Wow, Misogynists And Homophobes Really DO Go Together!, Part 2

Bigotry, Editors' Choice, Hardware Store, Illinois, LGBTQ, Retirement, USA, YMMV | Right | July 24, 2024

I worked for twenty years in a hardware store before retiring to be a more hands-on grandmother. In my entire career in retail this remains my absolute favorite moment where one perfect moment proceeded another.

As a woman working in the lumber department, I usually get the old school male customers assuming I’m some glorified secretary. As I know I will be leaving soon I have given up hiding behind a customer service smile to these idiots.

Customer: “Can I get someone else to help me? No offense, darlin’, it’s just easier to do this with a man.”

Me: “No problem, cupcake! I can tell you’re not used to women handling your wood.”

The customer made a cartoonish “guffaw” sound and recomposed himself.

Customer: “Is there any need to be so vulgar?”

Me: “You’re the one that implied my genitals were a hindrance to my ability to do my job. Don’t worry, I’ll find someone who identifies as a man to come and help you.”

Now I said “identifies as a man” and not “a man” on purpose, because in a cosmically beautiful piece of timing, the department manager that day happened to be a FTM transgendered person. I called them over to explain the situation, as well as hear the customers complaint.

Manager: “As a man, I could try to help you, sir. Would that be acceptable?”

Customer: *Storming out.* “This whole f****** world is going to Hell!”

Manager: *To me.* “You and your genitals, as you were.”

It was a fun final year there, with no f***s to give and with a manager who let me get away with it!

This story is part of our Editors’-Favorite-Stories-Of-2024-(second half!) roundup!

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