The other day I was discussing a building's financials with a buyer. When a buyer makes an offer it is normally the procedure for a seller or seller's agent to provide the buyer or buyer's attorney with the last two years financials.
Every building has an audit from an independent accounting firm every year. It is a typical balance sheet that shows the buildings assets and liabilities revenue and operating costs. It is a way to determine if the building is in good financial health.
I was showing her payroll and wages paid under the operating budget. Jokingly she said: "Wow I should become a Doorman they make good money and have pretty good jobs"
I agreed with her but then I said: "Come to think of it I've never seen a woman Doorman in any building in Manhattan". She said: "You know I never have either could Doorman be the last bastion of an all male profession?"
It was kind of funny because we both said we never really thought about it before but now that we did neither of us had ever seen a female Doorman.
We were joking that we have a woman Senator, Secretary of State, woman police officers, woman firefighters, woman in the military, construction workers, salespersons, bankers, attorney's, CEO's of fortune 500 companies and on and on - So why no woman Doorman? I did not have an answer.
As I started to write this blog, I did a search on Google "Woman Doorman" The only thing I could find about "woman doorman" was an article in the NY Times from 11 years ago:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEEDB163FF935A15751C0A963958260as
The article was about an experienced city corrections guard with four years of college, training in security and self-defense and a license to carry a gun. But when she tried to get a part-time job as a doorman, she says, she was told the job was off-limits to women. Nothing has really changed since then.
A Doorman is not a security guard. In some buildings they take packages and get residents taxis. In my building we have a Doorman and a Concierge. The concierge sits behind the desk. The concierge takes packages and calls up when you have a visitor. About two years ago the Doormen in my building were complaining their arms hurt from opening the door. We installed an electronic door. So now they stand either inside or outside the door. Don't get me wrong I love my Doorman. "Good morning Mr. Hall, have a nice day". "Welcome home Mr. Hall"
Is it a sociological New York phenomenon? Is it because there are so many single women in New York that would never give up their doorman? Is a doorman like a spouse without emotional commitment? Is it old-fashioned chivalry that men open doors for woman? Or just old fashioned discrimination? I don't have any answers. But it really made me think.
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