Sometimes I worry about being a woman.
It’s not that I feel continually threatened by men or any crazy hubbub like that, although there are plenty of sincere creepers out there.
I worry more about the likelihood that I am taken advantage of when I lack technical expertise traditionally held by masculine figures. For instance, when I’m upsold a full set of new tires because one of mine has a slow leak. Or the time I paid $2000 in “critical” repairs to my car, which apparently included replacing the battery and rotating my tires. Or even the day my neighbor had to get involved to save me from a crooked HVAC technician, selling me recycled heating and cooling supplies. That one probably needs more explanation. See, I was renovating a few spaces in my house, when the contractor realized that my indoor ventilation plan could use a huge upgrade. Since we were already doing work on the house, I went ahead and contacted the heating and cooling specialist he recommended, and we started talking about new AC and furnace equipment. We discussed new ductwork and replacing the air intake handler, as well. Everything seemed on the up and up, until the day that all my new HVAC equipment was being delivered. Suddenly my neighbor wandered over, and was curiously asking pointed questions and checking out the large machinery in my yard. He hummed and hawed for a moment, and then In the blink of an eye, he was demanding the HVAC equipment was taken away. He started yelling at the ventilation technicians to take back their used heating and cooling devices. He said they better not show their faces again until they had the HVAC equipment that we agreed upon, in brand new and working order! Thank god he knew better than I.
Electric heating