Anyone with a functioning uterus can agree that menstrual periods are an unfortunate but unavoidable discomfort. And although it sucks for the most part, the monthly experience can be improved with easily available feminine hygiene products, pain killers and a little compassion.
Only in rare cases does a woman get nothing.
Someone just refused to sell me feminine hygiene products in a gas station.
— Mary Epworth ? (@maryepworth) May 3, 2015
Mary Epworth, a UK-based singer/songwriter, was on tour in Iowa with the rest of the cast of Welcome to Night Vale. When they made a pit stop at a gas station, she went to get herself some tampons. But when she tried to pay for her purchase, the male store clerk took one look at the box and said: “I can’t sell these.”
Why? He “just thinks it’s gross”.
He made the female member of staff serve me. I told him "50% of the population bleed". He said " I just think its gross"…
— Mary Epworth ? (@maryepworth) May 3, 2015
The clerk — apparently either hemophobic, a misogynist, or both — went to fetch a middle-aged woman to ring up Epworth’s purchase instead. “She looked me in the eye like she knew it was ridiculous,” Epworth said. It also seemed evident that this was not unusual and might have happened several times before.
Epworth put up a good fight: “I sort of argued with him a bit, and told him this happens to everyone.”
“He said ‘I don’t care. I wouldn’t even have them in my bathroom.'”
I told him he would have a pretty gory floor.
— Mary Epworth ? (@maryepworth) May 3, 2015
Jeffrey Cranor, one of Epworth’s companions that day, saw what happened and sternly reprimanded the clerk, who looked young and in his early twenties.
the cashier said he thinks fem pads are gross. i asked him how he does selling toilet paper, condoms, & kleenex. he said that's not the same
— jeffrey cranor (@happierman) May 3, 2015
When Epworth and Cranor tweeted about the incident, hilarity ensued.
@happierman NO! NOT COTTON DERIVED CELLULOSE! MY HANDS WILL BURRRRN!
— Kendersrule (@kendersrule) May 3, 2015
@maryepworth Did you tell him it’s the same blood in all his cool action movies and not a special woman blood? — Mike Levine (@bizmichael) May 3, 2015
@happierman Is he afraid he might catch the uterus orrrr
— Failcat (@KittyTheFailcat) May 3, 2015
There were also many concerned tweets from people who couldn’t believe what happened.
@maryepworth @2Ferdi7 I’ve met men like him before. They think if they handle sanitary towels they’ll ‘catch periods’. Pitiful misogynists. — sam shelley (@hermesgypsy) May 3, 2015
@maryepworth @MaraWritesStuff Did he think he would have a period if he sold them himself? Does he stock condoms so he doesn’t get pregnant?
— Pemberton Periwinkle (@Arithered) May 3, 2015
I mean, really? In this day and age?
@maryepworth @happyandbashful Wow. Just going to look outside to see if the ark is sailing by. — Sarahsarasahra (@goodbrightdog) May 3, 2015
Years later I fondly remember the Middle Eastern guy at 7-11 who, when I bought a box of Tampons, looked up and asked: @maryepworth @rowast — Rebecca Schoenkopf (@commiegirl1) May 3, 2015
“oh! would you like to use our bathroom?” AS A MATTER OF FACT I WOULD, 7-11 GUY! THANK YOU!” @maryepworth @rowast — Rebecca Schoenkopf (@commiegirl1) May 3, 2015
(h/t: addictinginfo.com | Featured Image by Kotex)