This morning, I saw a woman throwing garbage into the back of a Sanitation truck. I’ve lived here 12 years now, and I’ve never seen that; Sanitation seemed to be an even bigger boys’ club than FDNY. For that matter, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman on a garbage truck in my whole life.
Earlier this week, I was reviewing documents in a case involving the kind of technology companies that illustrate their presentations with photos of young, thin, hip, pretty, multiracial people in airy modern offices in futuristic high-rises. Occasionally, you’ll see an older man in “boss” posture, but never an older woman, and forget about fat people. Sometimes, you get a hip young thing in a wheelchair. But this week, I saw a type of person that I’d never even thought to look for: a pregnant woman. In the hip-young-creative-cutting-edge-techno-business setting. What does it say about me, or at least about my expectations, that that shocked me like nothing else has shocked me?
It says you’re socially aware enough to be disgusted by a tone deaf Hillshire Farm commercial - all meat aside.
One other boy’s club I’ve noticed: doormen. I’ve never seen a woman in pseudo-uniform opening the door in an expensive apartment building in NYC. Why? Is it a much better paid job than I think? Traditionally male but not high enough profile to receive a lot of attention to getting it integrated? Are women really in these positions but I just don’t spend enough time in expensive apartment buildings to know?