Inspired recently by wedding-cake umbrage, I want to reflect in this diary on the plight of the Woman Alone (I am told repeatedly this is the class to which I now belong). You will look for a snark tag in vain, and April Fools Day has passed for another year.
When am I reminded of this class to which I have been relegated by virtue of gender and circumstance? Every time I have to interact with The Trades. Plumber tries to gouge me? If I had a man, this would not happen. Siding contractor tells me a 16-square house will cost $11,000 minimum (for labor only)? Serves me right, as a Woman Alone, for contracting a job myself. I need one tree cut down and sectioned (no cleanup)? That will be $400/hour, ma'am. Mind you, I did not come up with this designation myself. It has been drummed into me for the past 15 years, and I have come to the end of my silence.
I will not be harassed back into the fold. I will not "put out" for beer guts and butt cracks. As I have seen on the pages of DKOS and across the blogosphere, there is strength in numbers. If you are a Woman Alone, or think you might be, tell your story here, please. May we gain comfort and support by knowing we are not alone!
So, I did some research online. When I Googled and Yahooed "women(woman) cheated by tradesmen" I got:
How many wifes ever seduced a tradesman?
In the middle ages, how were tradesmen and women who cheated their customers punished?
Signs of Unfaithful Wife
Have A Cheating Wife? - Me Too. Here's What I Did
Why Women Cheat: 5 Reasons For Female Infidelity
I got better slightly better results with "tradesmen target women alone for fraud," and the Attorney General's office for "State of Vermont (etc)" but nothing that informs me in this particular instance. So, online search is not helping me with what is seeming like an urban legend. So, please, anybody out there having the same experience? What I see as the "Ayla in Clan of the Cave Bear" experience? Please comment.