Driving crazy

Being a woman in a male dominated field has its unfortunate side. Creepers. I must admit I don’t usually know how to deal with unwanted advances or crude comments so I usually just give them their purchased item, say no rather firmly, and walk off. What I want to know is why do some guys not understand that it’s not to cool to stare like a messed up sheep at a woman’s butt, chest, legs, hips, etc? Also, I personally don’t want to hear crude jokes aimed at me or not. I don’t want to hear about your body parts either, even if you’re talking to someone else in front of me. I understand that men are visual and I can handle customers being attracted or flirting but sometimes people just cross a line into being vastly inappropriate. Fortunately, I trust my coworkers enough to tell them when anything like that happens. I figure it’s wise not to keep it a secret. And, I’ve never been made so uncomfortable that I have filed any report on somebody. But still, I sometimes wish that I could throw things at the stupid people who don’t realize that I’m not there for them to stare at/hit on. I’m a professional, woman or not.

The things I dislike the most:

-Don’t talk to my chest. It won’t talk back.

-Don’t call me a “skirt.” If you must call me anything try my name.

-Don’t insinuate there’s anything going on between me and my married coworkers. There’s not. That is not something that should even be joked about.

-Don’t assume I’m incompetent because I am a woman.

-Don’t assume I can’t drive/navigate because I am a woman. I can read a map better than a lot of men I know.

Parting words: If you must flirt, do so with respect. If you must look, be a gentleman.

Montana