Posted on 07/12/2012 12:59:12 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Spaces in a new car park in the Black Forest town of Triberg now come with male and female symbols. The spaces for women are wider and well lit, while those for men are close to concrete pillars and can only be reversed into. Explaining the policy, Mayor Gallus Strobel said it was a natural decision because men are better at parking than women.
"In the new car park we found that two place were not rectangular, at an angle to the road and placed between walls and pillars; that makes parking difficult so we decided to allocate them to men," the 58 year-old mayor told Germany's Spiegel magazine.
But, he added, that there were great women drivers, and all women were welcome to try and park in the men-only spaces. Mr Strobel, who denies accusations of sexism, also pointed out that 10 spaces were reserved for women as opposed to just two for men.
So far the mayor says he has received mostly positive feedback despite expecting some "humourless reactions from the political correct" and being accused by one angry female critic of exhibiting "male pig-headedness. One man, the mayor reported, said he would travel to the town just to try the parking.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
which leaves the better parking spots for us. Isn’t reverse psychology grand?
We used to have a lady at our HQ who HATED to just back out of a parking space. Several people would purposely pull in front end first and watch her have to back up.
My wife can not parallel park at all. I usually do that on the first try and taught the daughter the same tactic I have used for years.
What about Transvestite Parking?
Germans are such haters...no transvestite parking? ;)
I can back out of a parking space, but I confess that I would rather park where I can pull through, if possible. My husband has tried to teach me to parallel park, but since I’ve never really needed the skill, he’s given up. He considered it a small miracle that he taught me to drive a stick.
I remember years ago we had to take defensive driving with TX DPS troopers as instructors, and they all said it is best to find a parking spot that is a pull through. You KNOW it is empty when you get there, so pull in and drive out. I prefer spots with the most shade.
Now Austin has several downtown streets that have angle back in parking. Kid you not. You drive up to an open spot and back into the open spot. Guess they are really trying to “Keep Austin Weird”.
I remember a couple of years ago in the Northeast - I saw a black woman back a large SUV into a parking spot - and quickly. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, dead center in the spot on one try, and she wasn’t even bragging about it (like I would have). But being black, she obviously wasn’t a blond, so this story might still “have legs”, as is likely with the babe in the picture.
“I remember years ago we had to take defensive driving with TX DPS troopers as instructors, and they all said it is best to find a parking spot that is a pull through.”
My husbands teases me because of my extreme defensive driving . I do the pull through when I can, I plan my routes to make minimal left hand turns across traffic unless there is a green arrow light, avoid being out during rush hour, etc. I learned to ride a dirt bike when I was 12, drive a stick at 14 and I take driving just as seriously as flying a plane. I even generally do a cursory “walk around” before getting into the car. After my daughter gets her license and turns 18, I plan to send her to the “race car” driving school here in Vegas.
That’s interesting. I guess from a self-defence perspective, it does make some sense. I usually park away from other cars. It means that I have to walk farther, but I don’t get stuck in the middle of the pack.
You sound like the type of driver I’d want to share the road with, compared to some we have in the Austin area. I hate making left turns across traffic, unless there is a green arrow.
I remember when I was going through the driving classes in high school, the DPS trooper said I was over cautious. That was back in 1967, so we had some real tough troopers riding with us on our road tests.
I drove a van pool the last 20 years before retiring, so having the 8” tall telephone number on both sides and the back made me really watch my driving.
I finally got my wife to agree with me that the best parking spot in summer may not be the closest to the door, but the one with the most shade.
“I finally got my wife to agree with me that the best parking spot in summer may not be the closest to the door, but the one with the most shade.”
Living in Las Vegas, that’s usually the #1 consideration, even with a window sun shield. Ideal spot is a pull through under a tree. Nothing like living in a tourist town with lots of drunks to make one a vigilant driver. I tend to yell, “Go back to California!” a lot. LOL.
Get a clue.
Did you really not believe what the article specifically says? You might try reading it.
That is one reason I despise going into Austin. We live about 1/2 mile from the shores of a lake and we see plenty of drunks on holiday weekends. It's comical to see them get into the water for several minutes, head back to their chairs / lounges and then jump up with red marks from the plastic straps.
“Nothing like living in a tourist town with lots of drunks to make one a vigilant driver.”
That is one reason I despise going into Austin. We live about 1/2 mile from the shores of a lake and we see plenty of drunks on holiday weekends. It’s comical to see them get into the water for several minutes, head back to their chairs / lounges an
___________________________________________________________
I’ve had to drive my minor daughter to UNLV for 3 years which requires crossing the Strip. It’s always special to see people puking on the sidewalk in the morning. Trying to spot them has almost become a sport.
I actually agree with you. We should also get the shaded spots, and the ones closest to the door. ; )
Do you put your groceries in the rear or side door?
This is ridiculous. Women aren’t the problem. It’s the Chinese.
I always try to park by the cart returns, as close to the edge away from the return as possible. That way my kids can open the side doors and I don’t have to worry about them hitting another car. I will park at the end of the lot if needed to have a spot like that!
I park the 12 passenger van better than my husband does. He can’t get the thing in there straight. Drives me crazy!
Dont you drive a double decker? ; )
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.