This may be a benefit that women want to pass by. It appears that in some parts of South Korea women are being given special pink painted parking spots. That might not be so bad except for the reason: the space are wider to give extra assistance to female drivers.
The treatment of female drivers as handicapped would result in hundreds of torched cars and riots in the street in this country. There does not appear to be much of a squabble in South Korea, however. The spots are 2.5 meters wide rather than the standard 2.3 — purportedly to accommodate the difficulty women have with parallel parking, here.
In the meantime, Seoul is working on special parking spaces near handicapped spaces for women — on the premise that women wear high-heels and thus need closer spots, here. Notably, women in “sensible shoes” are still allowed to use the close spots.This would seem to raise a problem of sexism in the other direction. Why should women be given preference over men due to their clothing styles. What if some of us are willing to wear stiletto heels for a close spot? How about women only driving lanes?
FF Leo–
That parallel universe that you say we females think in. How have you determined that it exists–from circumferential evidence? To geomertrize this discussion further–I think we gals try to look at all the angles of an argument.
AY–
I’d like to see you all–I’m talking men here–trying to walk a straight line in them thar stiletto heels. After a few minutes trying to stay upright while proceeding forward, I bet y’all would be ready to park yer derrieres at any angle…anywhere just to get off yer feet.
Elaine M.,
The one with you all walking in the shoes. For a really, really good shoe….
Well Ms. M, I have always known that women think in a parallel universe, although I have yet to figure out just which one that might be…
AY–
With which of FF Leo’s points do you agree?
FF Leo–
FYI: We wimmin are unparalleled when it comes to parking.
Regarding women only driving lanes: Not such a good idea. It would probably be too difficult for police to differentiate between transvestites and “real women” when they go whizzing down the highway at 60-70 mph. And just think of the poor female who is misidentified as a man traveling in the “women only” lane, stopped by an officer, and asked to step outside her vehicle and prove she’s really a woman. Oh…the humanity!
As a po’ ol’ white boy a’loosin’ hisn gawd-givin’ rights tae rule in ‘dis ’sheer cuntree, I luv this wimmin caint parlel park bashin’
Elaine M.,
At the risk of getting stepped on I too agree with FF LEO. Please.
Redneck’s Drag Lessin’ #3: Never drag in a *pink* car. Yurn bound to end up on yurn *back* wiff’n yurn wheels in ‘da ‘r….
Here in ATL, GA, we have plenty of women only parking spots, especially in grocery store lots. They are called “stork spots” and have their own special signs. They are right next to the handicapped spots and are labelled “For Expectant Mothers.”
Personally, I think they would make more sense if they were for parents of babies in carriers, as those can be heavy and awkward to lug in and out of the car. Also, the extra width would keep neighboring cars from being dinged because one has to open the back door all the way to get the baby and carrier out of the backseat.
“Be nice to Cindy. She’s having ‘woman troubles.” “What? you mean she can’t parallel park?” –old joke
These pinko parking spots raise an important question regarding the types of cars that may occupy the space, e.g.
Are dragsters allowed in pink spaces?
EM wrote:
“Professor Turley–
You might have more sympathy for us poor benighted parking-impaired females after you tried walking for a day in stiletto heels. Now, that would truly be a sight I’d pay to see.”
_________________________________
Like the Turley paint ball and Trebuchet episodes, we will need photos; No, a video is demanded for this one.
Gee Jill, I never thought of it that way. See what valuable insights we gain when debating Turley Blawg issues of the day.
Jill–
Maybe Seoul should also have dual-sex hermaphroditic parking spots that were both pink AND blue.
Professor Turley–
You might have more sympathy for us poor benighted parking-impaired females after you tried walking for a day in stiletto heels. Now, that would truly be a sight I’d pay to see.
FFLEO,
OMG–we actually have unisex parking spots in the US! The horror!
What’s next? Rainbow-colored parking for GLBTs….
Pink is no longer considered de rigueur as the color “coded” for women. I’m no fashionista–but even I know that.
This Korean idea to help stiletto-heel-wearing females who aren’t considered as adept at parallel parking as people of the opposite gender is known as the New Seoul-ar System Parking Initiative.
kip:
Some of us folks who lack a “y” chromosome DO know how to park a “friggin” car. I refuse to say whether I’m included among those folks.
lottakatz,
All the lights “on” and nobody’s home! Good one!!! (theoretically speaking of course).
Jeeze Kip, I just can’t imagine why the insurance rates for those awful women drivers are lower than the ones for those fantastic male drivers. I thought insurance companies were in business to make money. Guess my small, incompetent woman mind can’t figure it out!
I do not know about South Korea; however, ladies’ only pink parking spots in the good ol’ U.S. of A would be prey traps and stalking areas readily available to every type of human sexual predator known to man. Bad idea for many other reasons as well.
Kip, You know how to deal with those guys driving those big ol’ compensatory trucks that pull into two parking spaces right in front of you in the grocery parking lot? Give it a few minutes and then go to the customer service desk and tell them that there is a {make, model, color, first few letters of the license plate) truck with its lights on. They usually announce it. 🙂
(Not that I ever did that, no, just heard about it is all, just a theoretical exercize if you will…)
Riots in the street? Burnt cars? Doubtful. Though in this country I’m pretty such ideas wouldn’t be taken very seriously.
But I think we should have female parking spots in the US. Women would most likely completely boycott them, thus giving them incentive to learn how to park a friggin car.
Hmm, I see no problem of parking in pink. Oh, we are talking about parking. Me too.
How about they just don’t issue driving licenses to women in the first place?
Just kidding!