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RE: Female LBC owners, was: RE: Hello from a new list member!

To: "'Christine Edwards'" <cedwards@cox.net>, triumphs@autox.team.net,
Subject: RE: Female LBC owners, was: RE: Hello from a new list member!
From: "St.John, Kenneth" <ken.stjohn@hexcel.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 07:34:12 -0700
Cheer up Chrissy,
        It's a beautiful, sunny day - maybe an everyday event in Arizona,
but sure cause for celebration here near Seattle!

People are slow to change the stereotypes we grew up with, sad but true.  

I too was asked if I knew how to drive my Spit (let alone start it with that
manual choke!)  I like to think that I am reasonably manly!

I've also had a surprising number of auto store workers say "Spitfire,
what's that?"  To which I reply "It's a Triumph" To which they again reply
"What's that"  Many are very expert at ignoring customers - it doesn't seem
gender based!

Anyway, yes, there are a number of ladies on this list.  Our local Tyee
Triumph Club has a number of active women as well.

The main thing is to put the top down and drive.  Best anti-depressant I
know (guess whose car is running good right now!)

Ken St.John
'74 Spitfire 1500 "Lil Red"
'65 Spitfire Mk II Project "Ol Blue"


-----Original Message-----
From: Christine Edwards [mailto:cedwards@cox.net]
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 6:45 AM
To: triumphs@autox.team.net; spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Female LBC owners, was: RE: Hello from a new list member!


At 11:50 AM 6/21/2002, you wrote:

>Hi Chrissy . Welcome to the brotherhood ( and sisterhood ! ) of Triumph .

Thank you!  I'm glad to be here!

>Man , it's amazing to see so many ladies that are passionate about Triumphs

Apparently, there aren't many around here (Phoenix, AZ).  How many women 
are on this list??  I'm curious, because I've already experienced several 
sort-of discriminatory comments, being a woman and owning a "collector 
car".  I've had several people say things like "Oh, your husband bought 
himself a toy, eh?" as they walk by my garage.  I don't HAVE a husband, so 
that would be tough.  The guy I bought it from asked me if I knew how to 
drive it.  My knee-jerk response was to throw my hands up into the air, and 
in a high pitched sarcastic squealy voice say "Oh no, I'm a GIRL, I don't 
know how to drive a stick, can you teach me?" but I managed to keep my 
mouth shut.

I've also noticed that auto parts stores are weird about women...they 
either fall all over themselves to help me in a completely patronizing way, 
or they ignore me completely, like I must have wandered in by mistake on my 
way to shop for drapes.

I'm a woman who has never restricted myself to "typical gender roles" so I 
suppose I should be used to this kind of thing by now, but it still bugs me 
a bit.  Ladies, have any of you had similar experiences?

-Chrissy, apparently a bit grumpy this morning  :-)

--
Christine Edwards
cedwards@cox.net
http://members.cox.net/cedwards/chrissy.html
http://www.royalnormans.com

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