I live alone in a big house, and you wouldn’t believe the insults I get

By JUDITH MARTIN

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a single woman who learned early on that I wasn’t cut out for apartment living — that I wanted my own house.

I was “orphaned” by 30 and moved into the home I inherited.

Everyone from plumbers and painters to a lawyer who was representing me comments on the fact that I live alone in a house: “I don’t see why you need a house.” “Do you have kids?” “Don’t you have any pets?” These are accompanied by enough head-shaking and eye-rolling to rival a Marx Brothers movie.

A painter came into my garage and saw my decade-old, run-of-the-mill sedan and said, “Whoa, nice car,” sarcastically. A plumber looked around my basement and said, “This is a lot of house for one person.” When I told him that his quote was too high, he pointed to a piece of furniture and said, “Oh, you can’t afford my rate, but you can afford antiques?” (It was a DVD cabinet I bought on sale for $50 from a now-defunct home decor store.)

Keep in mind that these comments are always made in a “Where do you get off?” tone of voice. None of this is complimentary; I know the difference.

After decades of this, I’ve grown sick and tired of being told in so many ways that I don’t deserve what I have.

Why should women receive such rude and outrageous treatment in their day-to-day lives?