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The internet has backed an woodworker for snapping at a male customer over their "sexist" comments.
Posted to Reddit's r/AmITheA**hole forum, a woman under the anonymous username u/P4ndaTheCrayonEater shared her story in order to receive opinions from the "AITA" community. The vial post has over 12,000 upvotes and 800 comments.
The original poster (OP) began her story by explaining that she has been interested in woodworking since she was 12 years old. When she turned 15, she started working with her stepdad as he owned a woodworking business. When she first began, she had small duties but eventually became a full-time employee while she was in school.
She wrote that the last month had been busy so she decided to schedule herself simpler tasks. One of those tasks was to replace balcony fence planks.
When she first arrived at the customer's home to take measurements and other duties, the customer didn't look "pleased" with the OP. He asked her if there was another worker on the way or if she was going to do the replacement herself, which she was.
When the OP went to begin the project, the conflict began.
"He didn't say much at first, since the planks were good. But then he started nagging like 'you're holding it wrong' (I wasn't), 'you're making mess here' (with the old ones rotten into oblivion). All while basically breathing down my neck. That was tolerable still, what wasn't was him saying 'you said you can do I yourself!' or 'see, why trades are man dominated?' when I asked him to hold or hand me something.
"When I finished, he told me it wasn't half bad but it could be better and faster. Like excuse me, the size - match, lining, distances - good and match, paint - good. Why did it take longer? Almost as if there was something to speed it up little. I asked if he sees any particular problem so I can fix it. He said no, just that a 'normal' woodworker would do it faster. I just lost it and said 'Well I repaired your f**king fence, that makes me a woodworker enough, or not, because women can't be in trades? Why didn't you do it yourself, if I shouldn't do trade jobs in the first place,'" she continued.
The man then told the OP to respect her elders and not to speak to customers in a harsh tone.
Newsweek reached out to u/P4ndaTheCrayonEater for comment.
Newsweek has published several articles on conflicts at work including how the internet backed a woman accused of "lying" about her engineering career and a woman who was backed online after she was accused of stealing her friend's dream job.
What is sex-based discrimination and how to call out sexism in the workplace
As defined by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sex-based discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of that person's sex, including the person's sexual orientation, gender identity or pregnancy. Any discrimination against a person violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
According to a 2017 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, about 42 percent of women have experienced discrimination in their place of work based on their gender.
What can you do to shut down sexist comments? Payscale.com has tips on how to deal with inappropriate comments in the workplace:
- Keep communication digital: If applicable, keep communication between a client or coworker online. However, if you must meet in person, ask a trusted coworker to sit in with you to take note of any unwanted comments.
- Set expectations: When in meetings with clients or coworkers, have rules in place so the conversation isn't geared towards anything inappropriate.
- Pull the wrongdoer aside: Be direct with the coworker or client and tell them any negative comments about gender aren't allowed.
- Try distancing yourself from the offender: If applicable, ask one of your superiors if they, or you, could be switched to another team or project in order to avoid the wrongdoer.
Redditor reactions
"Hahahaha [Not the a**hole]. He's a sexist old man wanting to uphold his 'superiority' for as long as he possibly can," u/Allie614032 wrote, receiving the top comment of over 14,000 upvotes.
U/Melodic-Yak7196 gave the OP some advice, "[Not the a**hole] - I had a fridge repair company send me an email with my estimate that stated something like...'for safety and health reasons, customers must remain fifteen feet away from the repair area and technician'. OP you may want to suggest your stepfather do the same on his invoices or estimates."
"[Not the a**hole]. Hope you added the a**hole tax to his bill," u/PlatypusDream exclaimed.
"[Not the a**hole]. It's about the person who can do the best job. Not the irrelevant DNA. That asshole was a misogynist and looking for an argument. Glad your stepdad had your back," u/giantbrownguy commented.
About the writer
Ashley Gale is a Newsweek reporter based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her focus is reporting on trends. She has covered trends, ... Read more