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Patronising or what!?

(98 Posts)
Luckygirl3 Sat 26-Sept-26 10:41:46

Had to register at reception desk of a private clinic yesterday. My DD was with me as she had done the driving. Receptionist handed me a tablet to do the registration and turned to my DD and said "Perhaps you can help her with it".
Words failed me... at least any remotely polite ones!

Nannan2 Mon 28-Sept-26 14:02:59

The thing is,its the few who are'nt very techy that makes others think we are all the same, my ex mother-in-law openly says "oh i wouldnt know how to go about all that" (how does she know if shes never tried?) and my ex- father-in-law has only just got a mobile phone(just a basic not a smart phone)they just dont see theyre being left behind in the modern world.Im not greatly techy but can do most things for daily life.

dalrymple23 Mon 28-Sept-26 14:02:10

I am a technological nincompoop, so any offers of help in that department are gratefully accepted. But then, frequently I find tht when one asks for help, one is told "we are not allowed to do it due to data protection". Grrr...

I was recently a hospital inpatient. During ward round, the docs would mutter at the bottom of my bed. Now, I can hear a pin drop a mile away, so told consultant et al that it was my body that was disintegrating, not my brain! That gave them a jolt! Congratulated by the ward sister afterwards!!

Silvertwigs Mon 28-Sept-26 13:55:51

Some younger people have led of a clue too! 😂 plus cannot barely read & write

NotSpaghetti Sun 27-Sept-26 09:54:14

Who on earth did that teabagwoman?

Oreo Sun 27-Sept-26 09:44:55

I ordered some jeans, they arrived and unfurled and unfurled from the packaging, I’m not short but these jeans would have fit a woman 6 ft 2😂
Telling a young co-worker about it she said ‘You probably muddled up the leg length sizing when you ordered’ it was said sympathetically but the implication was that because to her I’m as old as Methuselah it must be my fault and not the Company.😆😲

Luckygirl3 Sun 27-Sept-26 09:43:05

I always accept help, is it just a female thing to object to help offered.

I don't object to help offered - I do object to the assumption that I cannot do something before help is needed or asked for! - especially when it is something simple that is part of all out daily lives.

Oreo Sun 27-Sept-26 09:35:19

David49

It was tongue in cheek I really dont get offended if offered help, My wife matronizes me all the time maybe Im conditioned to go with the flow 🙂

I like what you did there😁

Oreo Sun 27-Sept-26 09:34:18

dragonfly46

I had a friend who used to help old ladies across the road. She helped one lady across only to be told that she hadn’t wanted to cross and now she had missed her bus.

😂

Basgetti Sun 27-Sept-26 09:30:42

Romola

I think I put a similar incident on here a few months ago. I was with DD as she was going to drive me home after a cataract op. I asked the eye unit receptionist the way to the hospital pharmacy to collect the eye drops. The receptionist didn't answer me, she explained the way to DD. I said nothing, but later told DD I was enraged. DD didn't seem to get why it annoyed me, which enraged me some more.
If, or when, it happens again I will say something, in as nice a way as I can manage.

She presumably assumed that your eyesight was temporarily impaired?

David49 Sun 27-Sept-26 04:11:33

It was tongue in cheek I really dont get offended if offered help, My wife matronizes me all the time maybe Im conditioned to go with the flow 🙂

Charleygirl5 Sat 26-Sept-26 22:33:19

I am now partially sighted and my eyesight is getting worse. I can't fill in forms and I even have problems now signing a form when I have to write within a box. Last week when trying to fill in a form and I asked for help The person thought I was illiterate. Not quite yet.

Wyllow3 Sat 26-Sept-26 21:34:37

I do agree of course very much in addressing the person involved not the carer or frond or rellie!!!

Wyllow3 Sat 26-Sept-26 21:33:13

That interesting, David ......my experience is some men find it that bit harder to accept help.... so maybe they are not offered it as often?

Just well done you for making it clear that help would have been appreciated as maybe lots of men really do need that help.

Wyllow3 Sat 26-Sept-26 21:30:57

Chestnut

I know it's annoying but we have to remember they mean well and are probably just trying to help. Some older people don't have a clue with tech so maybe they've just had to assist someone like that.

Honestly, I can't remember how I spoke to older people when I was younger, but we didn't have phones and tablets back then so we didn't need to help anyone with that, only maybe filling in forms.

I feel like that too mostly. I would rather find kindness, even if a bit patronising. I just sort of say with a grin thank you I'm OK with doing this myself...I'm quite techie but need you to speak slowly thank you.

You never know who might really, really need it. A nd be lonely, and like the extra attention.

JenniRen Sat 26-Sept-26 21:19:01

David49

I had one of those tablets when I changed bank accounts, I expected the assistant to fill it on for me, asked him to help, no you have to do it yourself. Third attempt I got it correct.

I always accept help, is it just a female thing to object to help offered.

To turn that around:
Is it only women who are patronised I wonder? Are men assumed to be au fait with technology when in fact both men and women are probably as competent as each other?

David49 Sat 26-Sept-26 21:02:26

I had one of those tablets when I changed bank accounts, I expected the assistant to fill it on for me, asked him to help, no you have to do it yourself. Third attempt I got it correct.

I always accept help, is it just a female thing to object to help offered.

Cressida Sat 26-Sept-26 17:26:19

Esmay

A shop failed to delivered my order three times.
On my last visit ;
the assistant spoke very loudly and said ,SHALL I WRITE IT DOWN FOR YOU ?
To which,I replied ,no thank you ,but make sure that your company understand basic English and a very simple request .

I think I'd have been tempted to reply something along the lines of ' Yes, please. Write it down as that might help you to make sure I get my delivery this time'

kircubbin2000 Sat 26-Sept-26 17:21:23

When I do my shopping at the local shop the girl always says look after yourself as I'm leaving.

Plevey08 Sat 26-Sept-26 17:12:53

My late DF was a wheelchair user. Had been from teenage years. She was a paraplegic.
She won the team Gold Olympic Medal in her 20's. And very clever and resourceful. Worked full time as a social worker.
She declined in her 70's due to cancer. But very much on the ball
In many shops staff would direct questions to me.....I would say 'Oh please, do ask her'.
It annoyed me because they were diminishing her and she would shrink a bit every time.
I know it is done with the intention of being helpful. But they should make the effort to direct the question, to the elderly or disabled person first.
Better.training for staff is needed.

Plevey08 Sat 26-Sept-26 16:58:31

Margs

I've been talked to a couple of times - by GP's Receptionists - as Slowly and Carefully as possible as if I'm deaf and daft. I wonder if I must look like the little old lady, Mrs Wilberforce, in the film The Ladykillers?

I liked Mrs Wilberforce. A very clever lady as we discovered in the end.

Luckygirl3 Sat 26-Sept-26 16:57:48

dragonfly46

I had a friend who used to help old ladies across the road. She helped one lady across only to be told that she hadn’t wanted to cross and now she had missed her bus.

Sitting in my first floor office many years ago I was watching a man with a long white cane trying to cross the road. Several people slowed down for him but he stayed put in the pavement.
After a long time I could bear it no longer and went out to help him. It was a man who had bought a white plastic curtain pole!

Romola Sat 26-Sept-26 16:55:28

I think I put a similar incident on here a few months ago. I was with DD as she was going to drive me home after a cataract op. I asked the eye unit receptionist the way to the hospital pharmacy to collect the eye drops. The receptionist didn't answer me, she explained the way to DD. I said nothing, but later told DD I was enraged. DD didn't seem to get why it annoyed me, which enraged me some more.
If, or when, it happens again I will say something, in as nice a way as I can manage.

Nannee49 Sat 26-Sept-26 16:47:58

Twenty years ago, when I was only in my early 50s, on Saturday nights I worked for a very cool trendy DJ in a club in Manchester who thought it a hoot to serve teas and coffees alongside the usual nightclub bar offerings (to be fair we did sell a lot of teas and coffee so maybe he was on to something). Anyway, as well as the beverages we sold his very popular merch.

One night when the music was particularly loud, a sweet young thing came up to me and said "do you sell hoodies?"
Because of said loud music it took a beat to register what she'd asked and before I could reply she said "Y'know...a sweatshirt...with a hood on?" complete with mimed hand movements and a deeply sympathetic expression.

Delila Sat 26-Sept-26 16:29:21

A young man very kindly stepped aside for me to go first, and then said “I think I might have a bit more mileage in me than you”!

Bless him 😆

It was honestly the first time I’ve ever felt my age 😳

Baggs Sat 26-Sept-26 16:19:34

I don't mind being thought of as a little old lady because I literally am one though admittedly not very old, yet. I haven't noticed anyone trying to insult me or take advantage of that fact.

In fact, I'm rather flattered to be thought any kind of 'lady' 😂