I think I should clarify the story a little since it is obvious that what I found to be the interesting part is being missed in translation.

Erica Marie: Im thinking someone here had a bit of grinch going on
Nope, not at all actually. Was in a good mood and smiling the whole time. Caught a number of people off guard that day by saying Merry Christmas to them as I passed them. Brought some good smiles and cheers in return.
The "I usually look for something, not someone .." part was said with a smile and a wink. Of course, the way I wrote it, y'all couldnt know that.
I do admit I have a bad habit of sarcastic humor, and I did watch several episodes of House MD the previous days!

So I didnt actually "Jump down someones throat", that certainly wouldn't be nice to do to anybody, would it now!! ... but rather, I just made a smart-ass remark.

Annyyywhooo ....

To illustrate the point of the first story, here is a similar experience from a different angle:

I was in an automotive parts store one time and a woman walked in. The guy behind the counter looked at her and said "Are you looking for someone?"
Woman replied, with a slight snarl: "No, I came to get a 7/16 Deep Socket and I can find it myself, thank you very much". Guy got red faced.

OK, so that was totally made up .. at least some of it .. but I have experienced that kind of behavior from SA's in typical male stores from time to time. I have also seen female shoppers at the part store, clearly much more knowledgeable about the car project they were working on than the male clerk behind the counter. Always got a kick out of that.

My point of both stories, both the one that actually happened to me just a few days ago and the made up one, is that I find it interesting that the stereotypes are still being observed. The young lady at the clothes store, trained or not, did not expect that I was in the store to shop, but that I was more likely looking for my wife. I found that to be interesting.
We often talk about how the world is changing for the better when it comes to gender and that maybe, just maybe, we are getting a little closer to a point where it is normal enough to encounter someone who is somewhere between the traditional gender presentations that others just dont even notice anymore.
But we are not there yet! This story obviously does not relate to gender issues as I was not dressed and it was not at all in the equation. The story is more about typical gender roles and what we perceive to be typical male and typical female.

My other comment, about how the same SA would have greeted a CD'er, is a different thing. I my little situation, the SA made me feel like I was out of place in that store. She didnt mean to imply that at all, I'm sure, but her greeting suggested it anyway. In that situation, it didnt make any difference to me at all, but after I left, I thought about how I would have felt if I had been there dressed, or partially dressed, or even if I had been there in male mode but with the intent of shopping for myself. See, I have shopped in girl mode a number of times and in male mode for girl things for myself many many times. However, I have never felt real comfortable with it to be honest. With that in mind, I think her greeting could potentially have made me feel nervous or uncomfortable enough that I might have left the store!

- Suzie