Sex discrimination

Yes, boys and girls, sex discrimination exists. It seems as though we have a movie coming out about this subject. It is a serious subject - especially in the work place. But it doesn't always appear in such blatant terms. It can appear in attitudes.

The other day, I took my car to have the alignment checked. The only person who I assumed was in charge of the counter was outside with another customer. After I stood there for what seemed to be a long time, a man arrived carrying a car battery. He placed it on the counter, and in about two minutes someone came out from the back. The clerk asked that man with the battery how he could help HIM. I guess he made the assumption that I was just a woman who had no clue what she wanted, and this was obviously superior male who had successfully extracted a battery from a vehicle. I made the comment that I just loved standing around tire/battery/alignment stores. They both looked at me with some shock. Now that man who had come in with the battery KNEW I was there first. He never said one blessed word. As far as I'm concerned they BOTH are guilty of being MCPs.

The funny part of all this is that I probably know about as much about cars as both of these men. I watched my dad and uncle (who was a professional mechanic) work on motors and cars about as soon as I could stand. I have changed spark plugs, changed tires, changed oil and filters, helped my son "lift" his Jeep. But the assumption of those two men was that I was merely a woman.

The same sort of thing happened to me about 15 years ago. My husband called. He was stranded in a downtown parking garage. He said he thought the problem was the lower battery cable. I knew what he was talking about. It was getting dark, and I hurried to the auto parts store that was close by so that I could get downtown before it really got late. I told the clerk what I needed. When he handed it to me I questioned him, but he assured me that it was the proper part. I guess he thought "Oh, you poor little lady. I am the learned one here; trust me for I am omniscient." Guess what. IT WAS THE WRONG PART! Yes, it was an upper cable.

The old adage of not being able to tell a book by its cover is all too true. I do know about things you do with your hands. I can build things, and repair things. I know what tools are for. So do a whole lot of other women. One of my daughter's friends had them same problem at Home D**ot. She was boarding up for the hurricane. She knew she wanted and needed. They looked at her like she couldn't possibly know what a 10 penny nail was!

Wake up men of this world. We may make you think you are our strong saviors, our heroes, without whom we would just shrivel up and die. It ain't necessarily so.