'Mrs', 'Miss', or 'Dammed feminist'?

Sunday, 14 August 2016

Today I had to go to Harvey Norman to buy a bread maker to replace our much loved wedding* gift of 13 years ago.  Once the purchase was confirmed, the sales guy wanted to enter my name and address into the computer so that if I lost the receipt they would still have a record of my purchase.    


At least ..I ‘hope’ that’s why they wanted it - this week Denny thought she was getting a simple loyalty card when she went to buy something from Lowes, only to become suspicious during the application process when they asked her what her income was.  Despite the sales people’s insistence it was just a loyalty card, it turns out they were signing her up to a store credit card without informing her!  Luckily Denny became so un-nerved by the questions that she abandoned the application and eventually got to the bottom of the ruse - resulting in the store receiving a very stern email later in the day.


Anyway, back to Harvey Norman. The very first question the sales person asked me was whether it was ‘Mrs or Miss’. To which I instantly replied ‘Ms’, causing him to take a short intake of breath as he relegated me to being one of those women


There’s no male equivalent of this ‘Mrs,Miss,Ms’ question.   Guys, imagine if you were shopping and the first question you were asked by a someone you didn't know was almost the equivalent of "are you are married or single?".. I find this incredibly intrusive and  I can’t believe people and companies are still doing this!   I think we’ve come a long way (um.. say. 30 years), since marital status was relevant in a business or shopping transaction.  As a kid I remember being constantly embarrassed by mum insisting upon being referred to as ‘Ms’, but as with many things, I now appreciate that she was simply feeling exactly the same way I do today.  Mum was also one of the very few women working in the emerging IT industry, often working in offices which didn’t even have a female toilet, so she was pretty used to being considered ‘that difficult woman’ .   Needless to say, what embarrassed my pre-teen self back then,  makes me proud now. 


But despite my mum’s best efforts,  this crap still lingers, and most often when someone asks ‘Mrs or Miss’, and I reply ‘Ms’, the asker seems to be taken aback at my refusal to answer the question,  it’s as if they are offended that I am not trusting them with this knowledge of my marital status - when all I want to do is buy a god dammed bread maker without revealing any aspects of my personal life. 


So from now on, if I’m asked in person whether it’s “Mrs, Miss or Ms”,  I’m going to say ‘Dr’.   Then instead of suspecting that they’re judging me to be ’a difficult woman’,   I can imagine they are thinking ’ah  - a respected doctor’  (when secretly the salesperson is probably just thinking ‘geez - stuck up smartarse’)


*ah the irony!

2016summary
Christmassy Photos Friday, 30 December 2016
Noosa - Day 5 Thursday, 15 December 2016
Noosa - Day 4 Tuesday, 13 December 2016
Noosa - Day 3 Monday, 12 December 2016
Noosa - Day 2 Sunday, 11 December 2016
Noosa - Day 1 Sunday, 11 December 2016
Being Bothered Pays Off. Sunday, 11 December 2016
Swimming tour of Brisbane part 2 Sunday, 11 December 2016
Paver Project Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Swimming tour of Brisbane Wednesday, 23 November 2016
The end of an era Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Snowvember Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Tramp-a-bag Monday, 31 October 2016
Mt Wellington Monday, 31 October 2016
Online Only Challenge Monday, 31 October 2016
3 Capes Monday, 10 October 2016
Packing Regrets Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Fantasy Amazing Race Tuesday, 4 October 2016
Before and After then After that #37 Monday, 3 October 2016
Before and After #36 Zali's Room Take 2 Monday, 3 October 2016
That's DR McComb to you.. Friday, 26 August 2016
'Mrs', 'Miss', or 'Dammed feminist'? Sunday, 14 August 2016
Who is really paying for the bake sale? Friday, 12 August 2016
Running Sunday, 31 July 2016
The Kettering Incident and Why I am the Smartest in the Room Friday, 29 July 2016
Before and After Sneak Peak Tuesday, 26 July 2016
Vacuum Cleaner Update Tuesday, 26 July 2016
How not to go to the movies Tuesday, 12 July 2016
How Not to Sell Vacuum Cleaners Monday, 11 July 2016
Melbourne Mini Break Monday, 27 June 2016
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #35 Thursday, 23 June 2016
Treasure Chest Cake Thursday, 23 June 2016
Shark House! Saturday, 11 June 2016
Before and After #35 - CD Tower to Mirror Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Maths - it could happen to you. Thursday, 19 May 2016
Power Tools Tuesday, 17 May 2016
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #35 Friday, 22 April 2016
Sheffield Rail Trail & Derby Thursday, 21 April 2016
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #34 Wednesday, 20 April 2016
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #31 & #32 & #33 Wednesday, 20 April 2016
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #29 & #30 Tuesday, 19 April 2016
Creatures of Habit Thursday, 7 April 2016
Let me count the ways.. Wednesday, 30 March 2016
Canberra 2016 Friday, 25 March 2016
Un armed.. Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Full day of activities Sunday, 13 March 2016
Dumped Saturday, 12 March 2016
Double Tromble Friday, 11 March 2016
Million Dollar Lane Wednesday, 9 March 2016
2nd International MFSC Tuesday, 8 March 2016
Tip Run Tuesday, 8 March 2016
Blackberry Season Thursday, 3 March 2016
Packed Lunches Wednesday, 2 March 2016
so yeah.. Sunday, 28 February 2016
Cradle Mountain Run Curse Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Last Pictures Tuesday, 9 February 2016
All the kids Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Overland Track - Day 7 Monday, 25 January 2016
Overland Track - Day 6 Monday, 25 January 2016
Overland Track - Day 5 Sunday, 24 January 2016
Overland Track - Day 4 Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Overland Track - Day 3 Tuesday, 19 January 2016
Overland Track - Day 2 Tuesday, 19 January 2016
Overland Track - Day 1 Monday, 18 January 2016
Overland Track - Day 0 Sunday, 17 January 2016
Slow Progress Thursday, 14 January 2016
Pakning på, opp og stå, ut og gå Monday, 11 January 2016