"Hey MAN"...

[Loonette]

Hello girlie friends!

I try to not show my feminist side too much - tends to scare off a lot of people. But once in awhile I get so ticked off. On Saturday, my son's soccer team was playing their final game of the season (with a chance to take in 1st place!), and I really wanted to be there. It also happened to be the only time during the weekend that would be a good time for me to get out on my bike (and I haven't been getting in as much ride time lately as I'd like to). Even though it's a waste of gas to take the car for "Scan" and the kids and then have me ride on the bike, I decided to take advantage of the time frame and ride my bike to his game. It was about 30 minutes to the field, and it was a nice ride along mostly scenic, country roads.

Anyway... once I arrive at the soccer field, I park the bike (on the street right next to where all the parents are sitting), and "Scan" has a chair and my cup of coffee waiting for me (Yay!). I get settled in, and then a bit later, during half-time I think, one of the parents from our team turns to "Scan" and asks... "hey man, who makes your bike?". If I can predict anything, it's that most men want to talk to other men about things like motorcycling. This guy saw me pull up on the bike, I've got my riding gear, I'm talking to "Scan" about my ride in, yet he wants to know from my husband who makes his bike.

So "Scan" doesn't say one word - he just looks at me (with a cute smirk on his face), and then I announce to the guy, "it's a Kawasaki". I felt like saying much more (like... it's a Kawasaki, and it's my bike), but I didn't feel like wasting my breath. I mean... never mind the fact that I was the one to get my husband interested in motorcycling, and never mind that I was the first of the two of us to take a long weekend trip on my bike and the first to ride in a torrential rainstorm on my bike, oh - and the first one to do an oil change on my bike. No - never mind all that, but my God - this guy saw me ride up on my bike... why is it so hard for him to ask me about my bike?!

OK - rant over...

Cheers,
Loonette

[Shorts]

heh Guys are clueless!

I had a similar encounter today. DH and I are in our gear leaving the food court, we both rode in. A couple sitting outside asks us where we bought our bikes etc and the guy mainly focuses his story to DH, but the one who's doing a lot of the technical replies is, well, guess who??? ME! The guy finally fingures it out and starts taling to both of us standing there. At least he corrected himself

[jonnythan]

heh Guys are clueless!

I had a similar encounter today. DH and I are in our gear leaving the food court, we both rode in. A couple sitting outside asks us where we bought our bikes etc and the guy mainly focuses his story to DH, but the one who's doing a lot of the technical replies is, well, guess who??? ME! The guy finally fingures it out and starts taling to both of us standing there. At least he corrected himself

In this situation, it's hard to blame the guy. In general, women are just not up on or into machinery or technical details.

The ones who are are definitely a rare treat. Like you said, at least he started directing the questions at both of you.

The dude in Loonette's story is just a fool. Or maybe he was scared to appear to be flirting with her in front of her husband?

[KarateChick]

Hello girlie friends! ....

OK - rant over...

Cheers,
Loonette

and

Thanks Loonette. You made me laugh because it happens to me a lot whenever I'm with a male rider - they get all the Qs even though it's obvious I just got off my bike.

[Dichotomous]

well, not all women know what kind of car they drive, and non-motorcycling guys will assume that women wont know what kind of bike they ride. which if they rode they would know that a bike is much more personal than a car, and women WILL know what they ride.

[Nalian]

well, not all women know what kind of car they drive, and non-motorcycling guys will assume that women wont know what kind of bike they ride. which if they rode they would know that a bike is much more personal than a car, and women WILL know what they ride.

Not all men do either - and you know what assumptions do.

[Loonette]

well, not all women know what kind of car they drive, and non-motorcycling guys will assume that women wont know what kind of bike they ride. which if they rode they would know that a bike is much more personal than a car, and women WILL know what they ride.

Beyond all that though... I was the one riding the bike - my husband had arrived in our car with the kids. So why would this guy ask my husband about his bike, when my husband wasn't even riding it? And assumptions are no good to anyone. If he had asked me, and I didn't know, then I'd look like a fool and I could have asked hubby to bail me out with the information. That would have felt a lot better than to be treated like a piece of patio furniture.

And I don't know about most women, but I've always had a very personal attachment to our cars and have known as much about them as my husband. But I suppose a lot of stereotypes die hard.

Oh well, like I said - it just irritated me. I know that the guy had no ill intentions, rather he was just being narrow minded and clueless.

Cheers,
Loonette

[MicheleZ]

well, not all women know what kind of car they drive, and non-motorcycling guys will assume that women wont know what kind of bike they ride. which if they rode they would know that a bike is much more personal than a car, and women WILL know what they ride.

How could someone not know what kind of car they drive? I can't even fathom that depth of cluelessness.

I could if it was hubby's car and they only drove it like once per year....MAYBE I could see it then....well okay not really - still can't understand being that out of touch with the world around you.

[Dichotomous]

my fiancee, who's an amazing and smart lady, doesnt always remember what kind of car she drives. she doesnt know what kind of engine or the size, she doesnt know if its front or rear wheel drive sometimes. She just doesnt care. she also doesnt know what kind of car I drive or the bike I have, even though she's borrowed the car a few times and I always talk about the bike
the guy was stupid, but I figured we had that already down and set, so I branched off to go on further

[MicheleZ]

I could understand not knowing the specific engine size, or even front or rear wheel drive - even though not knowing that is going to get you into A LOT of trouble if you are not aware of that when you drive in snow and/or slick conditions......but I still can't see not knowing if you are driving a Honda Civic, Mercedes E320 CDI (diesel) - better remember that or you are SCREWED at the gas pump....you see my meaning.....