Friday, August 25, 2006

"You should have a child"

That was one of the statements that my cab driver from the vet told me today. It started off as an "innocent" conversation. I put innocent in quotes because I've been harassed like this before. So, Francisco, asks me if I work at the vet. I say, "No, my cats go there." "Oh, you have kitties? How many?" "Four" "Four! Why? I have one big one." After a bit of silence...."So what do I do?" "I'm a social worker." "Oh, social worker! What hospital?" I tell him which one and he obviously doesn't know where it is and I'm not about to tell him. He then goes on about the weather and how I should move to his country. He assumed that I wouldn't know where Ecuador was. When I explaned that South America had several countries in it once he stated that he lived in South America, he exclaimed how happy he was that I was smart. So then the conversation, like most, turn to..."Are you married?" I've been so used to saying yes, I had to quickly change and say no, but I do have a boyfriend. He then stated he was the same and I joked and asked if he had a boyfriend. This coming after him stating that he needs to find a home for his 2-year old cat since he's moving to Florida so he can see scantily clad women every day. He quickly tried to straighten me out and say that he's divorce. I'm thinking, "Man, you don't have a chance with me." Then he asked the next question, "So do you have kids?" "Nope, only the 4-legged kind." It took him a minute and then he got it. He then started saying how beautiful I am and that I should have a kid. He went on about how some women feel that men are babies and that women don't need a man to have a child these days. He joked about when and if I do have a child that my daughter or son would call me grandma instead of mom. I quickly made sure that he knew how old I was and that his joke was not appreciated. He, of course, continued on and on about how I should have a kid because I'm so beautiful. Now, bear in mind, every chance I had to say that I had a boyfriend I did. I kept raving about how it was a good thing that I didn't have children with my ex-husband and that it really took my current boyfriend to open up my eyes to the possibility of having kids, etc. He finally heard me, or so I thought, and agreed that sometimes it does take the right person. As I was getting out of the cab, he told me his name, his car number, and basically told me that if I wanted a kid and my boyfriend didn't want to help out, then he would be willing. I acted like I didn't hear him and headed into the store that I had to go into.
Now what I find so interesting is that this happens a lot more with Hispanic men than any other group. I'm not trying to stereotype because I have been asked by all sorts of guys about having babies, etc. But in thinking back, mostly Hispanic ones have been the ones that insist on "helping" me out.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps hispanic men are "muy macho" and talk like that is simple an extension of their manhood. I dunno. I'll remember not to get into any cabs with hispanic cabbies in the dark of night.