Unlike the 12 spaces set aside for women, which are wider, well-lit, and closer to the exit, the men’s spaces require the driver to pull in at an angle, and avoid hitting cement pillars. They are an “attraction” for any ambitious driver, Strobel saod. “But men are, as a rule, a little better at such challenges,” he said.
Strobel, 58, who says he has parked in the spaces three times, admitted that “of course, there are also great women drivers!” He said that when he came to the idea, he knew it would challenge “political correctness.” But he says he has received mostly positive feedback from his stunt.
Strobel said that the move was good advertising for his town, and that one man emailed him saying he would travel there just to test himself at parking. Women, too, he says have put themselves to the challenge. “They are, of course, most welcome!” he said.
8 comments:
As a woman and a good driver, I find this patronising at best. In return I reckon we should label all toilets as being for women, and install new ones with super-wide bowls for men, because they can't aim. Fair retaliation, I'd say.
Interesting. Maybe this mayor should read the recent study that suggested women were actually better at parking than men. Google "better at parking" and read the study for your self :)
I believe in various German cities parking spots for females are reserved because women often have groceries, baggage, children, pregnant belly, etc., to carry, and it is considered a social deference.
That said, there have been various comics drawn about "Frauenparkplaetze" (parking places for women), including this link:
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/images/3890827527/ref=dp_image_0/280-6619942-4736041?ie=UTF8&n=299956&s=books
In the comic, a man is caught having parked in a woman's spot. The matron says, "Well, I'll let that pass."
Lurker111
I believe in various German cities parking spots for females are reserved because women often have groceries, baggage, children, pregnant belly, etc., to carry, and it is considered a social deference.
Nah, they're just not good at driving. [Or politics - see Mensch and Smith]. Mayor was right. Only a PCist would try to claim something everyone knows is so is not so.
"I believe in various German cities parking spots for females are reserved because women often have groceries, baggage, children, pregnant belly, etc., to carry, and it is considered a social deference."
What if it's a man with groceries, baggage, children, beer gut etc.? He can manage better than a woman in the same situation? What if it is a man driving with a female passenger with the said things? Designate parking spots for people with groceries, baggage or children, if you must, don't make such sweeping generalisations about men and women.
I find this totally unnecessary gender discrimination.
@Insolitus:
I was merely explaining the justification. I never said I supported it. And the fact that the deference is a dubious policy is the reason so many jokes about these parking places exist. (There's another Perscheid about these, but I can't find it right now.)
Lurker111
Lurker111, I wasn't assuming you supported this, my comment was directed at the people who decide these things. Sorry if you got the impression I was attacking you.
I really don't believe that anybody capable of passing a driving test and of maneuvering a car in city traffic could be incapable of parking a car. Parking is easy compared with many aspects of driving.
Having said that I work in a school with a small car park. Several female staff insist on using the disabled spaces because they say find the rest of the car park too tight. Others will abandon their cars outside the designated bays causing obstructions to other drivers, because they say they can't get into the spaces.
The common factor in these parking decisions is that the cars are always nearer to the building entrance than if they were parked in the correct parking bays. As such I don't think that this is because they are less good at parking than men. Observing the women concerned I believe that they are playing up to a gender stereotype so that they get to park nearer the school entrance.
Some women may complain that these women are perpetuating a negative gender stereotype. Me I say good luck to them. This is just the same as men deliberately making a mess of housework so they won't be asked to do it again.
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