# Clueless Car Salesmen **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 1, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clueless-car-salesmen/552234 "2010-09-01T05:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clueless-car-salesmen/552234/61 "2010-09-04T03:11:12Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > … we actually encountered a car salesman who talked only to my husband (we made it clear that the car was for me). He’d ask my husband a question, I’d answer it… I had something of the opposite experience 11 years ago (last time I bought a new vehicle). One of the (fiftyish) salesman’s early inquiries was whether I was married or had a live-in girlfriend (no and no at that time). I asked him why he was interested in this - could I not buy on my own? He answer: “Buddy, if there was a woman in your life, it’d be a waste of your time and mine to talk without her here. Trust me, I’ve seen this - women know how to veto a purchase they don’t like or have been left out of.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clueless-car-salesmen/552234/62 "2010-09-04T04:07:24Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > > > … we actually encountered a car salesman who talked only to my husband (we made it clear that the car was for me). He’d ask my husband a question, I’d answer it… > > I had something of the opposite experience 11 years ago (last time I bought a new vehicle). One of the (fiftyish) salesman’s early inquiries was whether I was married or had a live-in girlfriend (no and no at that time). > > I asked him why he was interested in this - could I not buy on my own? He answer: “Buddy, if there was a woman in your life, it’d be a waste of your time and mine to talk without her here. Trust me, I’ve seen this - women know how to veto a purchase they don’t like or have been left out of.” I wouldn’t call it opposite. It’s still sexist. As evidenced by making assumptions based on someone’s gender. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clueless-car-salesmen/552234/63 "2010-09-04T04:41:19Z")
> [@digs](#): > > It’s still sexist. As evidenced by making assumptions based on someone’s gender. Well, for all we know he had the exact same view of dealing with a wife whose husband wasn’t present. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clueless-car-salesmen/552234/64 "2010-09-04T05:00:19Z")
I prefer phrases like “reverse sexism” to be used when someone is being discriminatory of someone they assume is a sexist. “Reverse sexism” would be if you assumed that all men were sexist against women. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clueless-car-salesmen/552234/65 "2010-09-04T10:43:25Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > \ I asked him why he was interested in this - could I not buy on my own? He answer: “Buddy, if there was a woman in your life, it’d be a waste of your time and mine to talk without her here. Trust me, I’ve seen this - women know how to veto a purchase they don’t like or have been left out of.” I had a similar conversation with a replacement window salesman. I wanted him to come over and give me a quote. He refused to schedule with only me, because my husband might not like the choices I make - as if I was going to sign a contract without discussing it with the other member of the household… :rolleyes: Gee, Mr. Salesguy, maybe it’s not this battle of the sexes thing, maybe it’s that you’re selling overpriced crap?? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clueless-car-salesmen/552234.md?page=3)