Are expectant mom parking spaces an example of benoevolent sexisim?

[MindPilot]

No snark or sarcasm intended; I'm honestly asking this question, and trying to understand.

[cherokeeprogressive]

1. Never seen one.

So, no.

[MineralMan]

2. No. They're marketing moves by shopping centers.

Unlike handicapped spaces, which are required by law, those maternity spaces are just something the owner of the shopping center or store put there for marketing reasons.

[Fawke Em]

6. Well, in some cases, it may be a temporary handicap.

I am a small woman who had very large babies (gestational diabetes, in my second pregnancy) and I had trouble walking, but wanted to walk when I could because the exercise was good for my condition - both the pregnancy and the diabetes.

I couldn't walk far, however, so having a maternity parking place would have been nice - for marketing or otherwise.

But, in answer to the initial question, having said parking places aren't sexist, per se. I think all handicapped parking places should be open to those who have either a permanent or temporary handicap, which may included pregnancy, a broken leg, etc. Perhaps one's doctor could issue a temporary and expiring hang-tag. It would be no different than a doctor's note.

[MineralMan]

10. Yes, if a pregnancy is temporarily disabling, a doctor

can sign the paperwork for a temporary disabled placard.

Pregnancy can certainly be disabling in some cases, especially late-term.

[southernyankeebelle]

24. I have seen them and they are for pregnant women. At least the ones I've seen. I know I used it

once or twice during late pregnancy. But I've also seen reserved places for VIPs. On military bases that have reserved spots for the Base Commander, Generals, SGT Major. I don't think it sexism even though a majority of them are males.

[MattBaggins]

3. No but they should perhaps be able to use handicapped space (which we should have more of)

That is medical and biological function. Not the same as "doing X for Ladies because of (insert archaic gender role).

[TwilightGardener]

4. I just think they're silly. Pregnant isn't disabled.

Hell, at 40 weeks I walked and walked, all over the neighborhood, to try to get my first labor to start.

[Fawke Em]

7. It is to some people

(See my post above).

Granted, it was a very temporary situation, but not all pregnancies are easy.

[hlthe2b]

8. Agree... It would make sense to have spaces for parents with very young children/babies

Gender neutral... I see how hard it is to keep up with toddlers, especially if you've got a baby with you as well. I see single parents (both men and women) struggling with this in parking lots and as one who has seen how easy it is for an exuberant child (or leashed pet, for that matter) to get away from you (and potentially be hit by a car), this would make some sense.

[MindPilot]

18. purely from a safety standpoint, "families with young children" makes total sense. n/t

[kiva]

19. I disagree with the parent parking spaces,

mostly because I don't see how being close to the doors would keep children from getting away from the parent; unless the spaces were completely separate from the rest of the parking lot it would still be a problem.

[MindPilot]

28. More to do with being able to open the doors all the way I think.

Load up the stroller without dinging the car next to you.

[hlthe2b]

40. Less distance to struggle to get to the door with rambunctious toddlers, packages, baby stroller

Less opportunity for them to get away from you. Pretty obvious to me....

[Swamp Lover]

22. At the two stores in my neighborhood with such spaces, the signs say that

they are for expectant mothers or vehicles with young children. You are right that very young kids can be a struggle to keep up with and get in and out of vehicles.

I see nothing wrong. A decent gesture, by the management of two community minded stores.

[hedgehog]

9. Some woman are invigorated by pregnancy, some are exhausted;

and the same woman can have different experiences of pregnancy.

[TheBlackAdder]

13. Two of my wife's pregnancies were accompanied with preeclampsia, one with prenatal diabetes. nt

+1

[TwilightGardener]

14. All sorts of people are exhausted. You don't get special parking spaces

and special treatment for being tired and having swollen feet. I think reserved parking for anyone except the truly disabled is ridiculous. If you feel you really can't tolerate a walk across a parking lot, for whatever reason, then circle around and wait until a space opens up.

[MindPilot]

15. That is kind of how I see it.

And if there are complications causing mobility issues, then the Dr fills out a form and the DMV gives you a disabled parking permit.

So absent medical accommodation isn't it saying that women--especially when in that condition--are delicate and frail and need to be protected?

[TwilightGardener]

20. If you're pregnant and so medically compromised that you need help getting into

a business, you should be on bedrest or at least have a placard or some sort of other accomodation. For the vast majority of women, even late pregnancy isn't a disability, unless it comes to tying shoes. I had to have help tying shoes, LOL.

[MattBaggins]

30. My wife's primary care physician ridiculed her

because her ObGyn put her on short term disability for DVT during pregnancy. Two weeks after the birth she went to him because she couldn't breathe and had flank pain. He told her she pulled a muscle and sent her home. She then spent a week in ICU after collapsing on the stairs from a pulmonary embulism a 2 year med student should have seen.

[Katashi_itto]

31. Cool. We need to start a White house Petition to make pregnant women in the military serve combat

tours. This will be very helpful, allowing less males to serve combat tours. At the worst, if mobility is an issue give them an armored combat scooter. The could mange heavy weapons from it. We could start a new medal for having a baby in the middle of combat.

[TwilightGardener]

33. Yeah. Because hauling your pregnant behind into the local Target is the same as combat.

[Katashi_itto]

34. Now Now, Situation/environment we must be blind to. Give opportunity to all.

[Katashi_itto]

38. Also, have you been to Target on Black Friday sales? That counts easily as combat training.

[treestar]

35. Exactly, it should be the issue of disability

Some pregnant women may be, as in a complicated pregnancies. By itself, pregnancy is natural and therefore not an illness.

[Arkansas Granny]

41. I walked during there of my pregnancies. However, when I was pregnant

with my daughter, she was laying in a position that would press on a nerve which would occasionally send a jolt like an electric shock down my legs causing my knees to buckle. Walking any distance at all was put of the question.

[TheBlackAdder]

5. Because men can't get pregnant, this is sexism?

The ACME near me has a couple of 'Expecting Mom' spaces and a couple of 'Vehicles with Young Children' spaces.

Right next to the 'Handicapped Parking' spaces.

[MineralMan]

11. I honor all such parking spaces. In fact,

I park way out in the lot where I can find a drive through space. I hate backing up in parking lots. I've had two accidents caused by someone backing out into my car, and I don't want to cause one. So, if I can't pull through so I can drive out, I deliberately park where there are very few cars. The exercise does me good, too.

[TheBlackAdder]

16. Same here.

Especially since I've just changed my diet to remove inorganic foods.

I've noticed wonderful physical changes in just a couple of weeks. The loss of 4 lbs and increased mental acuity.

===

Plus, the fewer door dings the better.

[Ed Suspicious]

27. I've even seen "Senior" and "Employee of the Month" spaces. I just avoid them as I'm none of

the above.

[MineralMan]

29. Since I'm self-employed, and have been since 1974,

I am always Employee of the Month where I work. I have a reserved space in my one-car garage.

[randome]

12. Exactly.

The spaces are there for everyone. It just happens that women get pregnant more often than men.

Seriously, if men could get pregnant, those spaces would be there, also so, no, it's not an example of benevolent sexism but a recognition of biology.

Besides, most men would WANT their pregnant wives to have less distance to cross.

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. Yes and no.

To the extent that for some women, being pregnant is a meaningful disability, then no.

However, there ought to be a simple mechanism for women experiencing meaningful disability as a result of pregnancy to obtain a temporary disability parking permit. Download it from the internet... good for, say, four months every two years.

So I guess my answer is mostly yes.

[Orrex]

21. Locally, several stores have "New or Expectant Parents" parking spaces

[alphafemale]

23. I always saw it as just dumb.

You should be MORE active when pregnant.

People wanting those spaces will also one day want a scooter cause they're fat and then wonder why their feet rot off.

YES!!! ALERT THIS!!!!

squirrelly hand wringing little doofas committees....mutter

[kestrel91316]

25. ^^^^^ (applause)

[MattBaggins]

32. And that mentality put my wife in the ICU

just the attitude our PCP had.

[alphafemale]

36. Exercise...yep. It's a killer.

Fuck us all for promoting that.

[MattBaggins]

39. Exercise is fine

but playing medical doctor when you have no clue what a woman's condition actually might be, is a pretty dangerous thing to do.

Please women if you are pregnant and have DVT, Gestational Diabetes, Asthma or any other complications, ignore your doctors advice, put yourself and the baby at risk, and walk your sorry ass to the store, in winter even.

Don't wine and park close to a store, suck it up and carry on soldier.

[catbyte]

26. No. Pregnancy can be debilitating. I am female & sensitive to sexism.

[mythology]

37. I think they caren't

But I think they can be misused, just like handicap parking. But I don't have a problem with them existing. I think they should include all new parents rather than just expectant mothers as dealing with strollers and excited kids can be problematic, especially with the bustle outside a store. But there does come the problem of how to enforce the parking spots as this isn't something that can be legally enforced as far as I know.

As a couple of other posters said, I tend to park where I can pull through or at the back of the lot, both for the little bit of extra exercise and so I can pull through a parking spot.