Men whistling loudly

[BlueSpotty]

Does anyone else get fed up with men that whistle loudly and tunelessly in public? It's so rude! And before anyone says that women do it too, I can't say I've ever noticed a woman doing it!

I was just browsing in a small shop. A man came in, whistling extremely loudly, which was annoying in itself but then he came and stood right next to me and started browsing there and whistling right in my ear!

After a couple of minutes I said, politely 'Can you stop whistling in my ear please?'. He looked so shocked, as if it was the most shocking thing anyone had ever said to him, then just said 'How bloody rude!' and gave me a filthy look.

I carried on looking for a few minutes and he did stop whistling but kept giving me dirty looks until I left the shop.

Normal people do not consider people whistling as a space invading activity.

I whistle and hum and also sing to myself a lot. I didn't really realise that people hated it so much. I am a woman btw

I doubt very much that the vast majority of people even notice; or if they do, think anything more than "she seems happy" or at worst "she's a bit irritating".

I think it takes a colossal ego to interpret it as some sort of invasion of one's personal space.

@Thisismytimetoshine He did it by accident and was very embarrassed. He just got into a habit without realising he was doing it. I think that might be what is happening with some of the other whistles.

Well, fair enough. But there aren’t many other places where it would be that inappropriate.
In an open public space - no. It might be mildly irritating to some passers by, but so what? All public places are noisy to some degree. People interpreting it as a male dominance thing are just weird.

I wonder if it's something to do with wanting to look nonchalant in front of women? As men don't really pipe up whistling around each other I've noticed.
In my first job working on a checkout, they would queue up without a peep but then when I'd start serving/it was their turn, the whistling would start. It's something I've associated with seedy old men ever since. (Sorry, not sorry in advance).

I think it's a sort of "I don't take this seriously" noise, usually done by men in shopping areas. A sort of statement that this activity bores them, they are above being entertained by shopping.

Who does take shopping seriously? 😂

I expect not many @Thisismytimetoshine, but only men feel the need to publicly announce it.

Has any one ever been overcome by the urge to start clapping along to music? Dropping to the floor and doing a yoga move?? No?? Because you are not an attention seeking div.

It's a classic example of activities which are prima facie benign being used in irritating or passive-aggressive ways whilst maintaining pausible deniability. There are plenty of examples. Lots of subtly abusive/PA behaviour is like this.

Stamping/stalking around but insisting they were just walking.
Builders 'just being friendly' by saying hello to passing women and complimenting them on the way they look. This was the classic in my day!
That man isn't standing just a tiny bit too close to you, you are over-fussy about personal space.
It wasn't negging, they were 'only joking', you're too sensitive.
It's not the silent treatment, they're just distracted/tired/considering their response/didn't hear you.
They weren't sighing at you, they were just breathing out wtf is wrong with you?
They weren't practising amused mastery on you, they were just genuinely amused by your comment, god can't a bloke even smile anymore?
Etc, etc.

Has any one ever been overcome by the urge to start clapping along to music?

I loathe this at concerts but don't pretend for 1 minute that only men do it.

This thread gets more bonkers with almost every post.

@DidoLamenting, well, in a music hall then it not weird attention seeking is it? But alone, in an otherwise silent place it is.

But alone, in an otherwise silent place it is

Never come across this.

Has any one ever been overcome by the urge to start clapping along to music?

Yes, to We Will Rock You, by Queen.
Is this something that only men do as a dominance display? I've lost track.

I quite like people who whistle or hum to themselves in public like they're providing their own little soundtrack to life.

People who chew loudly, however, can get in the sea.

I love a good explosive sneeze, into a tissue of course. I can’t stand the strangled little sneezes some people do. They can also rupture your insides apparently.

Oh no! I love to hear people whistling, even if they're not very tuneful. It's a cheerful, harmless sound to me. And tuneful whistling is free music, which I take as a gift.

Spitting is utterly disgusting and inexcusable. No comparison.

God yes. In the same bracket as listening to music outloud on phones and leading coffee cups on trains. They do it because for some reason to they are special - they don't stop to think what would happen if everyone did the same at the same time, because they are comfortable and confident in the knowledge that no one else is as special as them.
Men have been taught that they own the world and that they have a right to do these things, even though if everyone did it the effect would be busy huge.

Yes, yes namalt, I know!

Not even just men 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also, I read an article recently about loud sneezing being a socially learnt behaviour or affectation. It isn't the natural way to sneeze and we can unlearn it.

What really annoys me is people talking non stop in the cinema or at the theatre.

they don't stop to think what would happen if everyone did the same at the same time, because they are comfortable and confident in the knowledge that no one else is as special as them.

Completely agree with this statement. Funnily enough though, the only people that I've ever witnessed doing this have been women. What is that indicative of? Are they marking their territory too?

I love threads like these because it confirms my suspicions.

Also, I read an article recently about loud sneezing being a socially learnt behaviour or affectation. It isn't the natural way to sneeze and we can unlearn it

That is absolute nonsense. I very occasionally get loud, sneezing fits. Other than making sure I have a large tissue to hand there is nothing I am doing deliberately to make them noisier or to stop them. I agree with the poster who said trying to strangle or minimise a sneeze probably isn't good for nasal passages.

This thread is divided into posters who (a) never or barely notice these awful outrages; (b) do them themselves and (c ) if they do notice, accept that there are many things which other people do in every day life which are irritating but unless you are the monarch of all you survey you just have to put up with them.

On the other hand there are posters who see these irritations as deliberate passive aggressive acts by men to stake out their territory and keep women in their place. The posters who don't see it this way are presumably too in thrall to the patriarchy to see this. Who knows? Possibly men are also too in thrall to the patriarchy to even understand they are committing these acts of aggression.

I'm sticking with everyday acts which some people find are irritating without any further agenda

I whistle. Clearly not performing femininity correctly.

this is bonkers
I whistle, sometimes, probably mostly at home but sometimes when out.
I am an excellent whistler! If you don't like the tune I'm whistling, that's fine because I'll be gone in a minute, or you will be. I'm aware that it's considered a male activity (I work in a female environmet and someone once said they thought a man had arrived because they heard me whistling)
so i say let's reclaim whistling- it's free, fun, cheers people up unless they are miserable sods, what's not to like. And if a man whistles as well as me I'm quite happy to hear it in passing.

It's much, MUCH ruder to have your phone playing music or videos without wearing headphones, and that is emphatically not a gendered pursuit.

I whistle. Clearly not performing femininity correctly

The thread has nothing to do with performing or not performing femininty. The posters who object to men whistling think it's a passive aggressive way for men to claim their territory.

I've no idea what they think female whistlers, or the more common female hummers, are doing (apart from one poster who thinks female hummers humming hymns are performing an act of agression)