By Frank Giles

So, have you heard the one about the lady trying to pull into a parking space? Of course you have. We have all heard the female-driver jokes at one time or another. They may be insensitive and stereotypical but no one takes them seriously, right?

Apparently some people do, like the city of Hangzhou, China and Seoul, South Korea. Both of these cities have created women-only parking spaces that are 50 percent larger than normal spaces and outlined in pink with a pink female symbol like those you would see on a women’s restroom door. The city of Hangzhou calls this a “humane measure,” which sounds even more patronizing than the gesture itself. It almost seems as though being a woman is treated as a handicap.

To be fair, there has been backlash in these cities about the new spaces, as there should be. I’m not exactly a feminist but I think both genders should be able to manage with the same size parking space unless there is a premium parking rate for the larger spaces, and then all bets are off.

What do you think?

Frank Giles is area manager with Lanier Parking Solutions, Atlanta.