Am I a Whiner?

[shootingstar]

Anyway, they're all going to the new velodrome tomorrow and I don't want to go. They keep insisting I go but I really don't feel comfortable. I know there are those girls who want people to beg them, that's not it. I don't feel the need to get mocked by them. Whether or not they say anything they can be so transparent. A few of them already know what they're doing or at least have ridden fixed. Seeing as how we have to bring out own pedals and they've even managed to make fun of my pedals, I'm not into it.

It sucks, because I really want to try it, but I'd rather be in a supportive environment. I don't need to pay $25 to be made fun of when they do it at the office for free. They've made me cry at the office several times I'm just crafty enough to hide in the bathroom, cry, and then wash my face with cold water. I don't wanna cry in public, bad for my image.

I thought I had an ally in Staci but now that she's decided to buy a fully she's their little pet project. Never mind that I was trying to buy one, whatever it was used and old so that sucked.

To a point I feel like I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face, but at the same time I think I'm protecting my sanity. I dunno, I think riding my horse sounds much better.

I realize this is ungodly whiny, but I just needed to vent soooo bad! I'm to the point where my new policy is to show up, do my job, do my job well, pick up a check, and go home. I'm not there to make friends.

Sorry, what is your job where you also hang out with these guys? Is it at a bike shop or ?

Guy culture is different ..even the nicest guys do gentle ribbing and semi-insulting of one another in a jokey way amongst themselves.

However ..it really sounds like several of these guys are abit immature. After all, it's usually 1-2 guys who lead the others along the way in a put-down fest of one another for guy-bonding. In all honesty, I'm not impressed 'cause I have worked for several male dominant workplaces where the guys were into sports, etc. and there were always guys that didn't engage in hardly any jokey insulting bonding rituals. Hence, alot of playful insulting was cut down / tempered....when I was around. It IS the workplace, after all.

Just turn around to put the joke on them...and hopefully with abit more class by not insulting them. No point, stooping to their level.

Just to give you an idea of a recent insult joke on me:
My former boss, an engineering manager saw me in sarong skirt one day at work. Yes, I do have a lovely one that I wrap..and wore it like a skirt. He said: "Now that looks...like my bedspread that I got in Bali...you know...."

At that point, I held up my hand and said with big, knowing smile: "Look, I really don't want to hear more about it"..and I started to back out of his office that he was sharing with another engineer, who grinned humorously at me.

My boss stopped finishing his sentence. He knew his joke couldn't continue...not with me around.

By then I had calmly left his shared office. Later he never made such similar jokes again to me.

By the way, my former boss looks like Fabio (but a very bright person). That male model with shoulder-lengh long hair. Hope you understand the context of all this..

Note: I can't diss a person completely who did bring up cycling but always to share info and experiences since he did do bike commuting at another workplace.