Oh no not me !!

Sometimes we need to have a smile at ourselves , this one made me smile .

A few days ago I helped a GG friend out with a small DIY job , I had a pair of ladies worktrousers and an old Tshirt on , other wise basic makeup and wig . When I finished I changed into a blue and white striped top and a shortish denim skirt with small heeled wedges . I was just waiting to cross the road to load some tools back in my car with my back to the traffic when I heard TOOT , TOOT , TOOT . I thought no more of it for a couple of minutes then I realised there was no one else in sight , " OH no he didn't mean me !! I had to smile because if he only knew I'm probably old enough to be his mother ! Can't beleive you show a bit of leg and some men can't leave their horn alone !!

I think the world would be better without this practice.

The reason you value it though is because of the side effect indicative of the effectiveness of your presentation which you have invested your entire life in. You were reduced to a behind and a pair of legs, but you were prepared to overlook that because of that side effect.

However, in valuing that, we also overlook that for those not seeking validation of presentation and just dressing to cope with the heat, getting such car horns might be considered irritating, intimidating or objectifying.

When I was in my teens and looked like an easier target as a young male, I got car horned and shouted at, but obviously for different reasons. So imagine if women did not get car horned ( nullifying your side-effect ) and then you did.. you'd probably consider it a threat too.

- L.

Lydianne,
To a point I agree , when someone leans on his car horn in those circumstances what is he saying ? Look at me I'm ................... whatever he thinks he is lets just say , " God's gift to women ! "

It's something you'll never stop but I'm, being totally honest it was completely unexpected in my case . I did joke with my GG friend afterwards when she asked what the tooting was about , I replied he obvioulsy needs to visit " Specsavers " .

OK I admit at 69 I'm not complaining at getting tooted .

I tend to agree with Lydianne on this. This also speaks to what Meil was talking about in her post.

A woman would be very unlikely to do that to a man. It's really about power.

On the other hand; are you sure the driver wasn't making sure you wouldn't turn around and walk into traffic?

I agree with April Rose: Women usually don't do that to a man. Power or posturing comes to mind, but it makes many women uncomfortable.

I was a very shy teenager in the 70's. Since we HAD to wear skirts to school, and it was common practice for men to toot and catcall. I hated it, it made me feel like I wanted to crawl into a hole.

I realize that for many on this site, you feel that it is validation of who you are or your presentation so many of you like it that men "pay attention".

I’ve been honked at by women — back when I was young and slim. In my experience women can be just as obnoxious as men at times. As long as they can make a quick get away. It’s easy to deal with though. Just make an aggressive move, and zoom, they’re gone.

I’ll admit that, as a woman, I don’t handle obnoxious men well at all. Fortunately, I’m old, so I don’t have to deal with the problem that often.

When I was still working in corporate I was fortunate enough to be able to bike to work when the weather was nice. I would pack my work clothes and wear appropriate cycling attire into the office. There was a woman who worked in the cafeteria who made sure to greet me every morning with cat calls and googly eyes. If I wasn't uncomfortable enough wearing bicycle clothes to work, she made me feel super uncomfortable. Rather than report her, I chose to just let it go.

I know you are looking at it as a validation.

Most women see it as a threat from an early age on you learn to be weary.
Alot of the time, it is just annoying but at worst, it can be really scary and dehumanizing.
Then you have the neanderthals that get mad if you do not acknowledge them and get more aggressive. LIKE
Driving back again shouting ....what you think you are too good for me?

So guess I will say ( from experience) sorry it happened to you. Be aware at all times , you need to get in another mind set as your life has changed .

Honking and gawking at the ladies/girls is a form of distracted driving. When my wife was in the fifth grade (12 years old) a driver was watching the school girls (sicko!) and ran down my wife in a crosswalk when she had the green light to cross. She received a traumatic brain injury (BTI) and had to relearn a lot of school stuff. She permanently lost development of depth perception and as a result cannot drive. A child's depth perception is not fully developed until 12 or 13.

Most women I know do not appreciate honking. On certain streets in my city honking a horn at a woman is really a guys way of trying to find out if the woman is a hooker.

En femme many years ago I was honked at when out for a stroll; red dress and blond wig. A guy in a pickup truck honked, hooted and waved. That's when I decided I needed a more seclude residential neighborhood for my strolls. And, to be sure to wear my gray wig rather than the blond one.

NEVER underestimate men's taste in "women"!:brolleyes:

I've been hit on by men less than half my age, 75. And, these were men who sat rite next to me!
They could clearly see I'm no Spring Chicken and NOT a good looking woman!:eek:

Teresa please be very careful , at my age 57.9999 I dont wear short skirts anymore unless I were clubbing and even then a knee length pencil .
I dont want to be seen as desperately advertising . Im a flowing bohemian type girl for a reason .

We had a guy like that do that to the girls going into gym in pe in high school in the late 70's . That behavior ramped up to where finally he was parking beside the gym sidewalk with no pants on doing you know what ! We were really afraid .

Honking like that is a form of disrespect , l'm hoping you didn't smile at HIM, you cannot tolerate this behavior .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by char GG

...Women usually don't do that to a man. Power or posturing comes to mind, but it makes many women uncomfortable...

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Clearly you've never participated in a "bachelorette" party that was being held in a male strip club. Talk about "Girls Gone Wild", especially after a few drinks have been imbibed by all involved... ;) :eek: :heehee:

As someone close to your age who is turning 69 next month any unwelcome attention would be welcomed. Younger readers may not understand so it's a joke meaning that people don't pay much attention to us at our age. Harassment is never welcome but a little attention goes a long way.

Leslie,

I would assume that a male strip club "bachelorette" party is set up for that type of activity and everyone expects the unexpected. I would consider that kind of an extreme example of the subject. It's like any other strip club, behavior happens that isn't usually condoned outside the doors of the establishment.

I'm talking about the real world where everyday people going about their business, most women would not want to be called out. There will always be the exception. One person's unwanted attention is another person's glory.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Leslie Langford

Clearly you've never participated in a "bachelorette" party that was being held in a male strip club. Talk about "Girls Gone Wild", especially after a few drinks have been imbibed by all involved... ;) :eek: :heehee:

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Sure they do. Likewise, young males can get wasted and throw up all evening after a football game, but fortunately that is not their everyday's behaviour, they keep it more civilized after the event has ended. The two situations can't be compared. Also, the target of the catcalls in your example is a professional sex worker (leg show, lapdance, and sometimes more). Are you comparing a woman going on her business in her daily life to a sex worker?

Wow, love that, I can only dream of that happening to me. I'm not going to be politically correct and I may get called out, but generally men are attracted to nice looking women and vice versa. Yes sometimes it can go too far but a toot is a hoot for me. Enjoy!

Sorry if I stirred up a hornet's nest , to me it was just a passing moment that made me smile .

Dutchess ,
I usually wear the same skirt when walking the dog and it's the one in my avatar .

Di / Char ,
I wasn't really looking for anything , I was more concerned about getting safely across the road to load my car up .

Just to pick up some other comments about female harassment . In my late teenage years I worked for an electronics company , part of my job was to deal with all the packaging , sometimes it was done In-house and sometimes when we had a larger quantity in a textile factory , the MD usually drove me as he used other facilities in the same company . He thought it was hillarious when the girls in the factory whistled and called out unrepeatable suggestions to me , somehow I felt he did it on purpose , the outcome was I got phone number from one of the younger ones but I never did turn it into a date as I already had a GF .

Unfortunately you don't need to descend to the level of s trip club to encounter unacceptable behaviour by women towards men. I have worn a skirt as a man and had women lift it to look underneath. If I wear a skirt and present as a woman - no problem. A pub in Scotland (I forget where) has had to stop its male staff wearing kilts because of the constant kilt lifting by women.

Susan,
Some may not think this funny but I can't help smiling .
During a wedding I was photographing which was part Scottish , the groom , bestman and ushers all wore kilts . During the recption drinks and pictures in the garden I happened to notice two of the bridesmaids with cameras sneak up behind the groom and bestman and take up-kilt pictures . What made me smile despite the heavy material was the way the kilts lit up with flash from the cameras . No harm was done as one of the bridesmaids was a GF of the bestman and the bride told the other she would censure the picture but then added for all to hear that he was wearing a pair of her best knickers ! Was she joking ? I never found out !

Why does everything have to be a woke teachable moment? Let the woman enjoy her split second of attention. Who knows what the guy's intentions were. May e he was trying to flatter her in his anachronistic way? Maybe he was poking fun of a guy in women's clothes? Maybe he is a caveman who does this instinctively every time he sees a pair of legs? Enough with the sermons. We all know that it's inappropriate in this era. Let her have her moment.

Monica,
I'm really not bothered what his suggested intentions were , that's his problem and certainly not mine . I'm not into guys and I wasn't wearing anything to entice anyone , it was a warm day and I wanted to get out of my work clothes and load my tools up so I could enjoy a drink with my GG friend .

The incident just made me smile , it happens and I wasn't offended .