Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Name Dropping

I'm not being anti-woman's-lib-hear-me-purr-I-need-a-man, but there are times when dropping the word "husband" is the easiest and most efficient way to stop someone from flirting with me.

It's not that I'm being flirted with all the time, but it happens on enough occasions that I notice. It usually comes from the graduate students at the academic library more than anything. Everyone's class (freshman, sophomore, masters, PhD, faculty etc) is listed so I know what level in school you are as soon as I scan your ID. So when a guy starts making a bit more conversation than the interaction requires, I can tell that he's testing out the waters trying to gauge my availability.  Sometimes a flash from my left hand is enough to deter someone, but if that doesn't work, working the word "my husband" into the conversation does.

When you think about it though, it doesn't surprise me (or my husband) all that much, when you consider the type of patron who uses the academic library. Academics tend to use the academic library (with the exception of my husband who barely used the library his 7 years in grad school), and doesn't a librarian (in training) sort of seem like the epitome of academic? Also now that I think about it, I may get hit on more at the library than I ever did as a bartender. But whatever, that's not really the point.  Though I bet people hear college professor husband and librarian wife, it does sound pretty matchy.

No comments: