Unexpected experiences in the public space as a woman?

[anjaq]

Hehe - yes Taxi drivers. OMG. I had one 2 weeks ago who basically wanted to date me. He was even basically saying that I dont need to pay the fare if I give him a number. I did not. I rather paid and said goodbye. I could have given him a wrong number , but it was only 5 bucks, so not worth it
I think he was African, did not speak any German at all, just english. He kept on telling me that he likes "strong women" - I get this a lot - being hit on by africans, they seem to be culturally attracted more to women who are not exactly underweight

[Ashey]

Freakin' EVERYTHING. It's all different. Some days it's hard to wrap my head around it all, like I can't dwell on it just gotta roll with it.

Some examples though....

-Men checking me out and trying to talk to me, opening doors for me. Etc. And me having to determine their intentions and just how to respond to them.
-Checking men out and having them look back.
-Going to the women's restroom or changing room, interacting with other women, and just totally blending in.
-Being the 'token female' in a group of guys, being the target of their sexism, and not being listened to by them 50-75% of the time.
-Being regarded as a sex object by men.
-Having to use my sexuality to influence men (and some women).
-Being complimented by both men and women. Especially being told I have cute shoes or something.
-Arguing with the sales woman about inseam.
-Being exasperated when I can't find a salesperson to bring me different sized shoes.
-Having to pretend to have been a lesbian when discussing past relationship with people.
-Having to pretend I'm on 'the pill' in front of other people.
-Having to pretend getting pregnant is a thing around other people.
-Other women loaning me their kids.
-Being short around almost every guy around me.
-Discussing footwear and pants with a woman in a nail salon, and blending in while getting my nails done.
-Also had a woman smile at me the other day when I waved as she walked by with her two cute lil daughters who were all pushing strollers.
-Having to work into a conversation that I'm not dating/screwing my roommate so the woman he's talking to didn't assume I was with him.
-Just, women's restrooms in general...
-Men not accepting money from me, and other oddly sexist things...
-Gender roles, PDA, and basically everything that comes with having a boyfriend and being out in public.
-Being wary, cautious, 'self-contained', and sometimes nervous out by myself or at night especially. And not being able to go out alone at night without worrying a lot.
-Everyone trying to help me with every little thing.

A lot of the time it's little things that are totally different and totally not issues or occurrences that used to happen. I can probably think of a whole lot more, though I'm not sure how many of those were exactly on topic. Being a woman is just, very different sometimes..

[ImagineKate]

I once got ma'amed at the drive through with my voice. I also dressed up enfemme when I was out of town, drove around and bought dinner and no one seemed to notice. It was a confidence booster as I'm pre everything.

[FrancisAnn]

Cis women are more social, they smile more at people & are so much more open than any male. I really love it & I take the inniative quite a bit to smile & speak with women all the time. Even big box stores like Walmart with lots of people around & most women will still make eye contact, smile & say something. Often while shopping at a thrift store I will smile & ask a woman if she can read the size tag on a piece of clothing just to be nice & maybe talk some. (I use reading glasses & can read the tag) Sometimes we will talk a lot while shopping. It feels so much better to smile & be nicer to people. Most of the time the more attractive the woman is the more she smiles & speaks. So for me it feels good.

[suzifrommd]

When a woman I don't know smiles at me, it's like sunshine on my heart.

[Julia-Madrid]

When a woman I don't know smiles at me, it's like sunshine on my heart.

He he... when another woman, usually a well-dressed one, gives me the head-to-toe laser scan, that's a little ray of sunshine.

If you're badly dressed they don't bother    Superficial, I know...

[Shantel]

When women smile at me I avert my eyes and pretend not to notice because I know they want something I'm not prepared to deliver. Being NB androgynous has it's drawbacks, not everything is cut and dried like it is for some of you. I used to respond to smiles and smile back, then they want to chat me up and feel me out to see if I might qualify as a friend, some are looking for some kind of kinky experience with a nice looking male/female whatever it is, I just don't want to deal with it anymore, been there done that and all it does is bring unnecessary drama, anxiety and grief. I have a nice spouse and several nice lady friends and that's quite sufficient for me.

[Stephanie G]

Ummm the other day I was taking the subway and had a really heavy suitcase that I was having issues carrying down the stairs and a guy offered to help me

[Eva Marie]

He he... when another woman, usually a well-dressed one, gives me the head-to-toe laser scan, that's a little ray of sunshine.

I had that happen the other day at my apartment complex a few months ago. I was going somewhere and I took the elevator to the 1st floor, and when the door opened my older female neighbor who I have a waving-as-I-come-and-go-but-she-doesn't-know-i'm-trans relationship with was standing there. I got the head to toe scan and then she smiled. I said "Hi" and got off the elevator. I still don't know if she ever connected male me with female me or what she was thinking 

[Jill F]

I no longer scare small children.  It's weird now that they tend to smile at me instead of screaming or crying.  Was I really that scary?

[Ms Grace]

Ah yeah, cabbies. I now sit in the back seat, no more riding shotgun for me. Not that I expect any funny stuff (Sydney cabs are regulated to the eyeballs) but they're much less likely to start up a conversation which I'd prefer to avoid anyway. It seems the done thing with most women in Sydney so I just followed their lead (men usually sit in the front).

I no longer scare small children.  It's weird now that they tend to smile at me instead of screaming or crying.  Was I really that scary?

Well, I've seen your pre-transition licence and...

[Jill F]

Well, I've seen your pre-transition licence and...

Was it more in a psycho killer or a panel van driver kind of way?

[stephaniec]

He he... when another woman, usually a well-dressed one, gives me the head-to-toe laser scan, that's a little ray of sunshine.

If you're badly dressed they don't bother    Superficial, I know...

I got scanned by a woman a couple of days ago , totally weird

[barbie]

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day and I was out walking in the local park which was full of people. I walked past two women pushing prams/strollers with their babies. In each case they both smiled at me and I smiled back as I walked past. When I used to be in guy mode I don't think women, let alone women pushing prams, have ever smiled at me. It's nice!!

I've had a few unexpected experiences, usually involving men, that haven't been as nice.

I feel like the way I am inhabiting and navigating the public space as a woman is, in some way I'm yet to fully grasp, quite different to my previous life as a male. How about you?

The public space is not my major concern, as all recognize and treat me as an extremely tall woman.

My concern is usually my colleagues, friends, and those people who I meet in meetings and for business purposes. Usually men do not show any unusual responses: they just treat me as a man. Women are different. They are more friendly, commenting on my fashion items. One woman complained at me as I did not remember her well, while other men do not care whether I remember them well or not (I interact with dozens of new people every week, and it is impossible for me to remember them all, but they all remember me very well!). Most women are straightforward in praising my fashion items, while a few men do that. Of course, a few men comment negatively, or try to admonish not to wear like my way. Most women try to help me with fashion and beauty whether I ask it or not.

Yes. I prefer women as my friends....

barbie~~

[Rose City Rose]

I find it so natural to chat with women about clothes, hair, and jewelry before and we trade compliments.  It is NICE!  I never thought I had a fashion sense until I began presenting full-time and now I'm rocking chic retro looks that go over really well here in Portland.

I never thought I'd enjoy the visibility that comes with being female, but it's actually kind of nice.

[anjaq]

Some of the fasion comments are trans specific though, I noticed. So women will actually comment more about nice necklaces and fashion styles with transwomen (to encourage them in their self confidence) than they would with cismen. There is a subtle difference...

[pretty pauline]

  A guy in his 60s walked past, stopped, made some small talk, then told me I was a beautiful woman (Pre-FFS, WTF!!) and asked if he could kiss my hand.  I really didn't know what to do, but I agreed,

I experience that a lot, it's always older men wanting to kiss my hand, I'm now middle age, I sometimes go to work parties with my other half, get introduce formally to his work colleagues, if it's an older man in his 60s, most will kiss my hand, I found it a bit unnerving, this guy in his 60s kiss my hand, then ask my other half, ''would the lovely lady like a drink'' he didn't speak to me directly, which I think was out of respect for my husband, it felt strange, but nice, older men are old fashion in attitudes to women, but gentlemen in their own way, always on their best behavour in the presence of a lady, it's a very feminine experience.

[Julia-Madrid]

I experience that a lot, it's always older men wanting to kiss my hand, I'm now middle age, I sometimes go to work parties with my other half, get introduce formally to his work colleagues, if it's an older man in his 60s, most will kiss my hand, I found it a bit unnerving, this guy in his 60s kiss my hand, then ask my other half, ''would the lovely lady like a drink'' he didn't speak to me directly, which I think was out of respect for my husband, it felt strange, but nice, older men are old fashion in attitudes to women, but gentlemen in their own way, always on their best behavour in the presence of a lady, it's a very feminine experience.

I agree that sometimes men with a way of behaving that harks back to some previous generation can be charming.  For me it's still a case of getting used to that kind of treatment in general...

[pretty pauline]

For me it's still a case of getting used to that kind of treatment in general...

It just takes time to adjust, you will get used to the attention, both positive and negative, unneving and alarming sometimes, cab drivers hitting with charm, the same night that older guy kiss my hand, a younger guy in his early 30s politely asked me to dance, when it got to the slow stage his hands where everywhere, feeling my butt etc, when I eventually escaped to the ladies room, I got into conversion with another woman who asked if I was ok, then we just had girly chit chat on husbands and nice compliments on my hair and outfit. Compliments from another woman is nice, your now getting used to being a woman Julia, enjoy it, positive and negatives, welcome to womanhood.

[Mariah]

I was riding a bus home after doing some shopping and I was talking to this guy on the bus. While I had been talking to him towards the end before I got off the bus he had been writing on a piece of paper. Just as I was getting off and before anyone else can board the bus he handed me the piece of paper with his name and number on it. He left note mentioning to feel free to call anytime.
Mariah