U.S. readers are going to want to sit down before they read this one. This viral TikTok video is here to share some news that many of our readers were probably blissfully unaware of.
Did you know that women in Germany get to enjoy a very special advantage just by living there and owning their own vehicle? According to this viral video, they get their own spots in German parking garages!
We had no idea that this was a thing but we loved to learn more about it. Janine (who goes by @janineandgen on TikTok) is the one who shared the video. She is a German woman, in case you are curious. She resides in the United States but she took a trip back home with her girlfriend when the conversation came up. Gen was very curious.
“What’s frauen parkplatz?” she asked Janine. “It’s for women,” she replied. This retort seemed to only confuse Gen even more, so she was forced to elaborate. “So only women can park here?” Gen asks. “Why?”
“Because they’re a little bit bigger,” explains Janine.
“The spots are bigger? What the f—,” Gen exclaims, clearly struggling to wrap her mind around what is taking place here.
These spots are real but people in the comments were quick to point out they’re not for women because they’re bigger, but because they’re safer. “they are closer to the entrance and have cameras. So safer,” one viewer opined in the comment section. “Usually they’re nearer to the exit, not in far away corners, more lights, and they have cctv,” said another. “Same for family spaces (bigger tho).”
Germany is not the only European country with these types of parking spots. “Same in Switzerland, closer to the entrance and cameras, nothing to do with size,” one viewer shared.
There is an ongoing debate as to whether the existence of these spots is inherently sexist.
@janineandgen they’re benefits to being a woman in Germany 🇩🇪 #culturshock #germanculture #parken #frauenparkplätze #womenparking #internationalcouple #germanamerican #americangerman #typicalgerman
Where do you stand on this one? Do you think that the spots are a good idea or would you rather see them abolished?