Smooth-Leggers and Other Freak Shows

You probably experienced something similar: you walk into a store, wanna buy something and address a clerk. You perceived them to be, say, a man.. but then it turns out he's actually a she and was MIGHTILY offended. This is just getting absurd, soon everyone's gonna have to check whether you're dealing with a smooth-legger or not

Or maybe you could just be more observant, and avoid the whole problem.

If it is that difficult to tell a male from female, as I have experienced at times, I just use non gender specific greetings and such. Not really that big of an issue.

reply to post by survivaloftheslickest


Yes, just be more observant, men all have an Adam's Apple, women do not. That right there is a sure sign of gender.

elbows are lower on a woman - even with the waist line.

elbows on a man are higher and comes about 5-6 inches higher than the waist line.

I still get your point OP. You're so right! I think culture shock took a wrong turn at Albuquerque some years back.

Could that be considered culturalism? Even if it doesnt really come from an organised culture? What would you consider it? Do you think it could compare to racism, or become the new racism?

Kids have just gotten ... I dont even have the word for it. The worst thing we had in my days was big hair, heavy metal and gothic black nail polish and eye liner.

Working in fast food at one time I greeted a customer walking in the door. I said, "Good evening sir, how may I help you?". I was met with this response: "I am a M'am". She looked just like a man. I felt embarrassed but I feel as though that wasn't the first time the women had been mistaken for a man.

If you ask me, she A) shouldn't have dressed head to toe like a man and B) she shouldn't have carried herself like a man if her intentions weren't to be mistaken for one.

Sometimes they may be standing at an angle where you can't see the Adams Apple, and then there are turtlenecks and other things that make it hard to tell. And not everyone is a good judge of what 5-6 inches looks like at different distances. So how much time are we supposed to invest? How many circles do we walk around a person, checking elbows and Adams apples? Sometimes you can't even walk one circle so if their back is turned to you while they are stocking the cigarettes at a gas station, for example.

So are we then supposed to wait patiently until we can view the Adams Apple before we make a determination? I know you can use non gender specific terms, but sometimes you are in a hurry, and you are Almost Positive that the person is a male. I feel bad when it happens, but there are things a person can do to make it easier to tell, if it is something they are concerned with.

If someone mistook me for a woman, I would not care much. But I think it is something women might be more sensitive about. So, if they are frequently mistaken for a man, they could wear earrings or longer hair, or many other things. If its something they are concerned about. If it was me, I would just smile at their goofup and correct the person, and if they apologized I would say its ok don't worry about it, people make mistakes all the time!

reply to post by 3n19m470


Just look at it this way:

Elbow to waist... woman
Elbow above waist... man

6 inches almost your finger tip to the bottom of the palm of your hand. give or take

I used to remember it like this...

A woman always keeps her hand on her hip because she hates it when her elbows rub against them. (a way to remember this lil trick)