Tell me if this sounds familiar, fellas.

You're in the line at the supermarket. There's a couple women in line ahead of you and a female cashier. The cashier is making pleasant small-talk with the current female customer. She finishes with that one and moves on to the next female customer--same thing, same pleasant small talk. She finishes with that one and then you're up.

Suddenly, the demeanor changes. Gone is the pleasant smile. You say hello or good morning or whatever and you're ignored or met only with a cold, hateful look. The cashier looks everywhere but at you and does her best to pretend you don't exist. You walk away feeling uncomfortable, as if you're some sort of creep who exudes a vibe of creepiness and wondering why you didn't deserve the same basic common courtesy.

This shit happens to me ALL. THE. TIME.

And it drives me insane. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am unfailingly polite in the real world. I smile at people when I interact with them, I am friendly and polite. It's just the way I was raised, just your basic southern courtesy.

And yes, I realize why these women do this. I realize that there are tons of men out there who take any sign of friendliness as interest and that women learn to be guarded. I still don't think that because of that I deserve to be treated as if I am a creep, as if I am guilty by default. We're continually told not to judge all women on the crappy actions of a few. Why are these women not expected to treat us with the same basic civility and common courtesy unless we give them a reason not to?

And I don't need to hear about all the asshole male cashiers of the world. I've run into them, too. But that has always been a case of them simply being dicks and treating everyone crappy and not treating me specifically that way.

Does this drive anyone else insane when they're out in the world?