
So car goes to the garage. "We can't find the cause. Still looking" Went on for a bit. They sent it back and said there was no fault. I recorded a video and sent it so they picked it up again. Same thing. Can't find the cause.
Eventually they phoned head office who told them it was a known issue with cars converted to right hand drive for UK sale. A bit of extra wiring needed otherwise there are grounding issues.
Seriously? Nearly a month of back and forth and it was the issue I told them it was on Day 1!!!

I always let my partner do the car shopping. Mostly because he is happy to spend hours online finding the perfect 3 year old ex-mobility car with 6,000 miles on the clock in whatever obscure corner of the country and match it to the relevant local dealership that can have it shipped to us for perusal.

While I hate shopping with a fairly unreasonable passion.

Oh, I have another.
(I live alone, not married)

So, I decided to redo my bathroom. I called and booked an appointment with local bathroom fitters to come round and given me ideas on what I want. All is good.

2 days before the appointment, I get a call from the Male salesman and I shit you not, this is the conversation:

Him: Hi, just calling to confirm our appointment. I just also wanted to ask if you could ask your husband to be there aswell, please.
Me: why would my husband need to be there?
Him: well, we have found that when women make decisions in the appointment, the husband comes home and he wants to change things. It causes problems to come out again and change everything. So it's easier if you are both there.
Me: I dont have husband. Whose husband would you like me to have with me?
Him: oh, that's ok then. No problem
Me: yep, there is a problem. I'll cancel the appointment thanks.

I was furious. The assumptions they made were batshit crazy.

• I own my own home, without the assistance of a man. Crazy!
• because they have experianced cases of husbands 'coming home' and wanting to change the design, they have now decided that ALL women can't make decisions without the husband there. Crazy!

@minou123 omfg I can't actually believe that. I'd have been furious too.

minou123 we had similar with a double glazing salesman, although he didn't say he needed the husband present, he said he needed both partners present, because usually both partners have to consult each other to make a decision so it's better if both are there.
However, he was an arrogant sales wanker anyway, so we went with someone else.

Then he tried to mansplain to me what investment is. 'I teach investment law you wanker' was my reply. God that felt good.

I went to the rescue of a colleague to jump start his car.
He panicked when I earthed the circuit to his car's body, causing another man to come over and "inform" me that the lead goes to the second battery terminal (except it bloody doesn't).
Politely explained I was fine, DF is a time-served mechanic and jump starts are a doddle.

Didn't stop him sitting in his car (next to colleague's) watching to make sure the little woman didn't blow up both cars 🙄. Prat even gave me the thumbs up as he drove off.