I had the most annoying gender discriminatory experience at the PVR Saket Cinema yesterday. The security guards there won’t let me in with my backpack (laptop bag without laptop) because its not a ladies bag.
“But you do allow one hand bag don’t you?” I asked.
“Yes Mam, one ladies bag allowed. Not this bag.” The female guard replied.
“But this is my bag, I carry my personal item in this. See, here my medicine, makeup, sanitary pads.” And I pulled out a pack of Whisper.
The female guard took a few steps back in shock as if I had pulled out a bomb, one of the two male guards looked away in utter embarrassment and the other rushed out of the scene to call the manager.
The manager came 5 minutes later, perhaps duly informed about my stunt. At first he said the usual, “Mam this type of bag is not allowed, only ladies hand bag is allowed.” I repeated my earlier statement, and as I was about to repeat my stunt, the manager raised his hands and said “Ok mam don’t show me but just tell me what you have in the bag.”
“Don’t show me.” He said that twice!
I showed him anyway. I took out the pack of Whisper pads and showed him that this is my personal bag and I carry my personal items in this, I may need it once I am inside. Without wasting anymore time he said “Ok please let her in.”
As I walked towards the lift I kept yelling at them, “How can you think that ladies will only use those fancy purse, why can’t they use these, so many ladies are using these bags, haven’t you seen? These days ladies carry all kinds of bags.”
“Mam it doesn’t not happen that often, that’s why” Said the manager as the lift door closed.
Those 4 people would remember those 10 minutes for a really long time, if not for the rest of their lives.
So moral of the story: Ladies be prepared to be penalized for not carrying a bag which is more lady like. Feel free to try this at a cinema hall near you
Ps. The pseudo misleading title was just a click bait. Sorry! :-)
Dr Sanjukta Basu 
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