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Irritating tendency in bike shops

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    Irritating tendency in bike shops

    I'm on the petite side but I've been riding since 1984. Today, I stopped at the local bike shop with a friend to look at helmets and tank bags. He was just browsing the bikes while I did my thing and took a liking to a Triumph Tiger 1200. All fine and good since he's been considering an adventure bike to go with his 1100L. I swear to god every last sales person in the place assumed I rode the back of his bike even though I pulled in the parking lot on my own bike. It so irritating that after 30 years, men still think women ride pillion.

    #2
    Still care after all this years....?
    Last edited by Lorenzo; 06-16-2015, 08:34 AM.
    GS1000G '81

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      #3
      Originally posted by Lorenzo View Post
      Still care after all this years....
      What can I say? It's a sore spot with me that people assume because I'm small, I can't do things like ride my own motorcycle.

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        #4
        Park it in the showroom next time!
        81 gs 1100 E One owner,Me.

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          #5
          When I was abroad (working) people kept asking if I was working in a "pizzeria"...
          GS1000G '81

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            #6
            Originally posted by yank View Post
            Park it in the showroom next time!
            I'm supposed to be going back there Wednesday so my friend can test drive a Triumph Explorer, I may drive it in .

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              #7
              Originally posted by Lorenzo View Post
              When I was abroad (working) people kept asking if I was working in a "pizzeria"...
              Hmmmmmmmm! People make me wonder sometimes.

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                #8
                Tamara

                My sister in laws sister, while not short, has a similar issue. She wanted to buy a car for her house in the Hamptons (the land side) as she's a VP at Viacom and makes that sort of money.

                She couldn't find a salesman who didn't completely patronize her. She had my brother go with her the 2nd time and he got the deal done in about 30 minutes for about 10% less. Being a high powered lawyer helps getting past salespeople.
                1978 GS 1000 (since new)
                1979 GS 1000 (The Fridge, superbike replica project)
                1978 GS 1000 (parts)
                1981 GS 850 (anyone want a project?)
                1981 GPZ 550 (backroad screamer)
                1970 450 Mk IIID (THUMP!)
                2007 DRz 400S
                1999 ATK 490ES
                1994 DR 350SES

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Big T View Post
                  Tamara

                  My sister in laws sister, while not short, has a similar issue. She wanted to buy a car for her house in the Hamptons (the land side) as she's a VP at Viacom and makes that sort of money.

                  She couldn't find a salesman who didn't completely patronize her. She had my brother go with her the 2nd time and he got the deal done in about 30 minutes for about 10% less. Being a high powered lawyer helps getting past salespeople.
                  I've been spinning wrenches since I was 5. My dad was a mechanic and he always let me help him. He never treated me like a stupid girl so I grew up believing that everyone treated girls that way. What a shock it was to discover most men act like a woman couldn't possibly know the difference between a spark plug and points.

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                    #10
                    I think it's awesome that you know your way around a motor so well.
                    "Thought he, it is a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."
                    ~Herman Melville

                    2016 1200 Superlow
                    1982 CB900f

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                      #11
                      There was a post some time back in the Other Topics, (now Campfire section) that was entitled " One in a billion" I think it was a youtube video. It was about a girl who did some amazing stunt riding on a 650 in a parking lot. Watch this video and I am sure that it will inspire you to come up with some short and smart remark for the next salesman that tries to patronize you. What I usually do for people like this is, instead of getting upset, I engage them in a conversation, and then pull the rug out from underneath their feet. It takes a bit of work and thought, but you have been walking into some fossilized assumptions and presumptions. Over the years I have discovered that it can be a lot of fun to rattle the cages of other peoples pre-conceptions.

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                        #12
                        Talking to mechanics used to drive my Mom nuts. She knows a couple things about cars, and did not appreciate being spoken to like a child. My tongue can be a bit quick and acidic at times, I do try to keep that in check...
                        "Men will never be free until Mark learns to do The Twist."

                        -Denis D'shaker

                        79 GS750N

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                          #13
                          Talk about assumptions. My sister, when she was in her 20s drove a tow-truck for about 5- 6 years in Toronto. She about 5'0" and quite petite. Let's just say a lot of egos got shattered when she jumped out of the truck. Another was about 15 years ago at our previous house in the country. We needed the roof done and one of the local contractors came by to give us an estimate. Every time she asked him a question he would look at me and give the answer - not her. Drove both of us nuts and no he didn't get the job.
                          '84 GS750EF (Oct 2015 BOM) '79 GS1000N (June 2007 BOM) My Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/soates50/

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Phred View Post
                            There was a post some time back in the Other Topics, (now Campfire section) that was entitled " One in a billion" I think it was a youtube video. It was about a girl who did some amazing stunt riding on a 650 in a parking lot. Watch this video and I am sure that it will inspire you to come up with some short and smart remark for the next salesman that tries to patronize you. What I usually do for people like this is, instead of getting upset, I engage them in a conversation, and then pull the rug out from underneath their feet. It takes a bit of work and thought, but you have been walking into some fossilized assumptions and presumptions. Over the years I have discovered that it can be a lot of fun to rattle the cages of other peoples pre-conceptions.
                            I like your thinking!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Sandy View Post
                              Talk about assumptions. My sister, when she was in her 20s drove a tow-truck for about 5- 6 years in Toronto. She about 5'0" and quite petite. Let's just say a lot of egos got shattered when she jumped out of the truck. Another was about 15 years ago at our previous house in the country. We needed the roof done and one of the local contractors came by to give us an estimate. Every time she asked him a question he would look at me and give the answer - not her. Drove both of us nuts and no he didn't get the job.
                              I drove a semi and you should've seen the looks I'd get when I climbed down from the cab. When we go in bike shops, my husband always says talk to her when salesmen start addressing answers to him.

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