# Sometimes, it takes a man ... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820 "2012-01-17T20:16:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/21 "2012-01-17T22:26:08Z")
I have not only changed my eBay password, but my passwords on countless other websites, all without having to call customer service OR having a penis. I must be a friggin’ genius. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/22 "2012-01-17T23:16:59Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > People regularly ask to speak to a man? That is so weird, what is going on in their heads? I’d say probably once a month. I usually respond with a serious but professional, “I’m the Vice President of the company. How can I help you today?” Oddly, about 60% of the time, the person asking to speak to a man _is a woman._ Talk about self loathing. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/23 "2012-01-17T23:30:14Z")
Seriously, how did you come to the conclusion that the person’s gender was the problem? I could understand if you had said “Please put me through to your supervisor,” or “Please put me through to your level 2 tech support” or something like that. But what made you immediately think that talking to a man would yield more favorable results? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/24 "2012-01-17T23:34:28Z")
> [@murrmac](#): > > Yeah, I know what you mean, I lived in Florida for two years … Could you elaborate on this, please? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/25 "2012-01-17T23:38:55Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Could you elaborate on this, please? He learned the hard way (ha!) not to buy his ED pills from Pablo down by the docks. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/26 "2012-01-17T23:43:21Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > But what made you immediately think that talking to a man would yield more favorable results? He knew that once those words were out of his mouth the very next person he spoke to would have been informed that they needed to use smaller words? ---
**Author:** ![murrmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@murrmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/murrmac)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/27 "2012-01-18T00:02:14Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > The moral of the story, I take it, is that you’re too stupid to even change your eBay password without fucking everything up? Not exactly . The moral of the story is that after 10 (could have been more) calls to the Ebay helpline, their software still wouldn’t allow me to revise a listing, ( after I had successfully changed my Ebay password). After these 10+ calls, (all of which were anwered by women) I requested to speak to a man. He fixed the problem. QED. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/28 "2012-01-18T00:35:33Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Dnftt QFT ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/29 "2012-01-18T00:38:09Z")
Maybe the fact that you asked to speak to a supervisor was the difference, not because he was a man? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/30 "2012-01-18T00:42:46Z")
> [@murrmac](#): > > OK, I am the least chauvinist person in the world, but… Beyond here be dragons. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/31 "2012-01-18T01:14:48Z")
And if it actually _does_ take a man, does that mean you’re a woman? Or just an inept man? ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/32 "2012-01-18T01:52:50Z")
> **[How it Works](https://xkcd.com/385/)** > > It's pi plus C, of course. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/33 "2012-01-18T02:39:29Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I’d say probably once a month. I usually respond with a serious but professional, “I’m the Vice President of the company. How can I help you today?” Oddly, about 60% of the time, the person asking to speak to a man _is a woman._ Talk about self loathing. Wow. What industry are you in? ---
**Author:** ![murrmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@murrmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/murrmac)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/34 "2012-01-18T02:54:53Z")
> [@Catfood\_Purrito](#): > > I have not only changed my eBay password, but my passwords on countless other websites, all without having to call customer service OR having a penis. I must be a friggin’ genius. You may well be “a friggin’ genius” for all I know, but you still don’t seem to grasp what I stated in the OP and in subsequent posts. I had no problem changing my password, the problem was that the Ebay software would not allow me to revise a listing. This was an internal problem with Ebay, bugger all to do with me. Geddit, genius ? After speaking to a male representative, (after speaking fruitlessly to 10+ female reps) the problem was resolved. QED. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/35 "2012-01-18T02:59:14Z")
Not to say that your Latin skills are equal to your eBay skills, but you’re not using “QED” correctly. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/36 "2012-01-18T02:59:27Z")
> [@murrmac](#): > > OK, I am the least chauvinist person in the world 100% of the time, this means you’re about to say the most chauvinistic thing in the world. QED. ---
**Author:** ![murrmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@murrmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/murrmac)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/37 "2012-01-18T03:08:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Not to say that your Latin skills are equal to your eBay skills, but you’re not using “QED” correctly. I would dispute that. My contention is that the evidence which I cite proves my conclusion. **Quod erat demonstrandum.** You may fault my logic if you wish, but my use of classical acronyms is impeccable (if I do say so myself) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/38 "2012-01-18T03:14:39Z")
> [@murrmac](#): > > My contention is that the evidence which I cite proves my conclusion. You haven’t actually stated a premise, although you’ve implied generally that men are more competent (at solving problems, at technical issues, you haven’t said); you’ve failed to show how it supports your conclusion; and you’re inserting “QED” into every other post, which makes me think you want it to mean “So there.” What you’re actually engaging in is _post hoc ergo propter hoc_ thinking: you had a problem, it wasn’t solved when you spoke to women in tech support but was solved after you spoke to a male supervisor, ergo men are better than women at [something - again, you haven’t said]. But I am sure you think your use of Latin acronyms is impeccable. You don’t have to QED me on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/39 "2012-01-18T03:37:37Z")
His knowledge of the words of the acronym QED has been proven impeccable. His logic is peccable. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820/40 "2012-01-18T03:49:41Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Dnftt Word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-it-takes-a-man/609820.md?page=3)