This morning was the second time I've left for work to find my car looking like the ice/frost had been scraped off. It had to have been done early enough for a bit of frost to reform because both times I had to scrape a little and run the defrost.
I live in an apartment building, so my car is parked in the parking lot directly in front of the building. Both times my car has been the only one that looked like it had been scraped.
My reaction to this has been kind of interesting, especially after reading a recent thread at Shakesville about restrictions we as women have on our lives to "keep safe"(which I meant to link but can't seem to find) [Update: FOUND IT!]. I'm mostly confused. I keep to myself and have only ever introduced myself to one neighbor, who lives across the hall. I don't chat, i don't socialize, it's not the type of place where I can go next door and ask to borrow some eggs. So I have no clue who might do this for me, and know what car I drive.
Odds are this is just a nice gesture, but I still find it a bit creepy. And I'm sad that I react that way to what may simply be a kind act of a neighbor.
And I'm angry. I'm angry that as a woman I can't trust a kind, anonymous action. I'm angry that I'm made to feel this way even more than a situation might warrant because I am constantly made to feel like I am responsible for watching for every possible danger. I'm angry that people are so oblivious to this that someone can scrape ice off my car and expect that I'll see it as a nice thing. I'm also a little angry that someone would TOUCH MY CAR without my permission.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I wonder if you should leave a note on your car? Something along the lines of "Thanks so much, but please don't continue"?
It is a sort of absurb conundrum to be in, and one I sympathize with very much. The unhappy reality is that you can't know how kindly the gesture is meant, and you may need to set boundaries, which is difficult since you don't know who's helping you out.
I just had a similar conversation with a friend whose landlord is prone to oh-so-helpfully bringing her mail to her door himself. He may simply be nice, but it makes her uncomfortable, and it will be up to her to say so and up to him to respect that.
If we are perfectly honest this world is a dangerous place for women. We are vulnerable and we should always be aware of this. If anything at all makes you feel threatened I always believe it is best to err on the side of caution. It may just be a nice simple gesture but you never know. Trust your instincts.
Post a Comment