Daily BrewFredericton considers female-only parking stalls
The special-interest police have sunk their mitts into a debate about parking in Fredericton, N.B., after some city councillors considered creating female-only spots.
Female-only parking spots. Take a moment to get worked into a lather.
According to the Toronto Star, Coun. Stephen Chase saw such spots on a recent trip to Germany and thought it would be worth considering.
That trip may have been to Triberg, where town mayor Gallus Strobel raised all sorts of ire after creating gender-specific parking spots based on how easy they were to negotiate.
From Germany's The Local:
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 told the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.
"But men are, as a rule, a little better at such challenges," he told the paper.
Males everywhere are surely offended to be classified as better parkers. Angled parking stalls are awkward and frustrating, and the responsibility of dealing with them fills most with anxiety.
German debate aside, Fredericton's parking conundrum focuses on the female-friendly spots and ensuring women have somewhere safe and well-lit to park at night.
According to the Star, Fredericton had 87 sexual assaults last year — a significant statistical jump from previous years.
So, we are not talking about bigger spots, or spots with wider berths. Just spots chosen with safety in mind.
I see what they're driving at.
