Chinese shopping mall makes pink wide-sized parking spaces for women drivers

[davidn3600]

Dalian (China) (AFP) - The parking spaces outside a Chinese shopping mall are distinctive: marked out in pink, signposted "Respectfully reserved for women", and around 30 centimetres wider than normal.

The slots at the Dashijiedaduhui -- or "World Metropolis" -- centre have sparked debate in China, which officially embraces gender equality but where old-fashioned sexism is rife in reality.

The mall, in the centre of the northern port city of Dalian, has little to distinguish itself from thousands of other retail complexes that have sprouted across the country as part of a vast urbanisation drive.

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But outraged commentators on Chinese social media accused the mall managers of sexism and cliched thinking.

"This is supposed to respect women, but actually it's an insult," said one.

The mall managers deny the allegation. "We just wanted to make things easier for women, who make up most of our customers," said Yang Hongjun, a woman herself.

http://news.yahoo.com/plus-sized-parking-spaces-chinese-women-drivers-032323682.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. Heh. I will say, my big driving weakness (such as I am willing to admit)

is backing up. I've hit a few things. Not people or pets. That I know of. I don't think that's a female thing, though.

[catbyte]

3. Mine's parallel parking. I feel like I should break out the orange traffic cones.

That doesn't have anything to do with wide mall parking spaces, tho.

[TwilightGardener]

9. I might be pretty terrible at parallel parking too, but I wouldn't know, because

I avoid doing it whenever possible.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

6. I have a lot of trouble backing up in newer type cars

I'm male and I've been driving since 1967. I have four very old cars with large rear windows and no neck rests and have no problem. But any time I've rented a newer style car I've had incredible trouble getting used to them. The rear windows have become progressively smaller over the years and the seat headrests have grown taller and wider and I can't see around them. I don't know how people do it if they own a new car.

[TwilightGardener]

8. That's a factor, certainly. I'm not even five feet tall, so I have to "crane" myself

up and around (while still hanging on to the wheel and reaching the pedals), which probably explains my difficulties for the most part. But some cars make it definitely easier to see behind me than others. I had a Jeep Cherokee for years that afforded better views than most--reasonable headrests, not a bucket seat, big square windows. High headrests, and a small, swoopy, high-up rear window are how most cars are built now, it seems.

[brewens]

2. Bout freakin' time! LOL Just kidding. From my experience, an idiot driver is just as likely

tp be a man. I wonder what accident rate stats show?

[NV Whino]

4. We need these in the U.S. …

For SUVs. I'm really tired of those monsters being crammed into spaces clearly labeled compact.

[Starry Messenger]

7. Neckbeards in China lose their shit

"According to a World Health Organization estimate in March 2013, globally males are more likely to be involved in accidents than females, and 77 percent of all road traffic deaths occur among men.

Even so, for some posters the Dalian parking places amounted to discrimination against male drivers.

"It's always women who enjoy privileges!" complained one. "Men have become the weaker sex."

[highmindedhavi]

10. Good idea

Women with children need extra space. Can be difficult to handle a child in a car seat with another vehicle close by.