Chivalry Is Dead?!

Question:
How many men does it take to jump start a car?
Answer:
None

It was rush hour when I stopped for gas. The lines a bit long because the price was really low for this area (I scope this out daily). Almost all the people filling up or waiting in lines were men.

Now let me preface this with the fact that I am not a feminist. Not at all. I do not want to be a man, nor do I worry about equality. We are both equal in God's sight. Good enough for me. I have nothing to prove.

That said understand I do appreciate a gentleman, but they are an endangered species. Is that just in the north, Cindi?! John C. Whitcomb is the epitome of a gentleman, but he is ancient and will probably not be on this tired earth much longer. Oh, I digress.

This evening the man in front of me had trouble pulling away from the pump because, he said after getting out to check, that the vehicle in front of him would not start and was blocking the way. So I offered to back up and the car behind me was gracious enough to back up and he left.

As I pulled up to his vacated spot the lady, with a car load of small children, asked me if I had jumper cables. Fortunately (did I just write fortunately!) my batter just quit a week ago, and my dear husband left the cables in my trunk (after buying me a new battery). So I gave them to her and proceeded to pump gas into my car which was behind her car. I could not get to her front to attach the cables and so I started the pump filling my car.

I then asked the 3 men around us, in their big, American made trucks, if they would quickly jump start her car as soon as they finished. They had all begun filling their tanks long before me. It would have taken them what, 2 minutes?!

They all said no. They all gave different answers:
1. I have a trailer and it would block traffic when I pull forward. I disagreed with him, but it was a no go. He barely wanted to look at me. He COULD have pulled forward and the vehicle behind still reach the pump.
2. I have to pick up my daughter from volleyball right now. I was amazed that he could not spare at most 2 minutes to start her car. The cables were mine to pack up when it was finished. Alas, it was a no way. He barely wanted to look at me.
3. It will mess up the electrical components on my truck. WHAT? WHAT? So I asked him if he was just going to leave her like this? Well, he LOUDLY informed me that he was not going to mess up his electrical. Again, WHAT? He really struggled to look me in the eyes as well.

Honestly, all three struggled to look me in the eyes. I loudly proclaimed that I guess chivalry is dead. At that point a woman, yes, a woman, in an old junker, pulled out of the spot behind mr. electrical concerns. She jump started the poor, downtrodden and discouraged lady's car. All of us were amazed that NONE of the three men would help, nor would any of the other men waiting in line come over and help. It took women to help this woman. All the men stood there or sat there and looked at the ground.

I don't know. Maybe it is just a chivalry thing, but she was of a certain culture as well. A culture different from all the men there. I wonder if she had been a blond bombshell in a swanky car if the men would have slobbered all over themselves to get to her.

I know, that sounds terrible. I was so mad I could yell. I was so disheartened that I barely stopped my tears. What a world.

Needless to say the boys were told under NO UNCERTAIN TERMS were they EVER to leave a lady stranded. EVER.

And color? Different colors just makes the world more beautiful. That's all there is about color. How boring if we were all the same?!

Signed, a disheartened and naive woman.