Home > Uncategorized > Well, won’t this be fun.

Well, won’t this be fun.

At last night’s knit night, I wound up telling the tale of the postal clerk several times. Everyone was appropriately outraged, as I was by the time I got there that night. It was pointed out that since it was assault on federal property, it was probably a felony. I love the way my friends leap to my defense. Y’all are great.

The more I think about yesterday’s unpleasantness with the postal worker, the angrier I get. That guy would never have hit a male patron on the head. Ever. And I can’t excuse his behavior as being because he’s a teenager or “of a certain age.” He couldn’t be more than 50, tops. Of course, age isn’t an excuse anyway. My father wouldn’t do that to a strange girl, and he’s – sorry, Dad – close to being “of a certain age.” He’d to it to me, because he’s my dad, but that’s fine. Because he’s my dad. Not some random guy in a store.

He popped me on the head like I was a child. But I’m a 39-year-old woman. Unfortunately, the key there is “woman” which I believe he subconsciously saw as lesser. I’m not going to draw that out. I’m sure you can see where it’s going.

Unfortunately, I’m up at that post office several times a week, and I can’t be seething with rage every time I go in there, so I’m going to have to talk to him. I get that in his mind, we were joking around, and I was smiling at that point, so I’m not going to talk to his boss or be mean. But I do feel that I need to let him know that it’s not really appropriate to pop his customers on the head, and also point out that that kind of behavior in the workplace is a good way to have sexual harassment charges leveled at him. He won’t know if nobody tells him. Fortunately, I don’t mind being the one to say these things when they need to be said.

Still, not exactly big fun. Oh well.

ETA: I just stopped by, and the clerk wasn’t there. However, the new-guy clerk who helped me today gave me a lollipop. Ordinarily, that’d be no big deal, but on the heels of the other, it’s just becoming comedic. It’s me, isn’t it? It’s something about me that says, “I’m eight years old.”

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  1. March 27th, 2008 at 13:15 | #1

    Well, I guess the one thing is that if he complains to his coworkers later, they’ll probably give him a Look and say, “WhatEVER do you mean? is the picture of awesomeness. You must have really been a turd.”

  2. March 27th, 2008 at 13:15 | #2

    Well, I guess the one thing is that if he complains to his coworkers later, they’ll probably give him a Look and say, “WhatEVER do you mean? is the picture of awesomeness. You must have really been a turd.”

  3. March 27th, 2008 at 13:19 | #3

    Heh. This is true. If the guy’s an ass about it when I go to talk to him, I will be reporting it to his boss, who is a woman who seems to brook no nonsense. And since another clerk was there for the whole thing, I know Vinnie the postal clerk will back me up!

  4. March 27th, 2008 at 13:19 | #4

    Heh. This is true. If the guy’s an ass about it when I go to talk to him, I will be reporting it to his boss, who is a woman who seems to brook no nonsense. And since another clerk was there for the whole thing, I know Vinnie the postal clerk will back me up!

  5. Anonymous
    March 27th, 2008 at 13:45 | #5

    Watch this. It will make you feel better about the way the world is and that change is possible.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=cYaczoJMRhs

    Sarah

  6. Anonymous
    March 27th, 2008 at 13:45 | #6

    Watch this. It will make you feel better about the way the world is and that change is possible.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=cYaczoJMRhs

    Sarah

  7. March 27th, 2008 at 14:50 | #7

    Yes, I think a quiet word is the right way to go there, just so he knows that it was a ‘nuh-uh’ kind of situation. I’m one of those people who is, whilst not afraid/against physical contact with other people, am very aware of physical contact. I don’t often touch other people – well, I mean stuff like handshakes and the like is normal, obviously – unless they’re friends, and I know they’re not going to take it the wrong way if I clap them on the shoulder or something. If that’d happened to me I would’ve been keenly aware of the ‘wrong’ of it.

    As a sidenote: If you’re in an annoyed/angry mood already, why not look at this instead? Honestly I find the whole analysis a little contrived, forced, what-have-you, but I figure it’s good redirection for any residual Tvini-anger. I am in no way against the feminist standpoint, but honestly. Turns out feminists can be crazy, just like everyone else!

  8. March 27th, 2008 at 14:50 | #8

    Yes, I think a quiet word is the right way to go there, just so he knows that it was a ‘nuh-uh’ kind of situation. I’m one of those people who is, whilst not afraid/against physical contact with other people, am very aware of physical contact. I don’t often touch other people – well, I mean stuff like handshakes and the like is normal, obviously – unless they’re friends, and I know they’re not going to take it the wrong way if I clap them on the shoulder or something. If that’d happened to me I would’ve been keenly aware of the ‘wrong’ of it.

    As a sidenote: If you’re in an annoyed/angry mood already, why not look at this instead? Honestly I find the whole analysis a little contrived, forced, what-have-you, but I figure it’s good redirection for any residual Tvini-anger. I am in no way against the feminist standpoint, but honestly. Turns out feminists can be crazy, just like everyone else!

  9. March 27th, 2008 at 15:07 | #9

    wait, WHAT? *goes back to read last post*

    Yea, no way in hell that would happen to a male customer of your age. Wtf.

  10. March 27th, 2008 at 15:07 | #10

    wait, WHAT? *goes back to read last post*

    Yea, no way in hell that would happen to a male customer of your age. Wtf.

  11. March 27th, 2008 at 15:09 | #11

    Oh, good grief. Yes, over-analysis.

  12. March 27th, 2008 at 15:09 | #12

    Oh, good grief. Yes, over-analysis.

  13. March 27th, 2008 at 15:10 | #13

    I honestly think my brain broke.

  14. March 27th, 2008 at 15:10 | #14

    I honestly think my brain broke.

  15. March 27th, 2008 at 15:14 | #15

    I just noticed this bit highlighted in the comments: Let me just say now that I have never personally known of a healthy relationship between a white man and a woman of colour.

    Oh boy. Well I guess such relationships must not exist yet! I better run home and tell my husband our relationship is inherently unhealthy.

    People are dumb.

  16. March 27th, 2008 at 15:14 | #16

    I just noticed this bit highlighted in the comments: Let me just say now that I have never personally known of a healthy relationship between a white man and a woman of colour.

    Oh boy. Well I guess such relationships must not exist yet! I better run home and tell my husband our relationship is inherently unhealthy.

    People are dumb.

  17. March 27th, 2008 at 15:20 | #17

    Oh, gosh! All this time and you never knew. /sarcasticjerk

    There’s another interesting one in the comments where someone – namely LJ user asks if there is ANY plot she wouldn’t object to, based on the viewpoint she projects in there… It’s a great counterpoint, but she just sidesteps it.

    I think it just goes to show that you can create any ‘justifiable’ argument if you forcetry hard enough.

  18. March 27th, 2008 at 15:20 | #18

    Oh, gosh! All this time and you never knew. /sarcasticjerk

    There’s another interesting one in the comments where someone – namely LJ user asks if there is ANY plot she wouldn’t object to, based on the viewpoint she projects in there… It’s a great counterpoint, but she just sidesteps it.

    I think it just goes to show that you can create any ‘justifiable’ argument if you forcetry hard enough.

  19. March 27th, 2008 at 15:24 | #19

    Yeah, there was that, and then there was defining Joss Whedon as a rapist because all heterosexual sex initiated by a man, consensual or not, is rape.

    Yikes.

    I was willing to consider some of her points until I realized how extreme some of her personal biases are. Sadly, no one political group has a monopoly on “crazy.”

  20. March 27th, 2008 at 15:24 | #20

    Yeah, there was that, and then there was defining Joss Whedon as a rapist because all heterosexual sex initiated by a man, consensual or not, is rape.

    Yikes.

    I was willing to consider some of her points until I realized how extreme some of her personal biases are. Sadly, no one political group has a monopoly on “crazy.”

  21. March 27th, 2008 at 15:25 | #21

    Well, yea. I mean, if you believe that if a woman consents to sex with her partner, but doesn’t really feel like doing it, then she’s been raped . . . how can you ever watch/read/enjoy anything?

  22. March 27th, 2008 at 15:25 | #22

    Well, yea. I mean, if you believe that if a woman consents to sex with her partner, but doesn’t really feel like doing it, then she’s been raped . . . how can you ever watch/read/enjoy anything?

  23. March 27th, 2008 at 15:32 | #23

    Yeaaa. This is one of those rare cases where it would be perfectly appropriate to say her understanding of “feminism” is really man-hating. And the stuff about Joss Whedon’s wife and marriage is just not cool.

  24. March 27th, 2008 at 15:32 | #24

    Yeaaa. This is one of those rare cases where it would be perfectly appropriate to say her understanding of “feminism” is really man-hating. And the stuff about Joss Whedon’s wife and marriage is just not cool.

  25. March 27th, 2008 at 21:03 | #25

    Yeah, I noticed she was quick enough to reply to the compliments. Challenges of her racist and ad hominem attacks, not so much.

  26. March 27th, 2008 at 21:03 | #26

    Yeah, I noticed she was quick enough to reply to the compliments. Challenges of her racist and ad hominem attacks, not so much.

  27. March 28th, 2008 at 00:46 | #27

    Ooops, I give my customers suckers all the time when I am filling in as a teller. In my head I think of it as a fun thing to brighten the day. Like, wow! I got a sucker! Kind of like getting carded.

    I might have to reconsider this now. :/

  28. March 28th, 2008 at 00:46 | #28

    Ooops, I give my customers suckers all the time when I am filling in as a teller. In my head I think of it as a fun thing to brighten the day. Like, wow! I got a sucker! Kind of like getting carded.

    I might have to reconsider this now. :/

  29. March 28th, 2008 at 00:59 | #29

    No no! It’s totally fine. I appreciated it, it was just that on the heels of the other, it felt kind of like, “and next I’ll get a free pass to Chuck E Cheese.”

  30. March 28th, 2008 at 00:59 | #30

    No no! It’s totally fine. I appreciated it, it was just that on the heels of the other, it felt kind of like, “and next I’ll get a free pass to Chuck E Cheese.”

  31. March 28th, 2008 at 01:03 | #31

    Oh good because my tellers think I am an absolute dork for it, but I would say 75% of the time adults get a little grin on their face and a look that says, “I GOT A SUCKER!!!!”

  32. March 28th, 2008 at 01:03 | #32

    Oh good because my tellers think I am an absolute dork for it, but I would say 75% of the time adults get a little grin on their face and a look that says, “I GOT A SUCKER!!!!”

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