Señora had a small fender bender in a parking lot in her Subaru Outback. She is fine, minor damage to the vehicle. Thanks for asking.
This morning we dropped her automobile off to the body shop. Since it is Señora‘s car and she had been dealing with the insurance company and body shop I was trying to stay out of her way. I ended up in a conversation with a gentleman awaiting his turn. It turned out he was another IT guy who had been through a few corporate merger/divestiture nightmares like myself, so we had a commonality to talk about.
We finished up there, and I drove Señora across the street to the Enterprise Auto Rental office. Again I was trying to stay out of Señora‘s way, but this time there was no IT guy to visit with. Having no where else to be, I was standing next to Señora while they were doing the necessary paperwork. It took a little longer than it should as the insurance company had not done their due diligence and sent the information to Enterprise.
There were multiple people behind the counter. The gentleman we were dealing with must have been fairly new as there was a tall fellow giving him an occasional clue as to how to proceed. The tall individual more than once directed his questions to me rather than to Señora who was the one bellied up to the counter.
I’ve noticed that frequently when we are dealing with contractors for bids on work around the old homestead, the contractors try to deal with me. I generally direct them back to Señora, telling them the house is hers and the ultimate decision is also hers. I wanted to do that with the Enterprise rep, but it would have been awkward.
Señora is still slightly peeved as the car title for the Subaru reads my name and then her name, mainly because the gentleman at the dealership wrote it up that way. Since we were buying the vehicle for her, it bothers her a bit when they just assume I am the owner of the automobile whenever various things come up about it.
But then on the other hand, when we travel, we will frequently make the reservations on her credit card so she can get the airline points. More than once I have been Mr. Weinhaus at the hotel we were staying at. After taking a moment to process that they were indeed talking to me, I always respond as if that was my name.
A not so subtle form of misogyny that women have been dealing with forever.
I have some blind friends that I help. At doctors appointments they would talk to me when they were standing right next to me. They both have a masters degree and I have a GED. It’s their appointment not mine.
I’ve learned to turn my back or just walk away.
Glad she’s ok.
I SO get the whole thing about car dealers, workers everywhere directing questions to the man.
Many years ago before I married Justin’s dad, he needed a new truck. He knew I was a pit bull negotiator so he took me with him. In the “room” the salesman kept directing questions to M, but he told them to talk to me instead. I got him a good deal.
A few years before that, I was single and trying to buy a car. I worked out a deal and went to sign the papers while they took my existing car I was trading in. In the room to sign the papers, I realized they’d made a switch on the terms. I told them if they couldn’t give me what we’d negotiated, they could keep their car and I wanted mine back. They wouldn’t change the papers to what we’d agreed on, so I walked. It took them an hour to get my car back for him. I was livid and gave that car business to a different dealership. Served them right for underestimating me and thinking they could pull a fast one because I was a female.