text: how do you feel about assertive, outspoken women? i am assertive and outspoken..i will tactfully tell you what is on my mind....if i get bad service from a company i ask to speak to a supervisor.if i am at the supermarket and i see someone with a full cart in the express line and i have one item i politely ask, "do you mind if i go ahead of you, this is the express line?"  if the phone rings and i am eating or busy ..i screen the call.i do not run out of the bathroom to answer the phone. if unexpected visitors show up (i hate that) i tactfully tell them it is not a good time.when my bf got his driver lisence suspended due to  not paying a ticket, i refused to be his 24/7 chauffer on call.  i have a few causes i feel passionately about, that i will donate to or volunteer for, but at my job there is volunteer work or donations requested of the employees every week, and i have no problem refusing if it is something i do not feel strongly about..how unusual is all this? i have been called selfish, a b*tch, etc. huh? assertive women have been around forever. we just have more of them now. i think that's a good thing. if you're also tactful then that just means you're polite and a nice person as well. who doesn't like a nice person? the real problem isn't that you had to ask, "may i go infront of you. i have only one item." it was that they didn't ask you to. the problem wasn't that you said i won't be your 24/7 driver. it was that he wasn't responsible enough to pay his fine and then not have to impose on another. the problem wasn't that you had to tell unexpected guest that you were busy. it was that they were so inconsiderate and assuming. b*tch is definitly not the right word for you. i think it should be..... hmmmm? "unused/rational/fair" yes, i like "fair" the best. fair to others and most of all and importantly, fair to yourself.