“You’re a Girl, I don’t Believe you”
Last week these exact words were said to me at my job.
I work at a financial aid office in a community college, where I work at the counter helping students. My work consists of checking student’s status, taking in paper work and students asking me for any general questions.
Last week on Wednesday around 1pm a tall older man came to my window and asked me to check his financial aid status. He seemed like he was having a bad day. However, I asked him to give me his student ID and with no expression on his face he gave it to me. Not a smile or eye contact. With the way he was acting I thought to myself, maybe he is mad because I was helping him but yet again I was the only one at the counter at that moment and he had no choice. But I went on and checked his status. I noticed that he had a financial aid hold and it was because he dropped a class and he received financial aid money for it. As I tried to explain to him that he had a hold in the school system he immediately rolled his eyes at me and said, “come on, are you serious?”
…he paused for a bit and laughed and said “you’re a girl, I don’t believe you.”
His voice sounded so sarcastic but he was completely offending me. I said “excuse me sir, I am just telling you what the problem is...” He just stood there looking at me and finally he said,
“Let me talk to your supervisor because seriously I do not believe you, I am sure you are looking at the wrong information.”
I felt my face getting hot and I literally could not believe this man was talking to me like that. The sad part about this is that it’s not the first time it happens to me. A while back when I started working at the counter, another older man yelled in my face. I still remember those words, “can you speak louder, I can’t hear you!,” he didn’t say them just like a normal person would, he literally shout them out. He was so demanding and I don’t know how some men just take advantaged of you and treat the way they do.
One thing I can’t stand is people treating me with no respect. I’m still in complete shock with how this man said he didn’t believe what I was saying regarding his status and had the nerve to tell me it was because I was girl. Really? How pathetic and annoying is that? I am not allowed to argue with students because my job will be in jeopardy but I just couldn’t believe this man. When my supervisor came out after I explained what this man had said to me, he began to check his status and immediately nodded his head. My supervisor told the student the same exact words I said regarding his financial aid status. At last, I thought this man was going to come up to me and apologize to me but he just got his ID, picked up his bag and walked away. No apology, or a thank you from this man who ruined my day with his comment and attitude. He basically believed my male supervisor and not me because unfortunately according to him, I’m just a female. I tried not to think about it the rest of the day but it was just a moment when you are just in disbelief. Why do we have to go through this kind of situations? Why do some people treat others like whatever? I am sure it is not easy to figure it out. I love my job, I have a lot patience and I enjoy helping others. It was just that person who decided to take out his anger at me or maybe he just dislikes women. Which it shouldn’t be acceptable in any way.
