I think I know what I am

[Zellie Crescent]

This one happened on monday, more stupid than sucky.

A "lady" came up to me and said, "Excuse me sir, can you help me?" (looks at me a little closer) "Oh, you're a girl?" Yes I am. (hears my voice) "Are you sure?" I think I know what I am. I was upset, but I couldn't believe how stupid this "woman" was, if I was thinking a little bit quicker that day I would have asked her the same thing.

[malmalthekiller]

God, how rude!

I've had old women say "excuse me, sir" behind me, and while it's mortifying, I try to shrug it off.

I'm 5'11 and have shorter hair (usually my shoulder length or shorter), and I'm not on the tiny side, so it happens.

[Zellie Crescent]

What really irks me is that you can tell by looking at and listening to me, that I am very much a female. With "her" I could barely hear it in her voice, and no I'm not exagerating.

[malmalthekiller]

Awkward.

But yeah, you can clearly tell by the shape of my body and my voice that I'm female too.

[Zellie Crescent]

Some people are just idiots, thank god I have a vacation coming up soon.

[Magpie]

I got that all the time when I shaved my head. I even, at my mother's suggestion, wore dangly earrings to make it easier. I never cared much, but I did feel sorry for the people who realised it later. (This is back when I was the fat kid, and while I had a bust that was far more prominent than any teenager should be cursed with, my clothes were loose, and my belly stuck out, so they were missable).

[HawaiianShirts]

..."Are you sure?" I think I know what I am. I was upset, but I couldn't believe how stupid this "woman" was, if I was thinking a little bit quicker that day I would have asked her the same thing.

My mother tells me that, when I was a baby, people often confused me for the wrong sex, even though I was given a distinctly male name and often dressed in blue. With babies, that happens a lot, I think, but Mom said she had several conversations go about like this...

Other Woman: Oh, she's so cute! How old is she?
Mom: He is four months old.
Other Woman: It's a boy?
Mom: Yes.
Other Woman: Are you sure? He's much too cute to be a boy.
Mom: Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know the gender of my own baby.

She once got so fed up with the stupidity of the "Are you sure?" follow-up question that she yelled, "Yes! What, do you want me to prove it to you?!"

It's probably a good thing the OP didn'y make a similar suggestion.

[Teskeria]

My mother tells me that, when I was a baby, people often confused me for the wrong sex, even though I was given a distinctly male name and often dressed in blue.

What many young people dont realize is that until around the 50's Blue was for girls and hot pink was the boy baby color. the reasoning was that blue was a nice cool color and hot pink was more suited to the active nature of boys (yeah right). If you can, take a look at some of the old magazines with baby clothes esp. from the 40's.

[ShadowTiger]

The last time someone mistook my gender, (Which is pretty shocking, because it's far from unobvious. o.o' ) my response after the "Are you sure?" was "... Oh. I might be. Hold on, I'll check." And I put them on hold for ten seconds and resumed the conversation. Never mentioned anything about it again.

[SourRobot]

I'm mistaken for a boy a lot over the phone. I don't mind, I actually think it's pretty funny. I wear baggy clothes and I tuck my hair into my hat, so sometimes when I'm out on the street homeless people will mistake me for a boy. Now that's a bit bizarre to me, but I still don't get upset about it.

That "are you sure thing" is really stupid though. If a stranger said that to me after I corrected them I'd just end the conversation right there.

[Zellie Crescent]

I was talking to my friend Jhon (not his real name) about this and he said if anyone mistook him for a girl he'd "whip it out" and prove them wrong.

[Gaki]

For about three years of my life I had one inch long hair (of which there are only two pictures in existence) and it was a common thing for me to go out to dinner and be called sir directly to my face by the waitstaff. My father would kinda look at me, I'd look at him, and we'd snicker after I'd ordered. I just let them all believe I was a boy because it was easier than having to deal with their constant "sorries" every time they walked past the table.

When I would correct people, especially kids, they'd say the "Are you sure" line and I'd say, "Well I was a girl when I got in the shower this morning, a girl when I got out, and I don't feel anything waggling around down there right now, so if you're not a witchdoctor who did something funny to me, then yes. I'm sure." They'd clam up so fast you'd think I'd slapped them right in the face.

Adults usually weren't so rude but the ones that were...that reminds me of another story that belongs in a different section.... *jots down so she doesn't forget to write it*

[Pagan]

A "lady" came up to me and said, "Excuse me sir, can you help me?" (looks at me a little closer) "Oh, you're a girl?" Yes I am. (hears my voice) "Are you sure?" I think I know what I am. I was upset, but I couldn't believe how stupid this "woman" was, if I was thinking a little bit quicker that day I would have asked her the same thing.

I've gotten "Sir" a couple of times with people looking right at me. I'm obviously of the female persuasion.

I've never gotten the "Are you sure" and I wish it would happen so badly so that I can....look down the front of my shirt and look back at them and say "Looks like".

[Magpie]

Ah, but have any of you ladies gotten "sir" when eight months pregnant? I tease my mom about that one (although whether I was there or not depends on how you define being there).

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Anyone who would say something like this is deliberately trying to be a catty bitch who never outgrew middle school and should be treated accordingly.

If she had REALLY been mistaken, would she not be embarassed and mortified? Of course she would. This woman was attacking you. Probably out of desperation that her own life sucks.