On Using "I'm Married" As Protection From Creepy People

Today there was a very annoying man on the subway that hit on me. On the one hand, I'm flattered (very slightly) that despite six years with Dude I've still got it, but really, it was annoying and I was just trying to read my book. This guy was relentless, trying to strike up conversation even though I clearly was giving him Evil Face and turned up my iPod so that I could barely hear him. It went on for a few minutes, "What's your name, beautiful?" "Where are you going?" "Why aren't you talking to me?" Then finally the question that put an end to it, "What's wrong with you, are you married or something?"

I'm not one to engage harassers because I really don't think they're worth the time of day, but at this point I said, "As a matter of fact, I am married, but even if I weren't, I still wouldn't want to talk to you." He shut up for a few minutes, and then I got out at the next stop and went into the adjacent car.

This whole anecdote was not really meant to boast about my desirability, but rather to convey my complete rage that a woman who is not interested in a strange man MUST be married, or else why isn't she talking to him? While I'm slightly comforted by the fact that if I'm in a sticky situation with a strange man, all I have to do is hold up my left hand, I'm very disturbed that for some men, that's what it takes for them to back the fuck off.

I'm also troubled by the fact that somtimes, the "I'm married" response is often the first response. What does that mean, that if you weren't married you wouldn't brush him off? It's the simple response, but it doesn't do much for fellow women, single or married (or attached but not married). The best response, in my opinion, is "I'm not interested" - but as I whined about above, some men just don't understand that.

Being female stinks sometimes. All I want is to commute in peace, and I can't even have that?