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Misogynistic Man Underestimates Woman, Keeps Mocking Her, Regrets It When She Cancels His $11k Deal
Interview With Author
Misogyny disguised as humor is like a bad knock-knock joke – it’s not clever, it’s not funny, and it leaves everyone wishing they’d stayed home. Throw in a dose of male bravado, and suddenly, things get really uncomfortable.
That’s exactly what happened when one woman met a restaurant owner whose outdated views and cringey comments cost him an eye-watering $11,000. Let’s just say his attempts to impress didn’t land – unless you count landing himself in hot water. Now that’s what I call an expensive sense of humor.
More info: Reddit
RELATED:
When misogyny meets bad humor, it costs more than just pride
Image credits: Rachel Claire / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One woman was mocked and insulted by a misogynistic restaurant owner at a food tasting, making her back out of an $11k deal
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The woman and 3 male colleagues participated in a food tasting at an Indian restaurant where they were planning on organizing an event
Image credits: Drazen Zigic / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The restaurant owner insulted and mocked the woman the entire night, assuming she was one of the men’s wife, but she was actually the one holding the credit card
Image credits: ENTPoncrackenergy
The owner was shocked when he realized the woman he insulted was actually the decision maker, causing him to lose the $11k deal
Our protagonist, a quiet but clearly capable woman, was scoping out an Indian restaurant with her 3 male colleagues. Together, they were planning a professional event and attended a food tasting to see if the venue could fit the bill. That’s when they met the restaurant owner, who immediately decided that the men in the group were in charge, and our OP (original poster) was… well, an accessory.
From the moment they sat down, it was one misogynistic joke after another. First, he asked one of the OP’s male colleagues if she could cook, casually tossing in some commentary about her slim figure, because apparently, body type determines culinary skills. Bold strategy. But the OP didn’t respond, opting instead for the kind of stare that could make even the most confident uncle sweat bullets.
The owner’s next gem was the classic ageist one. This guy implied that “younger ones” like the OP might go wild with shots. For context: she’s a practicing Buddhist who doesn’t drink, a fact her friend clarified. But rather than taking the hint, the owner took a sharp turn into even murkier waters, speculating that her friends must surely be party animals; you know, girls gone wild. Classy dude, isn’t he?
Still, our OP kept her cool, letting her silent disapproval do the talking while her male colleagues squirmed in their seats. By the time the owner brought out the spreadsheet and card reader, he’d already crossed the line from charmingly awkward to outright offensive.
And just when you thought he might finally read the room, he capped things off with a “joke” about her paying the £500 (just over $600) deposit, complete with a laugh at his own audacity. Our OP sure is a classy lady, because I’d probably be throwing plates by now.
At this point, most people would’ve walked out, but our OP remained calm and professional. She politely declined the venue, citing valid reasons like capacity concerns and overlapping events. But let’s be real—the owner’s attitude was the nail in the coffin. And when he turned to her male colleague for confirmation, her friend delivered the ultimate mic drop line: “Well, it is her event.”
I wish I could have seen the look on the dude’s face when he realized the woman he had insulted the entire evening was the decision-maker. But the OP got to see it and it was probably priceless. That awkward “oh no” moment? Worth every penny of the $11,000 he lost.
Image credits: peoplecreations / Freepik (not the actual photo)
To find out more about the situation, we’ve reached out to the poster for some comments. She told Bored Panda that she hasn’t had any communication with the restaurant owner after the incident and that he never apologized for his comments. The poster also mentioned that situations like the one in this story, where someone underestimated her role or authority, are very rare and uncommon for her.
We’ve asked the poster what her colleagues’ reactions to the owner’s comments were. She said that they didn’t step in, but that’s because they know she prefers handling things on her own. The remarks were subtle, and her colleagues understand that she approaches these situations in her own way. She wouldn’t want anyone swooping in to “rescue” her or escalating things unnecessarily.
We wanted to know if the poster would have handled the situation differently if she got the chance to go back. She explained that “silence was definitely the perfect response. There’s this narrative that you have to ‘teach these people a lesson’- that is not my job, and I am not his mother. A 30-minute conversation with me is not going to undo the 60+ years of misogyny he has under his belt.”
The poster also wanted to add some personal thoughts. “I think I’d just like to add that majority of women work shoulder to shoulder with men and have been for decades. This is not a new development by any stretch of the imagination, so it doesn’t make sense to have this assumption that men are the sole breadwinners anymore.”
She also mentioned that this isn’t just a feminist perspective – it’s a fact, and people should take a moment to observe their own workplaces. At this point, it’s not just a gender issue—it’s a refusal to accept the reality that women have been building careers and earning money for decades.
What do you think of this story? Would you have handled things differently if you were in the OP’s shoes? Let us know in the comments!
Netizens applaud the woman for the way she treated the owner and for not engaging with him, some even sharing their own encounters with misogyny
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What do you think ?
J. Maxx 1 year ago
I'm a big Gay dude with facial tattoos. Went into a Nissan dealership to buy a truck, 1st sales rep comes up to me and makes a face, my Mom and I turn around and go to the Toyota dealership next door. As we pull into the dealership, our minivan literally dies in the parking space. We walk in, and a few sales reps are standing there looking at us like we're trash. A young woman was standing off to the side. I ask if she can sell cars, and she says she doesn't typically but can find me someone, I ask her if she was to sell me one would she get a commission and she says yes. I tell her I want her to help me and proceed to pay cash for a new truck. The sales reps (all men) were pissed.
Ivy at Eve 11 months ago
Way back, when people in hardware stores knew what the tools they sold were used for and people collected leaflets with instructions instead of looking for a YouTube video (and yes, this was clearly the previous century), if my dad wasn't quite sure how to address a DIY, my parents tag teamed... my dad would approach the person in the hardware store with "could you explain to my wife how...?" or "My wife isn't sure why we need..." Ten out of ten, the person would go out of his way to explain mum how to tackle a project or how to use certain tools. The explanation was more often than not, in manly solidarity, better than what dad would have gotten, as you know he is a bloke and should just know these things while mum was thar harpy that would not trust her man. Of course, my dad kept his ears wide open...
Load More Replies...
Apatheist Account2 1 year ago
We were buying fencing products. My wife is the one who does the DIY and knows what she needs - I just drive and pay :) Anyway, she's looking at the options, but the bloke waits until I come back from collecting another piece and begins with "Now you're both here" and starts to talk through what's what. When buying a computer, though, the salesman kept ignoring my comments and focused entirely on my wife, possibly because he thought she was easier to sell to - I worked in data processing for 40 years and I do know what makes a machine work. We left without buying anything.
V 1 year ago
Urgh, I got some fat pack shelves delivered that I wanted for the garage. The guys that delivered them asked if my husband was home to carry the boxes inside - no he wasn't, he didn't even know I ordered them. I got them to just put them down and then I picked them up in front of them to take them in.
Load More Replies...
Jennifer Clayton 1 year ago
This is why I love helping people buy cars. Early in my career I sold cars. When I bought cars they always did the song and dance for my then husband. We let them. Then we'd talk numbers and the ex would walk away. By this point in my career I was a Corp exec in technology and done lots of negotiating. I'd render those ahole salesmen down till I was paying under invoice. Always got a ton of respect from the finance pros when they saw I purchased under invoice (below the dealership's cost) every damn time.
Fellfromthemoon 1 year ago
Forty-something old female uni teacher and a younger male PhD student were on the exam comittee. The young male student picked his topic and started to discuss it - addressing always the PhD student. The middle-aged woman asked a question, and the examiné told the correct answer - again, to the PhD student. He only spoke to the young male examiner, never the older female comittee member. Guess who graded the exam? (The student received good marks, as he knew the material.)
Jay Cee 1 year ago
Sometimes it works out OK. My daughter was buying her flat and I offered to buy her her bed as a house warming present. Looked at several stores but they all deferred to me because . . . Dad, right? We bought from the one where, when we walked in a middle aged man approached us and gave me the "Can I help you?" I said "She's your customer." And he responded with "In that case I think my colleague Nancy would be best to help you." Nancy is about the same age as my daughter and they got on like a house on fire while I sat back as they chatted away for ages. When we finished I asked if she worked on commission and she said yes so I commented on her colleague handing over the sale to her (brass bed at £1400, mattress at £950) instead of taking the sale himself. "That's because he's a good manager to work with" The store, the (assistant) manager and Nancy all got a five star review and apparently the bed is very comfortable too.
Lena Flising 10 months ago
When I was around 12 years old, my mom wanted a bigger house (my dad didn't have anything against it, it was just her idea). She went to a couple of house viewings on her own, as dad worked late. At one viewing the real estate agent looked expectantly behind her and asked "When is HE coming?"; he clearly wanted The Man there before starting to do the sales pitch. Mom just looked at him and said "I'm buying a house, but not this one", and turned around and left.
Jay Cee 2 months ago
Sometimes, just sometimes . . . My daughter wanted a sofabed for her small flat so we went shopping together. Arrived at one store and were wandering around separately when a middle aged male assistant came up and did the "Can I be of assistance?" thing. Pointed to my daughter across the showroom and said "There's your customer." He didn't blink but walked over, greeted her and called over a female assistant who was polite, interested and, most important, made the sale. I asked if they worked on commission and she said yes. So the guy had handed off his commission to her? "Oh, he often does that, he's a great guy to work with!"
Nitka Tsar 8 months ago
You know what‘s „funny“? I don‘t like interactions like these. Like buying a car or having a meeting at the bank…. I would rather like it, if the persons me and my husband have to talk to would just ignore me, but sadly, they always talk to both of us, deviding their attention and eye contact between us. I guess it‘s a societal difference between the US and Germany.
Jonathan Setter 8 months ago
Last time my wife went to buy a car, I of course tagged along, she wanted me to drive her in the "Big City" and wanted me there for moral support, etc. So the first place we tried to buy, the finance lady looked down her nose at us very much when told i had no money to put towards the loan because wifey was sole breadwinner. She made pretty much no effort to make it work, and eventually sent us away emptyhanded. Next day we went to the dealership the next town over. The finance guy seemed more accommodating at first, but became a bit annoyed when he finally realized we were not bluffing, I really did not have a d**n cent to put towards the purchase. But still, he DID massage the numbers to make it work and wifey got her new car. It is not always the men who are the sexist ones.
MsGrumpy 8 months ago
It's their culture. In 2006, I visited India. I went to buy a train ticket from Bangalore to New Delhi. You had to fill in a form with all your personal info. In one space was "Father's name" (why???) and "Permission to travel given by." I left it blank because I was 32, not 12. The man at the counter asked "Where is your husband"? I said I had none. He said I could not travel without my husband. I said I don't have one. He was dumbfounded. Then he asked, "Do you have an uncle, male cousin or brother travelling with you?" Nope. He said, "You cannot travel by yourself." As in a woman, alone. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He refused to sell me a ticket. After much back and forth, he asked, "Did your father give you permission?" Er... yes! He asked, "Are you sure??" Yes, yes, of course! He finally very reluctantly sold us the tickets. (My travel companion was another single woman, who also got the same treatment even though she was already 65.)
Jill Waters 10 months ago
My husband and I went to a car dealer looking for a car for me. I was paying for it. The salesman stood wringing his hands together and says - are you looking for a little run around for the lady sir? We walked out…..
J. Maxx 1 year ago
I'm a big Gay dude with facial tattoos. Went into a Nissan dealership to buy a truck, 1st sales rep comes up to me and makes a face, my Mom and I turn around and go to the Toyota dealership next door. As we pull into the dealership, our minivan literally dies in the parking space. We walk in, and a few sales reps are standing there looking at us like we're trash. A young woman was standing off to the side. I ask if she can sell cars, and she says she doesn't typically but can find me someone, I ask her if she was to sell me one would she get a commission and she says yes. I tell her I want her to help me and proceed to pay cash for a new truck. The sales reps (all men) were pissed.
Ivy at Eve 11 months ago
Way back, when people in hardware stores knew what the tools they sold were used for and people collected leaflets with instructions instead of looking for a YouTube video (and yes, this was clearly the previous century), if my dad wasn't quite sure how to address a DIY, my parents tag teamed... my dad would approach the person in the hardware store with "could you explain to my wife how...?" or "My wife isn't sure why we need..." Ten out of ten, the person would go out of his way to explain mum how to tackle a project or how to use certain tools. The explanation was more often than not, in manly solidarity, better than what dad would have gotten, as you know he is a bloke and should just know these things while mum was thar harpy that would not trust her man. Of course, my dad kept his ears wide open...
Load More Replies... Apatheist Account2 1 year ago
We were buying fencing products. My wife is the one who does the DIY and knows what she needs - I just drive and pay :) Anyway, she's looking at the options, but the bloke waits until I come back from collecting another piece and begins with "Now you're both here" and starts to talk through what's what. When buying a computer, though, the salesman kept ignoring my comments and focused entirely on my wife, possibly because he thought she was easier to sell to - I worked in data processing for 40 years and I do know what makes a machine work. We left without buying anything.
V 1 year ago
Urgh, I got some fat pack shelves delivered that I wanted for the garage. The guys that delivered them asked if my husband was home to carry the boxes inside - no he wasn't, he didn't even know I ordered them. I got them to just put them down and then I picked them up in front of them to take them in.
Load More Replies... Jennifer Clayton 1 year ago
This is why I love helping people buy cars. Early in my career I sold cars. When I bought cars they always did the song and dance for my then husband. We let them. Then we'd talk numbers and the ex would walk away. By this point in my career I was a Corp exec in technology and done lots of negotiating. I'd render those ahole salesmen down till I was paying under invoice. Always got a ton of respect from the finance pros when they saw I purchased under invoice (below the dealership's cost) every damn time.
Fellfromthemoon 1 year ago
Forty-something old female uni teacher and a younger male PhD student were on the exam comittee. The young male student picked his topic and started to discuss it - addressing always the PhD student. The middle-aged woman asked a question, and the examiné told the correct answer - again, to the PhD student. He only spoke to the young male examiner, never the older female comittee member. Guess who graded the exam? (The student received good marks, as he knew the material.)
Jay Cee 1 year ago
Sometimes it works out OK. My daughter was buying her flat and I offered to buy her her bed as a house warming present. Looked at several stores but they all deferred to me because . . . Dad, right? We bought from the one where, when we walked in a middle aged man approached us and gave me the "Can I help you?" I said "She's your customer." And he responded with "In that case I think my colleague Nancy would be best to help you." Nancy is about the same age as my daughter and they got on like a house on fire while I sat back as they chatted away for ages. When we finished I asked if she worked on commission and she said yes so I commented on her colleague handing over the sale to her (brass bed at £1400, mattress at £950) instead of taking the sale himself. "That's because he's a good manager to work with" The store, the (assistant) manager and Nancy all got a five star review and apparently the bed is very comfortable too.
Lena Flising 10 months ago
When I was around 12 years old, my mom wanted a bigger house (my dad didn't have anything against it, it was just her idea). She went to a couple of house viewings on her own, as dad worked late. At one viewing the real estate agent looked expectantly behind her and asked "When is HE coming?"; he clearly wanted The Man there before starting to do the sales pitch. Mom just looked at him and said "I'm buying a house, but not this one", and turned around and left.
Jay Cee 2 months ago
Sometimes, just sometimes . . . My daughter wanted a sofabed for her small flat so we went shopping together. Arrived at one store and were wandering around separately when a middle aged male assistant came up and did the "Can I be of assistance?" thing. Pointed to my daughter across the showroom and said "There's your customer." He didn't blink but walked over, greeted her and called over a female assistant who was polite, interested and, most important, made the sale. I asked if they worked on commission and she said yes. So the guy had handed off his commission to her? "Oh, he often does that, he's a great guy to work with!"
Nitka Tsar 8 months ago
You know what‘s „funny“? I don‘t like interactions like these. Like buying a car or having a meeting at the bank…. I would rather like it, if the persons me and my husband have to talk to would just ignore me, but sadly, they always talk to both of us, deviding their attention and eye contact between us. I guess it‘s a societal difference between the US and Germany.
Jonathan Setter 8 months ago
Last time my wife went to buy a car, I of course tagged along, she wanted me to drive her in the "Big City" and wanted me there for moral support, etc. So the first place we tried to buy, the finance lady looked down her nose at us very much when told i had no money to put towards the loan because wifey was sole breadwinner. She made pretty much no effort to make it work, and eventually sent us away emptyhanded. Next day we went to the dealership the next town over. The finance guy seemed more accommodating at first, but became a bit annoyed when he finally realized we were not bluffing, I really did not have a d**n cent to put towards the purchase. But still, he DID massage the numbers to make it work and wifey got her new car. It is not always the men who are the sexist ones.
MsGrumpy 8 months ago
It's their culture. In 2006, I visited India. I went to buy a train ticket from Bangalore to New Delhi. You had to fill in a form with all your personal info. In one space was "Father's name" (why???) and "Permission to travel given by." I left it blank because I was 32, not 12. The man at the counter asked "Where is your husband"? I said I had none. He said I could not travel without my husband. I said I don't have one. He was dumbfounded. Then he asked, "Do you have an uncle, male cousin or brother travelling with you?" Nope. He said, "You cannot travel by yourself." As in a woman, alone. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He refused to sell me a ticket. After much back and forth, he asked, "Did your father give you permission?" Er... yes! He asked, "Are you sure??" Yes, yes, of course! He finally very reluctantly sold us the tickets. (My travel companion was another single woman, who also got the same treatment even though she was already 65.)
Jill Waters 10 months ago
My husband and I went to a car dealer looking for a car for me. I was paying for it. The salesman stood wringing his hands together and says - are you looking for a little run around for the lady sir? We walked out…..
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