Today I bought a new (well, third-hand) car. My dad suggested he take a photo of me with it, and as he did, a passing man said, “If I buy the car, does the girl come free?”
There are several things that would explain my upset feelings here:
– he’s talking about me as though I’m a possession;
– he’s giving the car more value than me.. I’m a free gift to sweeten the deal, it seems;
– he’s talking to my dad as though he’s in a position to sell me/my car;
– he’s referring to me as a ‘girl’ (I am 30);
But the thing that annoyed me most in the moment was that I couldn’t say anything because he thought he was paying me a compliment.
To point out I was upset would seem brash, and to play along would be flirting. But he had good intentions. So I said nothing.
Then I felt upset on the way home, instead of enjoying my car!