Kathy
Lynch is something of a novelty at her profession, but she does not
have much time to think about it. From behind her desk at the carpeted
lobby of 250 E. 3rd Avenue, she greets her tenants, answers phones
and watches the security monitors simultaneously for eight hours.
And that's if her day isn't a busy one.
As
one of the few female doormen in New York City, residents didn't
know what to make of her initially.
Kathy
Lynch writing down a delivery in her notebook
PHOTO:Pema Norbu |
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"People
were pleasantly surprised," said Lynch. "They didn't know
me or anything about me, but they thought it was great, especially
the women."
In
a profession that has seen little changes, doormen's gender and
race are the few factors that have changed. Once dominated by Irish
men, Hispanics are now most prevalent in the old profession, and
slowly women are also starting to find a place in this line of work.
There's little data on the number of women in the job or when they
started, but Lynch said she's aware of 10 in the city.
She
saw little contradiction in her change of roles from a stay-at-home
mom to a doorperson" when she started more than 13 years ago.
At 50, she is now a veteran who's done everything from serving as
interim building supervisor, to payroll clerk and representative
at the union, Local 32B-32J of the Service Employees International
Union.
"It's
never been an issue," said Lynch referring to her gender. "There
is very little that they (men) can do that we can't."
Dressed
in a black suit with brass buttons, her red hair closely cropped,
Lynch peers through her black-framed glasses at a large spiral notebook
and enters a delivery. Several post-it notes with scrawled reminders
line the curved desk where she works.
As
imposing as she looks in her uniform, Lynch never works alone for
security reasons. There is always a male co-worker either at the
door or the elevators.
"People
are all right with the idea of a woman being at the desk but not
crazy about a woman at the door," said Lynch, adding that she
has never worked the late shift.
Restrictions
against women working late nights or alone have made the position
competitive. Maria Torres, a 38-year old mother of two from Mexico,
who works in the same building, had to wait for the previous doorwoman
to resign to get the job.
While
some tenants have concerns about leaving a woman in charge of the
security of a building, they see them as more competent than most
men in other areas.
"They
trust us and feel more secure with us because we write and take
down the messages and deliveries," said Maria. The children
also feel more comfortable with the women, often coming around the
desk to tell them about their day or simply to
look at the monitors.
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Maria
Torres smiling for her tenants
PHOTO: Aude Lagorce |
For
Lynch and Torres, their job responsibilities do not end with announcing
visitors, receiving packages and taking messages. They've done everything
from walking dogs, feeding cats, watering plants, turning off coffee
pots to sifting through drawers for a missing diamond ring.
Although
some men are uncomfortable with the idea of a woman holding the
door for them or carrying their bags, most realize it's a profession
like any other.
For
other women trying to enter the profession, Lynch has the same advice
she would give to men. "Learn the job, keep a level of professionalism,
and smiling is important. People like that," she said, smiling.
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