I am capable of thinking despite my internal reproductive organs

[TexasT]

Years ago, my male friend, we'll call him Gray, needed a new digital camera at the same time I needed a printer so we decided to go together to a nearby elecronics store to get both together.

We first went to go look at printers. I knew what I wanted, but apparently I have no say in the matter because I'm female. While we were looking, a salesman (SS for Sucky Salesman) approached us, and by that, I mean Gray. Before I begin, I should warn you that Gray and I have a similar sense of humor and laugh at stuff like this rather than get angry:

SS: Hello, sir, can I help you find what you are looking for?
Gray: Actually, she's the one looking.
SS: Oh, alright then. *continues looking at Gray* What features are you wanting?
Gray: *turns to me* What features do you want?
Me: I'm actually looking for an all in one, with a scanner and printer in one, but I'm not in need of a fax.
Gray: *turns to SS* She's wanting a scanner and printer all-in-one.
SS: *looking at Gray* What kind of connector will you be using?
Gray: *turns to me* What kind of connector will you us?
Me: Wi-fi. WPA encrypted.
Gray: *turns to SS* She has a Wi-Fi LAN.
SS: *looks confused by what was said, but continues talking to Gray* Alright, well, here are the Wi-Fi ready all-in-ones. What size are you looking for?
Gray: *turns to me* What size would you like it to be*
Me: I would like one of the mid-sized models, no more than 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep.
Gray: *turns to SS* She would like a mid-sized model.

I look around, narrowing my choices, and luckily SS doesn't follow me. Eventually, we both go look at cameras and talk about how SS was obviously sexist. After he picked out his camera, I decide I wanted to go back to the printers because (1) I wanted to complain and (2) I still needed a printer.

So we went back to the printers and I'm stopped by a "kid" (and by "kid" I mean 18 year old or so) working there. He remembers me. Turns out his sister was friends with me in high school, back when he was around 8-10.

Me: Do you guys work on commission?
Kid: We have a base pay, but we get bonuses based on sales, why?
Me: Because I want you to get the bonus, not this other guy I was working with earlier *repeats story*

At the end I bought a printer I still love and he was telling his manager the story as I walked out.

[raudf]

SS... *facepalm* I've had so many issues like this when working at the repair center that I gave up arguing and picked a male co-worker who loved playing completely stupid to take the calls. "Let me ask the lady who knows about this..." was his favorite line. The other was, "I'm really new, like first day new. Nope, I'm the only male working. Well, sir/ma'am, she's the one that's been training ME, so it's either you get her or me. Either way, she'll be the one doing most of the assisting." My favorite was, "What's a lawn mower?"

In person, it was a whole new level of fun, because when it came to lawn and garden parts, I knew most of them popular models off the cuff and just SEEING the blade/belt/etc, I would run back and get it, before the guy could do more than gape at me. Yes, yes.. I was the parts goddess, knower of all that is mower!

[Crossbow]

This is the fastest way to piss off Mrs. Crossbow that I've ever seen. We had this happen at a car dealership (we were looking for a pickup truck for her), and the salesman wouldn't even look at her. I finally lied (a bit) and told the guy "I'm sorry, I don't drive. Why don't you talk to the person that's going to be purchasing and drivng the vehicle?" and pointed to my wife. We walked out at that point.


I did mess with a salesman at a computer store, though... I needed a new gaming mouse, so Mrs. Crossbow and I went to the local superstore. She's a gamer, but not quite at my level (she hates FPSs, but games like Diablo, etc., are right up her alley). Before going in, I coached her in what I was looking for spec-wise. She knows mroe than enough to knwo when she's being BS'd, so I wasn't worried. We walked into the game section, and I immediately started playing stupid. I mean, "Scroll wheel? Do I need that to play Solitaire?" level stupid, while she's rattling off enough gaming terms to have this guy glassy-eyed in seconds. Thankfully, he recovered quickly and had no problems dealing with a "girl gamer" after that.

Got a pretty sweet mouse out of it, too.

[sms001]

You would think sales people would have been the first ones in the WORLD to figure out that WOMEN SPEND MONEY.

Sadly, seen/heard too many stories like yours, especially in "male" (WTF?) categories like electronics, cars, tools, etc. Hey, if the SSes go home broke, instant karma, eh?

And love the way Gray riffed along, it's something I would do.

[cindybubbles]

Maybe he's just not comfortable talking to women?

Just wondering, because if that's so, he'd be better off working in the stock room.

[Ophbalance]

Good lord... my wife had this problem when we moved to NC. A goodly amount of "Good 'Ol Boy" realtors would give her "now let's talk to your husband about this, little lady". We lost several realtors that way .

[Zellie Crescent]

Every so often I have to deal with crap like that just because I don't have dangly reproductive parts, it's worse when me and Bill are out shopping together. He would play dumb and just follow me around, the only time I got REALLY pissed off is when we went out to eat the waiter expected Bill to order for me. I know that some guys (assholes) who insist on ordering for their dates/girlfriends but for the waiter to act like that pissed me off, we never went back there since.

[mathnerd]

Ugh. I hate that. I've been repairing my own/my father's cars since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I've also been his right hand "man" with all the home repairs he's done, and since the man doesn't hire anybody to do anything, that's a lot. While I might not be an expert, I certainly know my way around a car and around a home improvement store. I get that crap a lot. On the other hand, if you need to know about fashion or ballet, I need to defer you to my 12 year old son.

[Mishi]

I tend to get asked by other customers if I've lost my husband when I'm at the hardware store, normally when I'm comparing something. My go-to response is: "Nope, he's exactly where I left him - minding the kids."

[Gizmo]

I've actually had a famous person grope me and turn to apologise to my husband.... who hadn't noticed. yeah, glad I was behind a table at that point and couldn't deck him!

[EricKei]

I can think of two situations where I would order for a lady accompanying me -- a> she wants me to for some reason, or b> It's one of those places that's so fancy they charge for the water, and she OK'd it