China
16:43, 01-Jan-2018
Extra-wide parking spot for women only sparks controversy in SW China
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A parking space, 3.2 meters wide and marked with a pink stiletto, has been put into effect in a service station near a highway in the southwest of China for female drivers only. This service has sparked lots of buzz amongst feminist and other netizens on social media regarding the message given towards female drivers.
Some women took offense and thought the spot implies that women are bad at driving. While on the other hand, some men feel women already receive enough special treatment, and that this is unfair.
Comments on Weibo, China's Twitter, continued to flow with one person saying, “However, we take the same exam to get the driving license.”
"Due to the special service, female drivers, especially those who have just learned how to drive, will spend less time parking their cars. As a result, the garage will be less crowded," said Xiao Cui, a lady living in Shanghai.
“Especially for ladies who cannot drive cars skillfully, and ladies who have to take a foldable baby's carriage from their cars, the special spot will help them ease their parking.”
"Many people tend to think women are bad drivers, and some people even call women 'killers behind the wheel,' which is based on the traditional Chinese male-dominated culture as many people thought that men are superior to women,” said Zhang Lan, a white-collared employee with a foreign enterprise in Beijing.
Most of the women-only spots are near the exit, creating convincing for women to care for the babies.
Most of the women-only spots are near the exit, creating convincing for women to care for the babies.
Others suggested that it might be wiser if the logo written on the spot was changed from “women-only” to “new drivers-only.”
However, in response to the controversy, Fang Hongying, the manager of the service station said, if need be, the spot can also be used for beginner male drivers who need the extra space. Although this service will not solve the problems for female drivers, who are not good at parking.
In recent years, increasing numbers of park space for women have been established in China. Global Times reported, female drivers can cause twice as many collisions in parking lots than in other places.