Am I the only one who gets irritated when someone shares this?

[WhoWants2Know]

I've seen dozens of variations of this story shared on social media. Lad saves innocent young girl from her period.

It doesn't actually strike me as wholesome. It kind of reminds me of that person (the one who sued waxers) who used to start threads about what to do if they were in a gender neutral toilet and a young girl asked for period advice,

Leaks happen. It's nobody's favourite thing. I can't say I've ever noticed a leak on someone else's person, and I wouldn't necessarily expect a leak to be on the back of a pair of trousers unless the woman had been lying down.

Maybe I'm overthinking, but does anyone else feel like this story is less of a wholesome anecdote and more a patronising way of insinuating that women NEED men because they're at the mercy of their biological functions?

I think it's a nice story (no idea how true it is or not, but anyway)
If it is true, it shows that there are nice people about and a bit of positivity.
Which I'm always up for!
It kind of reminds me of that person (the one who sued waxers) who used to start threads about what to do if they were in a gender neutral toilet and a young girl asked for period advice
Yaniv? Genuinely curious as to how that is in anyway the same? Or are you talking about someone else seeing as you say they used to start threads here, assuming Yaniv wasn't?

I'm not saying he started threads here, no.

Pressed too soon
this story is less of a wholesome anecdote and more a patronising way of insinuating that women NEED men because they're at the mercy of their biological functions

Don't see it like that at all - just that there's nice people out there, regardless of what sex they are.

@WhoWants2Know

I'm not saying he started threads here, no.

Ah, OK. Still not sure how is anyway comparable though?

I've read the identical story in so many forums, and a version of it was even in one of those mean girls genre films.

Maybe I'm too old and cynical, but I actually wouldn't be grateful if some random dude told me I had blood on my trousers and offered to cover it. He'd be lucky to escape with his bollocks.

I just took it at face value, a pleasant young lad - they do exist. And as for the stain being at the back, tmi but that was always how it happened at school, sitting all day. I remember smoothing the back of my skirt as I was sitting down as if I was stopping it from creasing, but really I was checking for wet patches. Wouldn't go back to being a teen for anything.

Maybe I'm too old and cynical, but I actually wouldn't be grateful if some random dude told me I had blood on my trousers and offered to cover it

So you'd rather people didn't tell you and let you get on with wandering around obliviously?
I'd be beyond embarrassed if it was pointed out to me, but I'd be grateful if they did as at least I could tie my coat round my waist or something then scuttle off quickly away all embarrassed

You’re overthinking it. If it was my daughter I’d like to think that someone (male or female) would take her aside and help her.

Yes, with a skirt, the stain would end up on the back.

I guess something about hearing the story repeatedly grates on me in a way that it wouldn't if he had helped her in some other way.

Because if he helped her pick up her dropped lunch, would it still be a story worth posting about? What if she had sat in something else that marked her trousers?

Bear in mind, this is a story supposedly posted by a woman whose daughter would have been so humiliated by the period stain that the mother then feels the need to make a public post to tell everyone the kid got her first period (gee thanks, mum) and an older boy had come to the rescue.

Or is the real reason people keep posting it because hairy handed people get off on the idea of a girl's first period shame?

I would be hoping the mum in question wouldn't be identifiable, as sharing that on social media would be excruciating for the daughter. But that wasn't the issue you were raising in your initial post.
The hairy handed aspect wouldn't even occur to me, it hardly goes into wank fodder details.

This 100% didn’t happen.

It's probably bs and never happened but I have no issue with it. I am usually the first to roll my eyes at men being applauded for being basically decent human beings but the bar is extremely low for teenage boys these days, and they do get demonised and have very few decent role models. I'd kind of hope if they read something like that, they might think about helping a girl out in that kind of situation rather than teasing her.

I have a lot more time for stories involving teenage boys and children than I do for fully grown men, because they are still learning. If it was a man who had shared that story, it would be one thing, because patting themselves on the back is just so irritating, but it wasn't, so it's a little different.

Because if he helped her pick up her dropped lunch, would it still be a story worth posting about?

That's a silly comparison. Dropping something happens all the time to all sorts of people who are assisted by passers-by.

What if she had sat in something else that marked her trousers? Not sure what point you are making here. If the anecdote is true it's not impossible to imagine someone helping out for any sort of potentially embarrassing stain.

Also 100% didn't happen.

And consideration would be to ask one of his female friends, or hers, on the bus, to tell her.

It's a nice story. I mean, that's all it is...a story. But it is a nice one.

It sounds like some kind of urban myth. I don’t know any teenage lad who would do that or would speak that way tbh. (Mainly because the nice ones I know would be either a) too embarrassed or b) wouldn’t want to embarrass the girl)

It's an urban myth.

"And consideration would be to ask one of his female friends, or hers, on the bus, to tell her."

Why? Are periods so unspeakably awful that men can't even mention them?

@FunkBus

"And consideration would be to ask one of his female friends, or hers, on the bus, to tell her."

Why? Are periods so unspeakably awful that men can't even mention them?

That's one element which does give a shred of credibility to the story- that having noticed it why get someone else involved?

Blood stains on the back of your trousers definitely happen. It happened to a friend of mine at a party where she was the guest of honour. She was wearing tight white trousers. Someone told her and she spent the rest of the night with a borrowed cardigan tied around her waist. I can't remember who told her. I vaguely recollect that it was a woman.

But I see no reason why a kind boy with sisters shouldn't be helpful in this way.

pulled her aside and whispered in her ear on a bus? And being spoken to by an older boy on a bus and being given his clothing?
Clearly didn’t happen.
It’s American (sweater/pants/mom), but surely people aren’t having private chats on their school buses?

Its a bit like the single dad thing.

Boy/man behaves like a decent human being and its social media/ news worthy.

It illustrates an attention seeking parent with an incredibly low bar for behaviour standards.

Something similar happened to me way back when I was in my late teens. I was out shopping and 2 very embarrassed looking lads came over and mumbled something about skirt and blood. I don't know who was cringing more, them or me.

I suppose it's the way it's done I guess. Although it's the sort of gushing drivel I expect on social media.

Seems like a decent thing to do, if it happened. Heavy periods that spill over sanitary protection can certainly stain the back of your trousers, especially if you're caught out without a replacement.

Maybe if periods weren't seen as something shameful, such laddish heroism wouldn't be necessary.

Also, the idea that some men get off on the idea of a girl being humiliated by her period makes me fucking murderous.