Woman Can Afford To Own 4 Cars, Doesn’t Let A Repairman Who Saw Them Take Advantage Of Her
Personal life is meant to stay behind closed doors, as it revolves around matters that are none of other people’s business. And a recent post on the subreddit r/Childfree by a woman who goes on the platform by the nickname Rage_and_Kindness is the perfect illustration as to why.
In it, the woman described the time when she let a repairman inside her home, and the guy violated the boundaries of professional behavior the moment he realized that she didn’t have any kids.
This woman did her homework and picked the repairman who gave her the lowest quote for her toilet replacements
Image credits: fotoimagen / envato (not the actual photo)
But when the guy arrived, he immediately disproved all of his positive reviews
Image credits: msvyatkovska / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Rage_and_Kindness
This story is a vivid reminder that society often reduces women to their reproductive system
Image credits: Kristina Paukshtite / pexels (not the actual photo)
The term ‘child-free’ has existed since the early 1900s, but in recent years it has really picked up.
Part of why could be research that suggests growing numbers of adults in the Western world, just like the author of the post, are actively choosing not to have kids.
In the US, for example, a 2021 Pew Research Center study showed some 44% of non-parents aged 18 to 49 don’t think they will ever have children, up from 37% in 2018.
More than half listed their main reason for the decision as “don’t want to have children” rather than more circumstantial factors such as medical issues or financial worries.
In England and Wales, a 2020 YouGov survey suggested that more than half of British 35-to-44-year-olds who haven’t had kids never plan on doing so.
Elizabeth Hintz, an assistant professor in communication at the University of Connecticut, US, who’s studied perceptions of child-free identities, agrees that there’s “a lot of strong opinions” from the general public, which hints the lack of respect the Redditor has faced from the repairman isn’t a standalone case.
Some say parents might have difficulty understanding that not having children is a choice, and so they see it as an attack on their choice of having children.
Especially when they’re interacting with women.
“Reproductive decision making has always been a burden placed on women more so than their partners,” Hintz said. “And motherhood and femininity are so closely intertwined as well, so that is also, I think, a part of it.”
As a result, this means there’s still often a lot of pressure on women to follow a traditional “life script,” even from their repairmen!
People who read it have had a lot of strong reactions
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For those that don't believe this story. I bought a home in bad repair when I was a single mother. I did do some things myself. When I sold the home I needed some tiling work done. The tiler that came round did the job and had been asking me personal questions, how much I bought the home for, how much I was selling the home for, did I get the money for the home off an ex husband. He seemed really mad that I bought it myself, no, I didn't get any money from my ex husband, I had a good paying job and I was selling it myself and I was "making $200K in fifteen years for doing next to nothing but buying a house". Do men talk to other men like that? Yeah, thought not. The repair man in this story wouldn't have done this to another man either.
Yep, see my comment above. Once they know your single, have a nice car and work from home, bam, price goes up. Had both cleaners and repair people do this.
Load More Replies...Companies have attempted to justify paying men more than women for the same job because "he has a family to support." Well, she does, too!
So when did it become everyone's business and destiny to "have kids"? WTAUF is this garbage about?
Load More Replies...This guy saw money, was dealing with what he saw as a lone woman he thought he could take advantage of and gambled, hoping for a win for his own poor financial management. If a business person sees someone in need and wants to be charitable, offering a discount, that's fine. It's not acceptable to do the opposite, seeing the client is wealthy, then increasing your profit because of it. If he is self employed and the business isn't covering his needs, he needs to change careers, or close his business and just be an employee. If he's already just an employee, he needs to change jobs somehow. If anyone was wasting the other's time, it was him by going through the whole bidding process with the idea of unethically overcharging. She definitely needs to place reviews every place he is listed, and report in to any bosses and government agencies that cover issues like this.
On a side note: to the men who don't get why women tend to feel unsafe with men (bear or man) - this is part of why. Like no it's not Always about thinking we might get raped or killed, it's due to many incidents like that, when we would have loved to rightfully express our anger, but didn't, because we knew we might just end up getting menaced or even things like given a push on his way out.
Load More Replies...people like that need to be gently reminded that we know what causes pregnancy these days, and how to prevent it.
I've heard that you have to pay for contraception in the USA (which is awful & stupid re: Govt decisions, tbh), but then, kids are more expensive in the long run, so it's worth it if peeps really don't want kids/want them once they're able to afford them (ps: I'm not sure what the cost of contraception is there, btw). I went back and forth to Canada (my ex is Canadian), and met a young woman in our friend group who was 23 and had 4 kids with her BF. She told me they used the 'pull-out' method. 👀👀. This was 13 years ago, btw, and they too, had to pay for contraception.
Load More Replies...It has happened to me. I live rural. My ex is a contractor and from Europe. So the house has stone flooring with medalions, a mural on the wall, etc. I also have a BMW which I bought chesp from a mechanic. And a pickup and a Yaris. Not bragging just saying it is not your typical country home. The quotes i get are so widely over what they should be. Has a ckeaner who quoted 40 hour but wanted to charge 60 ( it wasnt because the house was super dirty, i was just sickk ) . Now the guy hitting on her seems absolutely made up.
Load More Replies...Eh. I'm very tall for my country and as I hate being cold I always bundle up in baggy, multi-layered clothes during winter. So I get misgendered a lot. On one Valentine's Day, I brushed past a (visibly shorter) guy who was on a date. He got in my face, tried to bump me in the chest, the whole s**t for "disrespecting him in front of his lady". It was surreal. Talked to some of my male colleagues who informed me that this type of behaviour is fairly normal in some circles.
Load More Replies...I don't understand why peeps have loads of kids and then complain re: how expensive it is? Are they just naive? I had 2 and even living in the UK, it was still a bit of a push, financially (childcare mostly, esp in the school holidays). My daughter has 3, and both she and her hubby have excellent, well-paid careers, but still feel the pinch. I'm not dissing anyone, but I feel that our world is anti-population (by 'our world' I mean the 1% want us to stop 'breeding' - for example, Bill Gates, and the late Prince Philip who said he wanted to come back as a virus, to reduce the (probably poor) population). Taking it out on childless couples is insane.
Oh, I am so sorry you decided to reproduce beyond your means. How does that make it anyone else’s fault?
The thing I can't get over is replacing toilets because they're "ugly". It's a toilet. As long as it works, why does it matter?
It’s nobody ps fault but his that he has five kids he can’t afford. That not a good reason to try to rip someone off.
Report him to the Better Business Bureau and to the state department of labor for ipunethical violations. By law, he has to honor his original quote, especially since it is in writing.
One commente rmaneioned reporting him to his boss, or whatever licensing body exists in their area. Then finished with "But I'm petty like that." That's not being petty, that's being proactive and looking out for your fellow consumers.
Don't care, in the first place you CHOSE to answer inappropriate questions. You should have said the only question you are entitled to ask is WHAT do you want me to do and how will you be paying for this service, not about my life/parenthood status, or financial status. If you choose to indulge in gossiping with your service worker, and answer totally inappropriate questions You reap what you sow.
Sounds like Benny from Mars. Ask him if he drives a taxi as a side hustle.
It's called gazumping in the housing market in the UK which definitely needs better regulation. If you put a quote in writing, you can't renege unless the job description underplayed it so much you already know that the quote won't cover costs, which is why you site inspection before a final agreed quote. You do NOT up a quote because you can smell money - and you definitely leave a well written polite review explaining what your experience was rather than just slating them so people take it a bit more serious than "F*****g cowboy tried to shaft me"... Her personal situation has nothing to do with the work, this guy is not going to be pulling in big contracts with that schpiel - you already knew kids were expensive by #3 but had another 2? That's on you, my guy.
First, when he asked how many children she had, she should have asked him why it was any of his business. When he tried to upgrade his price, showed him the door. Personal information is nobody's business unless you volunteer it. Go response to personal information is "Bless your heart, thank you so much for asking ". That means, mind your own damn business!!!
My wife has a horse that lives in the pasture in front of our home. I can not call a plumber. There is simply no point. The last one wanted to rip out and replace a perfectly good water heater, so they could reach the wall they wanted to rip open. For those that don't know, plumbers do not repair dry wall. That's your problem. I sent them away with their tail between their legs and learned how to fix it myself, from the shower side so I didn't have to move the water heater or rip open the wall. It was something I had seen done before during another shower repair. You cut around the faucet handle to get access to everything inside, then replace the face plate with a larger plate that covers the larger hole. Oversized face plates are made specifically for this purpose and I had specifically told him about it. But oh no, he'd rather do it the hard way for literally thousands of dollars. Fixed it myself for a few bucks. This is why my wife keeps me around.
Or maybe he was thinking you had a bunch of kids and was qouting you a discount to start. Which is why it's a bad idea to make assumptions. Had he not then he wouldn't have gotten flummoxed later when he realized she didn't need one. I was a young military wife with kids, repairmen (not to be sexist they just always were men) always gave me discounts on top of discounts to help us get by, sometimes at a bit of loss for them. OP clearly didn't need one and probably wouldn't bat an eye at the regular price had the guy gave it, but he made assumptions and now feels awkward and she's offended and he had to feign ignorance it's stupid now and I'm sure he's kicking himself in the a*s and saying something to the effect "it's the last time I try to help someone out, I got bills to pay, they're doing fine"
A quote is just that a quote, it's abinding agreement irrelevant of your circumstances.
Outdated toilet?!?! I guess she wanted the one of the ones that were Bluetooth.
What the hell are you rambling about? Would having your own room make you literate?
Load More Replies...Do you not think 4 cars and a 5 bedroom house cost more than less cars/bedrooms? She did pay more and helped subsidize the livelihood of the auto workers who made the cars as well as the construction workers who helped build the house. Your life will be much happier when you quit comparing checkbooks with other people.
Load More Replies...For those that don't believe this story. I bought a home in bad repair when I was a single mother. I did do some things myself. When I sold the home I needed some tiling work done. The tiler that came round did the job and had been asking me personal questions, how much I bought the home for, how much I was selling the home for, did I get the money for the home off an ex husband. He seemed really mad that I bought it myself, no, I didn't get any money from my ex husband, I had a good paying job and I was selling it myself and I was "making $200K in fifteen years for doing next to nothing but buying a house". Do men talk to other men like that? Yeah, thought not. The repair man in this story wouldn't have done this to another man either.
Yep, see my comment above. Once they know your single, have a nice car and work from home, bam, price goes up. Had both cleaners and repair people do this.
Load More Replies...Companies have attempted to justify paying men more than women for the same job because "he has a family to support." Well, she does, too!
So when did it become everyone's business and destiny to "have kids"? WTAUF is this garbage about?
Load More Replies...This guy saw money, was dealing with what he saw as a lone woman he thought he could take advantage of and gambled, hoping for a win for his own poor financial management. If a business person sees someone in need and wants to be charitable, offering a discount, that's fine. It's not acceptable to do the opposite, seeing the client is wealthy, then increasing your profit because of it. If he is self employed and the business isn't covering his needs, he needs to change careers, or close his business and just be an employee. If he's already just an employee, he needs to change jobs somehow. If anyone was wasting the other's time, it was him by going through the whole bidding process with the idea of unethically overcharging. She definitely needs to place reviews every place he is listed, and report in to any bosses and government agencies that cover issues like this.
On a side note: to the men who don't get why women tend to feel unsafe with men (bear or man) - this is part of why. Like no it's not Always about thinking we might get raped or killed, it's due to many incidents like that, when we would have loved to rightfully express our anger, but didn't, because we knew we might just end up getting menaced or even things like given a push on his way out.
Load More Replies...people like that need to be gently reminded that we know what causes pregnancy these days, and how to prevent it.
I've heard that you have to pay for contraception in the USA (which is awful & stupid re: Govt decisions, tbh), but then, kids are more expensive in the long run, so it's worth it if peeps really don't want kids/want them once they're able to afford them (ps: I'm not sure what the cost of contraception is there, btw). I went back and forth to Canada (my ex is Canadian), and met a young woman in our friend group who was 23 and had 4 kids with her BF. She told me they used the 'pull-out' method. 👀👀. This was 13 years ago, btw, and they too, had to pay for contraception.
Load More Replies...It has happened to me. I live rural. My ex is a contractor and from Europe. So the house has stone flooring with medalions, a mural on the wall, etc. I also have a BMW which I bought chesp from a mechanic. And a pickup and a Yaris. Not bragging just saying it is not your typical country home. The quotes i get are so widely over what they should be. Has a ckeaner who quoted 40 hour but wanted to charge 60 ( it wasnt because the house was super dirty, i was just sickk ) . Now the guy hitting on her seems absolutely made up.
Load More Replies...Eh. I'm very tall for my country and as I hate being cold I always bundle up in baggy, multi-layered clothes during winter. So I get misgendered a lot. On one Valentine's Day, I brushed past a (visibly shorter) guy who was on a date. He got in my face, tried to bump me in the chest, the whole s**t for "disrespecting him in front of his lady". It was surreal. Talked to some of my male colleagues who informed me that this type of behaviour is fairly normal in some circles.
Load More Replies...I don't understand why peeps have loads of kids and then complain re: how expensive it is? Are they just naive? I had 2 and even living in the UK, it was still a bit of a push, financially (childcare mostly, esp in the school holidays). My daughter has 3, and both she and her hubby have excellent, well-paid careers, but still feel the pinch. I'm not dissing anyone, but I feel that our world is anti-population (by 'our world' I mean the 1% want us to stop 'breeding' - for example, Bill Gates, and the late Prince Philip who said he wanted to come back as a virus, to reduce the (probably poor) population). Taking it out on childless couples is insane.
Oh, I am so sorry you decided to reproduce beyond your means. How does that make it anyone else’s fault?
The thing I can't get over is replacing toilets because they're "ugly". It's a toilet. As long as it works, why does it matter?
It’s nobody ps fault but his that he has five kids he can’t afford. That not a good reason to try to rip someone off.
Report him to the Better Business Bureau and to the state department of labor for ipunethical violations. By law, he has to honor his original quote, especially since it is in writing.
One commente rmaneioned reporting him to his boss, or whatever licensing body exists in their area. Then finished with "But I'm petty like that." That's not being petty, that's being proactive and looking out for your fellow consumers.
Don't care, in the first place you CHOSE to answer inappropriate questions. You should have said the only question you are entitled to ask is WHAT do you want me to do and how will you be paying for this service, not about my life/parenthood status, or financial status. If you choose to indulge in gossiping with your service worker, and answer totally inappropriate questions You reap what you sow.
Sounds like Benny from Mars. Ask him if he drives a taxi as a side hustle.
It's called gazumping in the housing market in the UK which definitely needs better regulation. If you put a quote in writing, you can't renege unless the job description underplayed it so much you already know that the quote won't cover costs, which is why you site inspection before a final agreed quote. You do NOT up a quote because you can smell money - and you definitely leave a well written polite review explaining what your experience was rather than just slating them so people take it a bit more serious than "F*****g cowboy tried to shaft me"... Her personal situation has nothing to do with the work, this guy is not going to be pulling in big contracts with that schpiel - you already knew kids were expensive by #3 but had another 2? That's on you, my guy.
First, when he asked how many children she had, she should have asked him why it was any of his business. When he tried to upgrade his price, showed him the door. Personal information is nobody's business unless you volunteer it. Go response to personal information is "Bless your heart, thank you so much for asking ". That means, mind your own damn business!!!
My wife has a horse that lives in the pasture in front of our home. I can not call a plumber. There is simply no point. The last one wanted to rip out and replace a perfectly good water heater, so they could reach the wall they wanted to rip open. For those that don't know, plumbers do not repair dry wall. That's your problem. I sent them away with their tail between their legs and learned how to fix it myself, from the shower side so I didn't have to move the water heater or rip open the wall. It was something I had seen done before during another shower repair. You cut around the faucet handle to get access to everything inside, then replace the face plate with a larger plate that covers the larger hole. Oversized face plates are made specifically for this purpose and I had specifically told him about it. But oh no, he'd rather do it the hard way for literally thousands of dollars. Fixed it myself for a few bucks. This is why my wife keeps me around.
Or maybe he was thinking you had a bunch of kids and was qouting you a discount to start. Which is why it's a bad idea to make assumptions. Had he not then he wouldn't have gotten flummoxed later when he realized she didn't need one. I was a young military wife with kids, repairmen (not to be sexist they just always were men) always gave me discounts on top of discounts to help us get by, sometimes at a bit of loss for them. OP clearly didn't need one and probably wouldn't bat an eye at the regular price had the guy gave it, but he made assumptions and now feels awkward and she's offended and he had to feign ignorance it's stupid now and I'm sure he's kicking himself in the a*s and saying something to the effect "it's the last time I try to help someone out, I got bills to pay, they're doing fine"
A quote is just that a quote, it's abinding agreement irrelevant of your circumstances.
Outdated toilet?!?! I guess she wanted the one of the ones that were Bluetooth.
What the hell are you rambling about? Would having your own room make you literate?
Load More Replies...Do you not think 4 cars and a 5 bedroom house cost more than less cars/bedrooms? She did pay more and helped subsidize the livelihood of the auto workers who made the cars as well as the construction workers who helped build the house. Your life will be much happier when you quit comparing checkbooks with other people.
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