Men, born stupid or learned behaviour?

My husband just rang me from WHSmith, to ask me where the sticky back plastic was (which I'd sent him out to buy). My response? "Don't they KNOW?"

What makes men do this? Why, in preference to asking the people who work there, would he ring me and expect me to know where a commodity has been stocked in a stationary shop I rarely go in? What is it about asking people questions that makes men run a mile, and come away empty handed rather than open their mouths?

We've driven 60 miles out of the way because he wouldn't stop at a garage to find out where we were going. I've had to order almost every takeaway delivery we've ever eaten. I've watched him walk 30 feet to an open door, rather than push one of the closed ones and suffer the extreme humiliation of finding a locked one. I've even seen him bring home shoes that were too small (and never got worn again) because they were on the rack, and getting a bigger size would have involved finding a sales assistant and asking for them.