Female Recruit

[MORA Ranger]

@ Serenas Unit:
"Be one of the guys" to an extent. My theory is I've been a lady longer than I've been a cop.

This is a great "motto" and so true. I worked as the only female LE officer around 30 male officers and you cannot behave like a "guy" i.e. feet on the table, burping, etc. It was interesting to see how a cute girl can turn into a "male-female" in a short time and nobody can tell the difference anymore. I knew one girl who even started chewing tobacco... I wonder if she went home after work and put on her wifebeater-shirt???
:eek:

I'm the only female where I work to (there's 20 of us). Some of the guys try to watch their mouths around me, which I think is nice, though I never asked for it. No nasty jokes when I'm in the room either. My boss teased me because I don't swear, burp or fart (he called me Miss Manners) like the rest of them. I like being "one of the guys," but I also like them to remember that I am female. About every other driver on my traffic stops calls me sir as I'm walking up to the window. It gets kind of annoying after awhile, so I like it when the guys at work remember that I'm not a man.

[Texas PO-PO]

"being one of the guys" is who I am personally, raised that way I guess. No make up, fart, burp, swear worse then a sailor. Serena is right that guys will forget your a female but I learn a lot of interesting things about my co-workers they tend to confide in me more then the other female. To each their own.

Dont change who you are for anyone.

[SERENAs UNIT]

Keep applying.

Do NOT get discouraged.

[Dee1]

I wont get discouraged. i've already contacted some other departments, and i'm on my way to start the process again. thanks for all the support!

[SERENAs UNIT]

MORA - you reminded me of a BIG pet peeve on traffic stops: Being referred to as "darlin" or "honey"...............THAT makes my blood boil.

GRANTED, sometimes the man is pretty elderly & doesn't mean a thing by it (I always let that go as I believe in respecting our elders). It's the ones who are OBVIOUS male-chauvinists & are saying it in a degrading manner.

I'm pretty firm in saying, "I'm officer/deputy, sir..not 'darlin'..thank you."

Usually they apologize.....out of necessity.

Yeah, the guys I work with here respect me as a "LADY" ('lady' is different from being 'female'). If they slip, I just say, "It's ok" but not so much that they think it's ok w/me.

And, NEVER believe that just bec. they are a "MAN" in l.e. means they have to start cussing, etc.
I've heard many male officers us it as a cop out: "I didn't start cussing & drinking till I became a cop." And, laugh about it.

I can name ONLY a handful of MEN officers who do neither, nor do they skirt-chase.

There are many men officers who don't get involved in the atta'boy process & fall prey to peer pressure.

My husband's one of 'em

I HIGHLY admire and respect you men officers (I refer to YOU as a "MAN" the others are "male") who are strong enough not to fall for the coffee-shop jabber, who use the vocabulary of a grown up and who are perfectly happy AND satisfied with your wives & not skirt-chasing.

Thank you for remembering to conduct yourselves they way you would if your wife, mother, daughter, grandmother were standing next to you.
</soapbox>

[enigma]

Hi Dee Speers, good luck with your LE processing.

[prisirente]

good luck!!

[Mz Cheyenne]

Good luck Dee and whatever you do, DON'T give up. Maybe you were DQd for a reason because there's another job out there that you were meant for that will be even better!

[Dee1]

thanks for all the support i'm receiving. it's a little discouraging, but i'll keep on truckin until i land in the right spot. i have a passion to do this, so i feel like it will happen for me. i just hate that something i did so young is standing in my way.