Eureka! I have discovered the cloak of invisibility!

I stood in the empty pharmacy for five minutes, three assistants girls were chattingand using their phones behind the counter. In the end I asked if i could be served, one said "I'm busy on my phone, wont be a minute"!!!!!!

Went with hubby to look at a self charging hybrid car. Salesman started talking to hubby, who had no idea. I answered a couple of salesman's questions and asked several questions about the vehicle. He soon realised that I was the one who had done the research and addressed me, mainly, from then on.

I frequently mutter," I'm a miracle of modern science, 5 foot 5 and far-too-many stone but despite that and my looming presence with the Chariot(walking aid/shopping trolley) people will walk "at" me. I now spend more time hugging the wall awaiting a clear path than actually making my way to my destination

gran5up

I frequently mutter," I'm a miracle of modern science, 5 foot 5 and far-too-many stone but despite that and my looming presence with the Chariot(walking aid/shopping trolley) people will walk "at" me. I now spend more time hugging the wall awaiting a clear path than actually making my way to my destination

Head up...look them in the eye and walk forward on whichever part of the pavement is the appropriate one for you (ie that would usually be the inside - because of being a woman and/or being older than them). Looking confident seems to be the main thing.

I've also been known to cough loudly if someone's head is in their phone as they're walking towards me - and their head comes up with an "Oh - there's a person there....#surprised" look on their face. If all else fails just stand there - firmly in your path on whatever side of the pavement is obviously yours.

I wouldnt be "hugging the wall" - I'd be standing there firmly in "my" section of the path obviously "waiting".

I have been invisible for years, no-one responds to my texts/emails or phone calls. No-one listens to what I have to say. The only time I magically reappear is when they want me to do something

I was in a very long queue at M n S. A very elderly lady walked past all the people in the queue and was served immediately at a vacant till. Maybe she was fed up being invisible.

cookiemonster66

I have been invisible for years, no-one responds to my texts/emails or phone calls. No-one listens to what I have to say. The only time I magically reappear is when they want me to do something

I think I would be unavailable to people who treated me like that. They are taking you for granted.

Reminds me of when I was iny 20s and came into enough money to buy my dream car for cash, a 2CV. I went into a dealer and asked to test drive one but he sneered and said no, I couldn't afford it! I'm so glad as I got a wonderful little mini with a sunshine roof instead.

Similar happened to me in Halfords.
Went to collect a scooter ordered by DD for her son's birthday.
I stood for ages while the 2 young,male assistants dealt with young, male customers on either side of me.
When I asked why I was being ignored I eventually got served but the young man was very off hand and rude.
Obviously older ladies are not welcome in Halfords!

CariadAgain, I shall take your advice with new found confidence
Welsh friend says I may thank you,"diolch fy ffrind" hope I got that right?
From tomorrow no more hugging walls!

Aveline your comment made me cheer!

I’m ignored and overlooked in hotels all around europe plus with the added language barriers.
I have had to learn to puff myself up like a tank, place my feet 1 metre apart, and when it’s my turn I raise my hand and say “thank you” with a nod, and then place my order.

More recently I was upset at home at a close relatives wedding and completely ignored at the bar whilst everyone who walked through the door behind me got served. (and as a widow it’s especially hard). It took a very long time for the manager to realise.

I have seen someone in a similar situation get out their iphone and put it on the counter with the timer app running….and I might try this next time…

Like one of the earlier responders I had to consider whether it was sexism or ageism. I think it was a bit of both. That is to say, I am sure that if my elder daughter (a very attractive lady who looks a lot younger than her age) had been standing alone in the queue, she would definitely NOT have been overlooked! However, if she had been in the queue with her husband tagging along, it would have been her husband who was acknowleged.

So, judging from your responses, it seems I can't patent the Invisibility Cloak as my invention then?

On a more general issue that has come up in the replies concerning the assumption that women can't understand computers or cars...

On one occasion, afore mentioned daughter was thinking of buying her first, second hand, privately advertised car. It was a classic car, a Renault 5 "Enid Blyton Special Edition" of some age. It was being sold by a man on behalf of his elderly father, who had agreed that his eyesight was no longer adequate for driving. He understood that it was my daughter who was interested in the car and was giving her the guff about "hardly a scratch on it", "spent its life in a garage" etc. but was definitely bemused when I disappeared under it and started to poke around then, satisfied with what I had seen asked him to up the bonnet and start the engine so I could hear how it ran. Then I checked for oil leaks, body rust, uneven tyre wear etc., looked at the oil on the dipper and so on. My verdict (after I had reminded her to have a short test drive) was "If she doesn't want it, I'll have it!" It served her well for several years, until she fell for the Government guff about "clean" Diesel.

My Dad used to take his car to a garage run by a guy called Wally. And he was a proper Wally. Dad would pay a small fortune (but a little less than another garage charged) for a service including new spark plugs. I persuaded him to let me check the plugs after one service. Not only were they not new, Wally hadn't even cleaned up and gapped them properly, so I did it. Dad wouldn't let me do anything else. Next time the car went in for a service (with Wally, of course) it had a speck of red paint on each plug and Dad was instructed to ask for the old plugs back after they were "changed". Wally's reaction finally persuaded Dad to take the car elsewhere.

My boss in my old job, a guy about my age, was struggling to use his office PC to draw some complicated graphs. I volunteered. After a lot of frustration he left me to it, saying that if I "messed up his computer" I would be out of a job and went off muttering about women thinking they knew everything. Half an hour later he came back and found me back at my desk. It took him a while to get over the (to him, humiliating) fact that his graphs were all done and his PC still worked. I had done a computer course, he hadn't, and being a man he didn't know what a manual was.

I went to buy a car. One my husband andI had agreed on. In the salesroom, the very tall salesman( I am 5'1 ) proceeded to describe the car then began writing a long list which he then gave me with the recommendation that I took it to my husband to explain it to me. I considered myself a well educated successful business woman I don't take that from a mere secondhand car salesman
I went to another dealership and bought the car I wanted in only 15 minutes

gran5up

CariadAgain, I shall take your advice with new found confidence
Welsh friend says I may thank you,"diolch fy ffrind" hope I got that right?
From tomorrow no more hugging walls!

Do report back. Errm...I'm English, despite the name - but I understood "diolch".....

A lot boils down to confidence - or apparent confidence more to the point. Head up....literally.

gran5up

I frequently mutter," I'm a miracle of modern science, 5 foot 5 and far-too-many stone but despite that and my looming presence with the Chariot(walking aid/shopping trolley) people will walk "at" me. I now spend more time hugging the wall awaiting a clear path than actually making my way to my destination

This I can relate to, but no more dodging since myDH had a stroke and I have to hold his arm as he walks, his other hand holding a stick. Yet still people will walk towards us as if attempting to defy the laws of physics and walk right through us. Not all are on their phone. But I don’t budge and neither does my DH, so they have to smartly side step onto a grass verge etc., at the last minute or bang right into us. So far nobody has banged into us.

I was in a queue at the petrol pumps. When the car in front drove away from the pump I started to move forward but a white van overtook me and cut across me to get to the pump before I did. It was as if I was invisible.

Greenfinch

I was in a queue at the petrol pumps. When the car in front drove away from the pump I started to move forward but a white van overtook me and cut across me to get to the pump before I did. It was as if I was invisible.

I guess the appropriate action then would have been hand firmly down on the horn and hope some member of staff or someone would come out to see what all the fuss was about and then tell Mr White Van Man to stop queue-jumping.

I've come to be very wary of Mr White Van Men since moving here - never ever had a run-in with one of them in the 40 years in my home city - but in the 12 years since moving here I can see for a fact they're a lot worse here - as 3 (yep...three!!!!!) of them have nearly injured or killed me - despite the fact it was obvious the pedestrian came first. Yep...I know my Highway Code etc - even though I didnt manage to learn to drive and it was pedestrian me that came first. There's been comments from me that "I did not change from being a 'person', into being a 'woman' (ie apparent lesser being) just because I moved. I am still a person". If there's another one then I will lose it bigtime and they will get a full throttle reminder I'm a person and it's the 21st century....

It's awful in town in the summer. Tourists apparently think that everyone is on holiday too and that roads are pavements too and walk about completely oblivious to cars and other pedestrians.
Often they'll walk along four abreast and expect others to jump aside. Well not me. I'm so fed up with it that I just keep walking forward and expect them to move aside and will just stand in front of them if necessary until they notice me and have to move. I don't think I'm invisible, they're just totally wrapped up in themselves and impervious to others.

Astonishingly, as a lorry driver, I’m just as likely to get asked for help by another driver as a man standing next to me.

You'd think hairy arsed truckers would never contemplate asking a mere woman for assistance. But I have to say, I'm treated like a driver - sex irrelevant. The only exception is some of the younger drivers who always seem to just assume that I must have passed my test recently (maybe they've seen me reverse). But the older and more experienced drivers probably recognise the road weary, battered appearance of my face and realise I've served my time! 🙄

I once went on a rant to a young man behind a bar. I wasn't even that old- probably in my early fifties. The place wasn't busy but he never even noticed me. I gave him such a telling off I hope he never forgot it!!

Magenta8 I know exactly what you're saying! I'm 6'2 and 11 stone, how can they NOT see me?!

I was with a male work colleague on a break, and we'd gone to a convenience store for a few nibbles and drinks.

I paid for us both in cash; it was me who handed the money to the male cashier, but it was the male cashier who tried to hand MY change to my work colleague!

I snatched it from the cashier's hand and snapped ''I paid, not my colleague, with MY cash, so the change is MINE!''

I've also noticed that when I'm alone shopping, in any shop, as I am 99% of the time, the male cashier will basically throw my change at me, half of which crashes onto the counter and/or floor, and walk off or turn his back to gormlessly fiddle with something on the booze/fags shelves. So I snap ''EXCUSE ME! Pick my money up and hand it to me PROPERLY or I'll be speaking to your manager about having you sacked''

It absolutely infuriates me! In the so-called age of women's rights, we're still treated like filth when we don't have a man to be subservient to!

Interesting observations Weirdo60.
Thankfully as a 5'4" female I have never experienced such rude treatment by a male or a female assistant.

Leanetta I've often thought I'd like to drive a lorry/ truck/ waggon.

It feels like real freedom when you're up there in the cab. I'm sure it isn't (and the mid winter journeys I made all those years ago would proove it) - but still the wanderer in my soul loves the fantasy!
🚛 🚚

That behaviour would not go down well with the manufacturers as their adverts for new cars are now targeted at women, who they believe are most important in choosing a car.