The treating of tradesmen

[scottycelt]

... (no, not Daily Mail deliveries - perish the thought!) ....

Yes ... even newschildren are a bit thin on the ground these days ...

[Segilla]

But for the fact that the apostrophe is misused so often nowadays, I wonder if e.g., post'n, fire'n and so on would be a useful way to avoid using 'man' or 'woman' and would get round this silly sexism talk.

Incidentally, it's a small miracle sexism hasn't been changed to 'genderism'.

[Serial_Apologist]

But for the fact that the apostrophe is misused so often nowadays, I wonder if e.g., post'n, fire'n and so on would be a useful way to avoid using 'man' or 'woman' and would get round this silly sexism talk.

Nah - sounds too much like East Stranglian dialect...

[Segilla]

I have a really cheery and helpful postman and used to give him a fiver at Christmas but increased it to a tenner last year or the year before that. I now find the equally pleasant lady who comes from time to time instead is his wife - but it's still a tenner.

[ahinton]

Incidentally, it's a small miracle sexism hasn't been changed to 'genderism'.

No, not a miracle of any size, actually; it's because they're not quite the same thing.

But, while we're on the subject, let's not forget the inimitable "composeress" as featured in http://www.webrarian.co.uk/reed/emily_butter.html....

Hmmm - swiftly back to the subject of to tip or not to tip, methinks...

[cloughie]

No, not a miracle of any size, actually; it's because they're not quite the same thing.

But, while we're on the subject, let's not forget the inimitable "composeress" as featured in http://www.webrarian.co.uk/reed/emily_butter.html....

Hmmm - swiftly back to the subject of to tip or not to tip, methinks...

Were there not conductresses on buses, I wonder how Joanne Falletta, Marin Alsop and Jane Glover would warm to the job title?

[scottycelt]

I have a really cheery and helpful postman and used to give him a fiver at Christmas but increased it to a tenner last year or the year before that. I now find the equally pleasant lady who comes from time to time instead is his wife - but it's still a tenner.

No no, she can't possibly be anyone's wife ... postlady does sound rather nice, though ... ?

[cloughie]

I have a really cheery and helpful postman and used to give him a fiver at Christmas but increased it to a tenner last year or the year before that. I now find the equally pleasant lady who comes from time to time instead is his wife - but it's still a tenner.

Strange - don't often hear of female tenners!

[ahinton]

Were there not conductresses on buses, I wonder how Joanne Falletta, Marin Alsop and Jane Glover would warm to the job title?

You could always try asking them but, until you elicit their answers, I somehow imagine that they wouldn't especially...

[Anna]

We have a regular dustbin collection every two weeks. We have recycling collections twice a week, usually, including driver, a team of 4. I never see my postman and have no idea when he comes. I do however buy small gifts for our two local bus drivers who are wonderful and manage to turn up come snow or high water. They also give Christmas cards to their regular customers, so it's a bit of a mutual admiration society.

[VodkaDilc]

Were there not conductresses on buses, I wonder how Joanne Falletta, Marin Alsop and Jane Glover would warm to the job title?

I recall relinquishing the conductorship of a home counties Choral Society in the late 1970s. Whenever I met the elderly accompanist in the following year or so, he would tell me, dismissively, how the choir was doing under the baton of their new 'conductress'. Yes, he probably was sexist, but it's what elderly, middle-class, middle-England men thought in those days.

[ahinton]

We have a regular dustbin collection every two weeks.

Ooh, you need to come over the mountains and enjoy a regular weekly collection like one has yurr in Herefordistan, then!

We have recycling collections twice a week, usually, including driver, a team of 4.

There are supposed to be such collections yurr but no one ever comes to do it so I put all the garbage out in the same wheelie.

I do however buy small gifts for our two local bus drivers who are wonderful and manage to turn up come snow or high water. They also give Christmas cards to their regular customers, so it's a bit of a mutual admiration society.

Well, there's no local bus drivers around yurr - well, none that I know of, anyway; I suppose that one or two might live in the locality, but there's no buses being driven around yurr, that's for shewer! There's rarely snow yurr, fortunately and, for there to be high water, the lovely Wye would have to rise by several metres which, even in times of climate change, is not very likely!

[teamsaint]

my postie can have a tip when he starts delivering letters that bring money instead of demanding it !!
Our bin men spend most of the year throwing sickies, and only come back in time for the xmas tips.

[ahinton]

I recall relinquishing the conductorship of a home counties Choral Society in the late 1970s. Whenever I met the elderly accompanist in the following year or so, he would tell me, dismissively, how the choir was doing under the baton of their new 'conductress'. Yes, he probably was sexist, but it's what elderly, middle-class, middle-England men thought in those days.

Well, if that's the case, it's relief not to be - or to have been - elderly, middle-class or middle-English in these or those days!

Speaking of sexism, I note that no one has yet written about tipping the velvet...

[teamsaint]

We have a regular dustbin collection every two weeks. We have recycling collections twice a week, usually, including driver, a team of 4. I never see my postman and have no idea when he comes. I do however buy small gifts for our two local bus drivers who are wonderful and manage to turn up come snow or high water. They also give Christmas cards to their regular customers, so it's a bit of a mutual admiration society.

well your drivers certainly deserve something.
Our bus company give up if there is a slightly dodgy 5 day forcast.
I think we will all need helpful bus companies and drivers a good deal more after the economic meltdown. you are wise to stay on good terms !!