Karebear: Men can't cook? Girls can drive stick?

I have two stories. I'll try to keep them short, but since they are along the same lines (Women can't do.... and Men can't do...) I bunched them together.

Story 1:

Tank and I went to the grocery store to pick up some food so he could cook me dinner (aww, isn't he sweeeeet?!). I will admit to everyone and their mother, I CANNOT cook. I burn water. (Seriously, I have.) Tank, on the other hand, can cook anything perfectly. (I'm very unwifey because I even screw up laundry. But that's besides the point.) Anyways, he gets all his things that he needs to make me a 5 star meal and we go up to pay. Cashier is a older woman.

She says, "Oh it looks like you are making your hubby a wonderful meal tonight!"

Me: "Um...I can't cook. He's making it."

Her: "Men don't cook....is he gay?"

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my boyfriend is now gay because he can do something "only woman can do." Pfft. I gave her a stoney stare while Tank paid and walked out in a huff. (Tank didn't hear it because he was unloading the cart and doesn't pay attention to "girly talk." ) He laughed about it when I told him about it...says I was angry enough for two people.

Story 2: 

Tank wanted to buy a new car, so we went car shopping. Tank has two modes of transportation as is....a motorcycle and a truck. However, I refuse to even go near the motorcycle and the trucks door handle comes up my eyeballs. He doesn't mind lifting me up into the truck, but it's not very praticial with a skirt or children. Usually we take my car, but Tank's like no....I need car for you and kids...I drive! All macho like.

Another little note: Tank's driving scares the ever living snot out of me. He's been in a few car crashes (most not his fault, but whateves) and has many speeding tickets. He has gotten better though if I am in the car...he drives more sanely. (Burying my face in my hands while he drives probably annoyed him.) I, on the other hand, drive like a freaking grandma. I have only been in 1 car crash, which was not my fault at all (was sideswiped) and after my second speeding ticket and spending time in driving school while pregnant, I drive the speed limit (most of the time.)

So we went to look at cars. Not really sure why I had to be there...guess he wanted to make sure he didn't get an unacceptable car. (Like I really care...if it's a car, has 4 doors, and driveable, I'm all for it.) Well, first Tank starts looking at cars with no backseats. In which I said, "Tankie dear, where do you plan to put the kiddos? On the roof?" Car guy huffed and said, "Well, looks like your old lady isn't going to let you have some fun." Cue Karebear death stare. Least he had the guts to say sorry about that comment.

So, we look at some 4 door cars with backseats. For some reason, he was going to have me test drive it, guess he didn't want to crash a car that wasn't his or something. He tried the seat first to make sure he fit and could actually move his legs and such (he's a tall guy, makes sense) and then hopped into the back to let me test drive it. Well, the car was stick shift. I know how to drive stick.

Car guy, "Girls can't drive stick!" 

Me: "Um....some can...just like some guys can and cannot...."

Car guy: "No! Girls DO NOT DRIVE STICK."

We didn't even bother to test drive it and left the dealership. In the end we went to a different dealership with a MUCH nicer car guy. Tank ended up getting a car like mine, matching in every way expect the color. He says it's cause we both know how to drive that car. I say it's because he's silly and likes to match me sometimes. (I wear blue he wears blue, I wear red he wears red. I wear pink...he wears a lighter shade of red lol.) But he's happy now because he doesn't have to drive my car (it has girlishness all over it from the license plate to the steering wheel.

--<3Karebear

 

 

Comments

[Spritzy]

Sounds like Car Guy needs to watch Pretty Woman.

[Skittles]

Yeah because whether you can drive a manual or cook a meal definitely has something to do with sexual orientation or the possesion of a apecific type of genitals. Some people are idiots, kudos for walking off the lot though.

[Chicajojobe]

What the hell are these people thinking?

How do they think women managed to drive cars (and they did there's pictures to prove it!) before automatic transmissions were invented?

And how do they think unmarried guys feed themselves?

[The Last Archimedean]

People are dumb. "Gender roles" in this country haven't been like that in at least 3 generations but some people are still living a hundred years in the past.

I'm glad Tank is toning down his driving style. Seems like you're having a good influence on him. [I've noticed that I drive an average of 10-15 MPH slower on the freeway when I am transporting my kids than when I'm alone in the car. When someone you care about is wiht you, you automatically become more careful.]

And that's awesome that Tank is such a good cook. You've got yourself a great guy, KareBear. You and he both deserve each other and I'm very happy that you've finally had some good things happen to you -- you were way overdue for a good long run of good luck.

[Fortune Cookie]

Come on, for Tank to lift you up there I bet skirts are pretty sweet. He probably loves them a lot :)

[Bored at the Bookstore]

Tank is definitely a keeper. Seems like a great friend AND significant other; one of the good guys. I'd absolutely want him in my corner!

I used to be a real leadfoot, too... Before I had kids to worry about. Amazing how having someone else's life in your hands lightens the foot on the gas pedal.

[Fortune Cookie]

Oh also, I would have done the test drive, be like "See, I can totally drive it, bitch. And now I am going to buy it from a nice guy."

On a side note, here in Germany, EVERYONE learns to drive stick shift. There#s a law here that you can transition from a stick shift to automatic, but if you leaned to drive in an automatic car, you're not allowed to drive a stick shift. Pretty nifty if you ask me.

[Nick]

I always look forward to your stories of you and Tank.
Sad to say some people can be sexist on both sides.

The fact that it could cost them a sale should be a thought but those type of people don't think.

[Jami]

@Chicajojobe - Well, if they're like my dad before he met mom, they go to the Swiss all you can eat buffet twice a day and eat as much as they can.

All three of my brothers can cook (and so can I). Where my dad can burn ice water. Which is surprising as he has a PhD in chemistry and as I always point out to him, following a recipe in a book is a lot like following a mixture for a chemical formula. So he should be able to cook if he would just use a cookbook.

[K-dub]

I hope you let the first car salesman's manager know why he lost a sale.

[Maria]

SOunds like Car Guy needs to come over to Sweden, where almost everyone drives with a stick. It's what you're taught in driving school. Automatic cars are very rare here.

[Former Healthcare Slave]

My first car was a manual. I tried to teach my boyfriend, now my husband, to drive it. He would get extremely frustrated and then refuse to try anymore. The following year he was at his parents for Christmas and they helped him purchase his first car. He called me to say that he should have learned to drive my car. He was now stuck four hours away because his new car was manual and he couldn't drive home until he learned how shift gears and not stall out..

[Former Healthcare Slave]

I forgot to mention that a couple of guys would tell me that I had "too much testosterone in my blood" because I could drive a stick. I may not wear bows in my hair but I'm pretty feminine.

Love to hear that things are going well with you and Tank.

[photoslave]

Tank is def a keeper. If you split, I shall have to disown you (just kidding.) I seriously hate when people compare you to a stereotype.

[Framer-Fatal]

Stupid comments, but my fiance cooks, so I would have told the woman "No, he's not gay, just evolved. These new 2.0 men are so convenient, you should consider upgrading!"

[NC Tony]

Good for you on walking out on that car salesman. Like the others said, I hope he realized he lost a sale with his stupid sexist comments.

[The Last Archimedean]

I can't believe there are still people out there who think it's still the 1920's with gender roles.

My girlfriend and I live separately, so on weekdays I have to cook or I don't eat. And she drives a stick, whereas my car is an automatic [although the first car I had was a stick, so I *could* drive one if need be.]

Hopefully people like sexist salesman go extinct and are replaced by ones with brains.

[CashierBtch]

I know guys can cook because my parents would take turns on who cooked for us kids. and dad is actually a good cook. Not to mention those chefs on tv like Gordon Ramsay and the like. Lets hear that old lady tell him men don't cook.

And good on you for going to a different dealership. I wouldn't have put up with that shit either.

[Minidoc]

My husband does all our cooking, cuz I suck at it. And I don't care. Both grocery store lady and car guy need to get their heads out of their butts.

[Book Baby]

We both cook. We both are capable of driving sticks. In DH's job (a mechanic), one HAS to be able to drive anything!

Because DH has had surgery on one knee, we have bowed to age and gotten automatics, although mine has an autostick. I prefer sticks because of the control. However, I know DH's knees won't let him drive one for long periods of time.

[Fluffernutter]

I learned how to drive stick from a friend of mine fond of street racing (apparently something with how the clutch shifts is faaaaantastic for such things) back in my "wild" days before I reached the crippled old age of 22, and it always amazes me when people think all ladies drive automatic, and slowly, like ants.

You show 'em Karebear! Fierce huggly stare. :P

[Humor_Me]

Holy moley. I'll bet that jerk salesman had his wife barefoot and pregnant making him a sammich most of his life. My grandmother was an excellent cook, but when she broke her ankle in her 70's riding her bike (they used to bicycle through the neighborhood every evening), my grandfather had to cook. He did amazingly well considering he didn't know the difference between a hand towel and dish towel.

My (ex)husband's first car was a stick and that's what I learned to drive in (I was 19). We bought an old Ford for me to take my driver's test in though because I was still not that good at shifting. Most of our vehicles have been stick shift. I tried to get my daughters to learn to drive in my old Tracker, but they got frustrated and chose to drive the automatic instead or just not go. I have had knee troubles most of my life, so it has been difficult at times driving a stick, but I still prefer it. Being able to drive a stick is helpful because you never know when you might need to.

Trivia: Daniel Craig didn't know how to drive a stick for the James Bond movie "Casino Royale". Instead of learning, they gave him an automatic. Every other James Bond movie has Bond driving a stick. Considering actors have to learn all sorts of different things (from scuba diving to fight sequences), it seems to me as though he could have learned. Another reason I don't like him as Bond.

[Pagemaster]

Well, Car guy that's pretty interesting because my sister's a certified mechanic of 10+years who owns nothing but stick-shift enormous trucks.

Tell me more about women and cars, I am just itching to hear it.

~__~

[bellflowermoonfish]

@CashierBitch: The idea of a geriatric cashier telling Chef Ramsey that he must be gay because men don't cook....I'm going to be laughing about that all day.
Living in the Babble Belt, I get odd comments for having two bfs who cook (one of whom is a home health aide like me, oh the looks he gets for being a "nurse"!). People have really gotta stop coming up with checklists of qualifications-by-genitals. I always imagine these check-off sheets of human abilities with the headings "has a penis" and "has a vagina", and some old white guy is going down there ticking boxes and distributing it as fact. (I'm rambling and weird, sue me. LOL)

[Slagathor]

I'd test drive one of the manuals and roast the tires, red line all the gears, and take that little bitch for a ride.

[frozenterror]

My mother always enjoys the story of finding a new vehicle when she was pregnant with me. My parents took my older brother (2 at the time) along to get an idea of functionality, and were looking at vans. Salesman comes over, tries to steer my dad toward a sports car...basically, says that it can be functional for a family, and fun as well!

My dad says, "Tell you what. I'll buy this car right here and now on one condition. I want you to get into the backseat, and then back out, without assistance." Sure sale! It took two other salesmen to get the nicely-wedged first guy out of the backseat.

It also led to my childhood being spent riding around in a VW minibus.

[kuroneko4276]

I had a car salesman express surprise that my grandma and I drove stick one time. The ensuing test drive disabused him of the notion that there is fuck-all little old ladies and twenty-something girls can't do. My Grandma did exhibition racing to sell war bonds and drove an ambulance when she was younger than me and still hasn't lost her touch behind the wheel, though for reasons of eyesight she no longer drives after dark. We put the poor salesguy in the backseat and then took turns putting one of the new Mustangs through its' paces. Grandma was not impressed and we wound up going elsewhere.

[HeyHey]

Most Americans in the Facebook generation can't drive a manual transmission. The only reason I learned is because a friend of the family sold us her car when she was upgrading and I was the first of the kids to get my license. This is Ohio, so I learned in the empty parking lot of a country club whose main draw was a swimming pool. All of my friends wanted to try. One by one they all failed even how to turn on the car in neutral except a girl who used to drive her grandfather to dialysis appointments in his old car and would show off. But really, is this skill set really necessary?