Of course, I totally ignored ALL these aforementionned indices, when I offered someone a lift a few weeks ago.
It was a horribly cold and windy day. The person wasn't well dressed and was trudging along against the wind, with their hands deep in their pockets. I couldn't tell if the person was a man or woman, from the back. I hesistated momentarily, before deciding to pull ahead anyway, stop, roll down my window, and ask if they wanted a lift home.
I have done this many times before. I don't usually offer men a lift, unless they are REALLY quite elderly, and are carrying heavy grocery bags. It is a sad fact that women traveling alone can be vulnerable, so why take any chances. Besides, if you are a young, able bodied male, you can walk. It won't kill you.
The person bent over, peered into my open window and stated "No, I live right here. I don't need a lift. But do you have $10.00 to give me?"
Excuse me???? I don't mind being a free taxi, but I kind of draw the line at being a free bank. I replied in the negative, saying I was off to visit my mother, and took my leave as quickly as I could.
However, what botherd me more than being hit upon for money, is NOT knowing whether the person who spoke to me was a man OR a woman. I s*t*i*l*l don't know. I couldn't tell at all. Is this what we call non-binary? In my day, we would have said an "androgenous'' look, like Boy George? I have seen this person a few times since, walking on the side of
the road, or hanging on a street corner by the train station. I STILL don't know if "they" are male or female.
Sometimes this world we live in today is just TOO hard to understand for this white-haired grandmother. I can just see Millennials rolling their eyes right this minute and saying "OK Boomer!"
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