It can be hard to find strong female role models in the workplace. But we finally found one woman who has no trouble asserting her very minimal authority. Pam Hartley is proving daily that women can be bold, confident and mean by abusing the little power she has as a DMV receptionist.
Hartley is known for inflicting her judgement on complete strangers in line at the DMV. Customers facing her wrath often have to wait twice as long as normal for absolutely no reason at all.. And if customers don’t have their license and registration in hand the second she requests them, Hartley makes them go to the back of the line just “because”. Yas feminism! We love a woman in charge!
Customers, meanwhile, are less than pleased with Hartley’s assertive attitude. Local mom Cara Jynn shared her insight on Hartley’s behavior.
“I love to see women in positions of power,” says Jynn. “I just don’t love women in power who won’t give my son a same-day appointment for his permit test. In that specific scenario, I would prefer a woman with the least amount of power possible.”
Often, women in high-level positions feel the effects of imposter syndrome, and consequently feel scared to assert their authority. But Hartley has no such reservations. She is at least four levels below the top of her city’s DMV chain of command—but you would never know that from the way she treats people.
“She’s so incredibly rude,” says Rick Mendez. “She scoffed at my driver’s license photo. When I asked her a simple question she screamed, ‘I don’t know why don’t you Google it!’”
Hartley clearly doesn’t let men stand in her way!
“If you think you can just waltz on into the Department of Motor Vehicles and be treated like a king, you have another thing coming,” says Hartley. “People want to get in and out of here quickly. I say get the fuck over it. Not happening.”
Sounds like a woman who knows what she’s worth!
It’s true that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But did you know that partial power is way more annoying? Anyone who’s ever interacted with Hartley does.
Local resident Maya Kim has decided to support Hartley, even after she was denied an extension on her license because Hartley wanted to go on lunch break early.
“When men have power, they often use it to terrorize those below them,” says Kim. “Pam is doing just that, in a non-sexual way. So I guess this is a step forward for gender equality? Maybe? I don’t know. I left the DMV crying.”
Feminism for the win!
But Hartley was quick to distance herself from the feminist label.
“It’s not a wishy-washy woman thing,” she says. “In my eyes, everyone is dirt. Man, woman, black, white, it doesn’t matter. My job is to make you feel insignificant no matter what.”
Wow, a strong woman who is also humble? Someone nominate this woman for DMV Employee of the Year!
