Quote:
Originally Posted by Mariposa
As a woman, I appreciate courtesy, but sometimes it can be also tiring, or downright scary! don't blame the women when they react negatively to your acts of courtesy, we live in a society were unfortunately, people don't trust each other, and for good reason.
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I agree. When I first started out at work I found it a little intimidating.
One example is the whole getting in and out of the lift. For me and many of my female colleagues, we just wanted to do our job and not be reminded of our gender all of the time. Most of the time it is just being polite and that is fine but you get some who do it in an exaggerated way with sort of an "I dare you to refuse/object/not say thank you" attitude. Now I would never be rude about it but it did irk me to have to go through that charade every single time I got in a lift. Most people will gesture to whoever is closest to get in, no probs with that. Or the person in the lift who holds it for you if they see you coming, male or female.
I found it very intimidating though when a man stands outside the lift waiting for you to enter and you are forced to run down the corridor so you don't annoy the other passengers.
Getting out you go through it again, and because you were first in you end up at the back but some men will still insist on letting you out first! So to make the ordeal easier do you just assume you will go first? Unfortunately I have seen women do this and you hear mutterings of "princess, or a femminazi who wants it both ways". You can't win!
On the lack of manners in general I really notice it if I am out with my young kids. I can understand in a way because you do see a lot of pushy mums with monster truck prams but I suppose it is a bit like cycling. Some are really rude and people become less tolerant so you end up becoming defensive which kind of feeds the cycle.