Female only parking

[Shelley]

I was reading last night an article from China Daily about "Female-only parking spots draw controversy" the article was the usual discussion about discrimination or is it courtesy. There was a discussion about the use of a a pink square with a shoe and in chinese words to the effect that it is women only.

 

What intrigued me and had me asking what is that all about, is the other markings that looks like lotus flowers or very large dandelions but what are they for? They have different amounts of "petals" decreasing in one direction.

Anyone got any ideas?

 

[DavyJonesLocker]

Whether its discriminatory or not, I think many chinese will ignore it and just park in their anyway 

[Lu]

The dandelions are just to make it look pretty, I think. It's done elsewhere (Google-Image 'dandelion parking space' and you'll see a few examples). No special meaning, beyond, I think, the idea that 'we should pretty up the female parking spaces because females like pretty things'. (Which, urgh, but at the same time, pretty is good, I guess.)

 

I assume that the female-only parking spaces exist for the same reason as women-only carriages and 'safe areas for women' on Taipei metro stations. I'm conflicted on this. On one hand, it's good to try and make the world safer for women because they are sometimes assaulted on crowded carriages or late-night metro platforms. On the other hand, the entire train and the entire platform and the entire world for that matter should be safe for women, not just a few zones. An additional problem is that I wonder what happens when a woman does get on the mixed train carriage: does that constitute 'asking for it'?

 

But if it is about 'women are weak, they can't walk that far, they should be able to park close to the store'... That I would find total bullshit.

[Shelley]

The argument for the parking spaces is that are closer to the store so they don't have to walk as far at night in the dark and they are closer to the stores CCTV monitoring systems. The thing I find really discriminating is the fact that are 1.5 times the size implying women need more space to park in.

 

I couldn't find a link to actual article only the picture, I'll see if I can find it later.

 

[889]

But is this a joke photo, with the "female" spaces purposely wider?

[somethingfunny]

I assume the female parking spots are closer to the shop entrance so they don't have so far to walk with all their shopping bags.

[Flickserve]

Big shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur have designated areas for female only parking. 

[Jim]

Marked out in pink and with high heels? Jesus.

[Shelley]

44 minutes ago, 889 said:

But is this a joke photo, with the "female" spaces purposely wider?

Unfortunately no, that's the part that upset most readers, that women drivers need larger spaces to park in.

[Lu]

I hadn't even noticed that... Yah, someone (or a committee consisting of mostly men, likely) missed the line between being a gentleman and wanting to make things easier for women, and patronising sexism.

[somethingfunny]

Judging from some of the parking in the next row up, it looks like most people could do with larger spaces to park in.

[Shelley]

1 minute ago, somethingfunny said:

parking in the next row up

Hadn't noticed that, yah the three cars in the middle are not in their own spaces.

[889]

"Sheilas’ Wheels, a 'female-focused car insurer,' has just proposed to the UK the idea of Pink Zones. Basically, PinkZones are separate driving lanes for female drivers. The lanes are supposed to increase safety and decrease the chance of women being harmed in a car accident."

 

https://theplaidzebra.com/u-k-insurance-company-separate-driving-lanes-female-drivers/

[Shelley]

Sheila's wheels were in trouble some time ago for discriminating against men, so now they are really just an ordinary insurance company with pink as their company colours. so that might be why they want to pave the streets in pink, a big advertising stunt.

 

They were not allow to offer women cheaper insurance just because they were women.

 

 

[Lu]

Wow, this irks me on so many levels.

 

Statistically: 'According to Sheilas’ Wheels, they found that men are four times more likely to be convicted of a motoring accident than women in the UK, but that women were more likely to be injured in a traffic accident compared to men.'

Could that be because the person sitting next to the driver is more often more seriously injured than the driver, and that often if there are a man and a woman in the car, the man is driving?

 

And ha, female-focused car insurer. I'd think you don't even have to lower the insurance prices to make money than a general car insurer.

 

(Also, that apostrophe. 'Sheilas' Wheels', really??)

[889]

It is correct, if we're describing Wheels that belong to more than one Sheila.

 

But it's also eye-catching -- it caught your eye and mine -- and I assume that's the real point of the apostrophe there.

[Lu]

52 minutes ago, Shelley said:

so that might be why they want to pave the streets in pink, a big advertising stunt.

Yeah, another level of irk. Why that idea that stuff for women should be pink? (Or high heels as a symbol for women. Get me shoes I can walk on already.)

 

Okay, enough ranting. Time for me to go outside for a bit.

[DavyJonesLocker]

15 hours ago, Shelley said:

Sheila's wheels were in trouble some time ago for discriminating against men, so now they are really just an ordinary insurance company with pink as their company colours. so that might be why they want to pave the streets in pink, a big advertising stunt.

 

They were not allow to offer women cheaper insurance just because they were women.

 

 

Ah yes I forgot about them. There was a change in EU law so they had to change. You can't price discriminate based on gender, race etc. 

However you can do it for different classifications of individuals such as seniors discount, student tickets, etc

 

Seems a sensible ruling .