Getting my bike licence, the post office and feminism.

In the post office today, finally sending my driving licence off to
have the bike category added. Bearing in mind Dynamic forgot and had
to redo his test.

Bloke behind counter, I checked that the old form I had was now
superseded by the one I had filled in, handed him the paperwork and he
said 'you naughty girl, you've filled it in in blue'.

I did a double take to check I'd heard correctly. Had a quick think
then said 'I don't appreciate being called a naughty girl, it makes me
sound like a twelve year old.'

He mumbled, I had another think and said 'actually I'd like to speak
to your manager'

Another bloke appears, I explain what has happened and say 'I
appreciate it was intended to be funny but I didn't think it was
appropriate or professional - do you?'

This bloke starts to mumble 'depends' - at this point I'm getting
*really* annoyed - 'do you think it is appropriate - yes or no'

Bloke says 'yes'.

Matt who had heard my tone of voice had come over and at this point -
'Would he have said you naughty boy to me?'

Bloke says 'depends on the circumstances, what would you have liked
him to say'

'Sorry madam but we need a signature in black ink, here's a pen, sign
here'.

I'm now positively foaming at the mouth but still quiet, calm but with
that very, very clipped tone. I asked for a copy of the complaints
procedure. He wanders off, returns - there isn't one (which I find
very hard to believe given it is a huge corporation) I asked to speak
to *his* manager 'out on lunch'

I had better things to do with my afternoon than go back again so I
now have a 2nd class stamped address envelope for the customer care
department in Brum.

I'm an intelligent, professional woman in her thirties living in the
21st Century - why do I and other women still have to put up with
being patronised and denigrated?

This one has really hit my 'I'm not taking this shit' buttons.

Now I know the replies here are likely to be 'what are you doing out
of the kitchen' or 'is it that time of the month again?' - I'll take
that from you lot, cos in here, it is funny and appropriate. But this
was in a customer facing environment.

How many people here could get away with calling a customer that
they'd never met before a 'naughty girl' within 5 seconds of a
conversation starting?

 

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content2?catId=500186&mediaId=3100051.

Dave

 

No doubt there were people in the queue behind you who also had better
things to do with their afternoon than twiddle their thumbs whilst some
silly feminist decided to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Bill

 

"Calm down dear, it's only a form."

 

Lady Nina scribbled:

Someone with a sense of humour trying to break the ice and make your
and their day less boring?

FFS!

 

Cane scribbled:

You don't think LN is Jasmine?

 

Big post office, lots of counter staff, no queue. I took this into
account before deciding that this time I wasn't going to take being
patronised.

I'm certainly not silly and I've never considered myself a feminist. I
was lucky in that most of the fighting about the big issues (access to
birth control, equal pay (ish), right to vote etc) was over by the
time I became politically aware.

Do you think feminism in and of itself is silly? If so why?

All the little mole hills add up to one big mountain.

Would you, in a customer facing environment, call a woman 'a naughty
girl'?

 

You think I should go blonde?

 

Shut up, you power crazy bitch. And in your thirties eh? Hardly born.

--

Paul.
CBR1100XX SuperBlackbird
BOTAFOT #4
BOTAFOF #30
MRO #24

 

As I pointed out, I appreciated it was an attempt at humour. Humour by
denigration. Not very professional and certainly not acceptable at
*anywhere* I've worked.

I don't need someone to make my day less boring, if I did then
patronising comments while I'm conducting a transaction just don't do
it for me.

So it's OK to patronise your customers if you are bored at work? I
think you'd find you lost a lot of business that way.

 

Thanks, but good old fashioned letter I think.

 

I did during my days working in BSDM.

 

Heh. I did think of saying 'I'll accept that in the bedroom but not
here'. But I didn't fancy him.

 

Only if you promise to never expose your penis to the world again.
Either that or send me some of the next crop of swedes. Mmmm, buttery
mashed swede.

But you haven't met me, how could you tell? And that's Ms. Power crazy
Bitch to you.

Auvache, is that you?

 

Oh, ffs!

 

Was his tone of voice jokey or patronising? Perhaps he was just attempting a
bit of light-hearted humour? I've been called young man, old man, sir, mate,
matey, guv (although never "silly boy", I must admit)...they're all ok as
long as I get what I went in for.

Now if he'd said "You stupid tart, you've filled it in in blue" I'd fully
support you twisting his plums a bit.

Si

 

More importantly, why the **** is the use of a black pen required? Ffs,
character recognition stuff was at that stage 20 years ago, and by now
should be well capable of coping with blue ink. Unless the PO/DVLA is
using some shit old machinery.

Anyway, best of luck with your complaint, dearie.

 

Gavsta says...

Oh ****....I suppose it's come round to my turn again....oh well.

 

Patronising. Bloke in his 50s. No smile on face.

See above. Humour by denigration, from a stranger, when I'm a
customer.

This is Derbyshire - duck, love, pet - I don't have a problem with,
some feminists of my acquaintance really don't like it. I don't mind,
as long as it isn't used to demean.

I really can't see the bloke in the post office saying 'you naughty
boy, you've filled it in in blue' to a professional bloke in his
thirties.

Why should I tolerate him treating me with less respect than he would
a man?

Later this afternoon, after lunch, I went into the market to pick up
bulbs and batteries from a stall that sells tools/electrical
stuff/bits that only Mr Eaton would recognise. Bloke there said 'you
don't fancy having a tidy up while you're here do you?' and it was
funny, said with a smile and would be said to anyone bloke or woman. I
told him I'd get back to him when my garage was anywhere near as tidy
as his stall.

So why is 'stupid tart' cause for plum twisting but not 'naughty
girl'?

 

What would your reaction as a manager be if one of your check out
staff used that phrase to a customer and the customer complained?