Page 5 | Seatbelts aren't supposed to touch your neck and other stories

KenAdams · 2023-10-26T15:24:21+00:00

I've just found out seatbelts aren't supposed to touch your neck. I'm quite short and they always have. Apparently they were designed with a taller man in mind. Even though mine moves down slightly its still not low enough. It got me wondering what else is designed for men that I've never noticed. Maybe number of toilets (I always feel that there should be more womens toilets in a venue than mens).

MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot · 27/10/2023 07:03

I’ve posted about this before but the Alexa in my kitchen responds to male voices more than female. I ask her to stop and she pauses then carries on. My DH and DS think it’s hilarious and she listens to them! Apparently it’s because they were programmed by men initially so is more responsive to their voices. She gets called very rude names by me.

Alopeciabop · 27/10/2023 07:21

Babysharkdoodoodood · 27/10/2023 00:20

@Alopeciabop
Nt quite a helix. Picture's a bit crappy.

The ladies are all round the outside and men's inside the centre.

He just got pissed off waiting for us; DM and 3 daughters, when queueing for the loo.

Wow cool thanks for sharing! The male to female cube ratio makes so much sense! And now I know what a helix is 🤩

PJdesperado · 27/10/2023 07:21

This with bells on? Just why?!

StoatofDisarray · 27/10/2023 07:28

SisterMichaelsHabit · 26/10/2023 19:20

Doors. If you think about average door widths in Victorian houses, then think about the size of crinolines, you suddenly realise a lot of women were potentially either trapped at home, confined to certain rooms in the house, or barred from entering buildings just by their clothing (imposed on them by the unrealistic idea of what men thought a woman should look like and designed by men with no thought to comfort or usefulness).

The crinoline was easy to collapse for sitting etc.

iamautistic · 27/10/2023 07:29

Things not just designed for men. Things designed for an archetype / ideal man. I'm 6 foot 6 inches and nothing is designed for me. Everything is too small: seats, clothes, doors, beds etc. ☹️

Not taking away from the invisible women point. Supplementing it actually because the design hierarchy goes archetype man, other men, women. There is still more thought I think going into the needs of men like me than there is for women generally, as female bodies arguably more varied then men.

StarlightLady · 27/10/2023 08:00

Maybe a slight digression but …If men had periods their would be better solutions.

UnaOfStormhold · 27/10/2023 08:04

@iamautistic you're right - if I recall correctly the podcast I linked mentioned that they eventually got to a point of having five different crash test dummies for men of differing builds and just one that was woman sized WHICH THEY ONLY TESTED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT!

ButWhatIsIt · 27/10/2023 08:14

@Ihateslugs it sounds the same as what I have. They're great.

Fizbosshoes · 27/10/2023 08:32

ifIwerenotanandroid · 27/10/2023 01:24

Solved this problem by putting in an ENORMOUS oblong mirror when the bathroom was redone. Now 6'4" DH & little me can both see ourselves.

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My IL have a long mirrored bathroom cabinet directly in front of the toilet I can see myself very well in it - but it's a bit off putting when you're going to the loo! 🤣

Perfect28 · 27/10/2023 09:05

@StarlightLady do you mean period products? Or something else?

sockarefootwear · 27/10/2023 09:39

evildan · 26/10/2023 22:00

Unless i want to shop in the very limited petite range, most women's clothing, designed FOR WOMEN is too long for me. And I'm 5 ft 3 so only 1 inch shorter than average height for women apparently.

There is a similar issue for any woman taller than the average. A few shops have a tall range/petite range but even then I have noticed that increasingly these are only available online. So in most shops the only trousers available to try on are standard length. Yet in the same shops trousers for men are readily available in several lengths. And the labels clearly state the actual inside leg measurement that they are intended to fit- whereas even when there are different lengths for women's trousers they are labelled as regular/long etc which differs in each shop. So my DH can go in to a shop and select trousers without trying them on because he knows his waist and inside leg measurements but I have to guess what dress size and length will correspond to my waist/hip/inside leg measurements. So I have to spend far longer trying on clothes/queueing for changing rooms etc than my DH does.

Oh, and skirts/dresses rarely come in different lengths, so a 'knee length' skirt is barely decent on a taller woman but swamps a shorter woman. Obviously this is not an issue for men.

DeathWinsAGolfish · 27/10/2023 09:50

This of course also applies to surgical devices, we had a rep visiting theatres asking us to trial a new hand driven device. Obviously designed for male gynaecologists, and completely unusable by a very petite female surgeon.

CatMattress · 27/10/2023 09:52

Perfect28 · 27/10/2023 09:05

@StarlightLady do you mean period products? Or something else?

Probably referring to all sorts of things, such as sanitary waste disposal in public toilets, the fact that our pain responses and athletic abilities differ throughout the cycle. There are so many ways in which having periods (or not having them when we're biologically supposed to) affects our bodies and our lives and is just ignored by science, sports, medicine, design....

KnickerlessParsons · 27/10/2023 09:54

"Work" were very pleased with themselves when the introduced some seats for fat large people
In the lecture theatre. They looked at me blankly when I asked for seats for short people too.
My legs dangle on the current, non large seats, unless I slouch.

BlueEyedPeanut · 27/10/2023 10:01

Women's clothing proportions is definitely an issue. I'm 5' 3" too, with "regular" length legs, and a short torso with big boobs. I go from mostly boobs, to a brief patch of small waist, and then big hips but no butt. I don't know what that body shape is, but nothing suits. Dresses are impossible. Long tops are impossible. Most tops in general are impossible because my boobs don't come out of my shoulders in perfect points. Trousers that fit my hips are too big at the waist. Trousers that would fit my waist don't make it up over my hips. Etc. I'm definitely not the only one shaped like this. Most of the women I know are like this too. I don't think I know anyone "standard".

OooPourUsACupLove · 27/10/2023 21:20

KnickerlessParsons · 27/10/2023 09:54

"Work" were very pleased with themselves when the introduced some seats for fat large people
In the lecture theatre. They looked at me blankly when I asked for seats for short people too.
My legs dangle on the current, non large seats, unless I slouch.

Our place has loads of breakout areas with different styles of seat.

My team now know not to use the high team tables with barstool style seats because I can't just sit down on the seat from standing, I have to climb up it. But then my feet don't touch the ground so I have to bounce it close enough to the table to reach my keyboard. Super dignified professional me 😂

It was funny ... the first time!

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 28/10/2023 00:21

That's quite an image - bar stool/pogo stick is a rare sight in an office!

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 28/10/2023 00:22

[Double post removed]

MeinKraft · 28/10/2023 00:48

DeathWinsAGolfish · 27/10/2023 09:50

This of course also applies to surgical devices, we had a rep visiting theatres asking us to trial a new hand driven device. Obviously designed for male gynaecologists, and completely unusable by a very petite female surgeon.

This leads me onto a bit of unsolicited advise for pregnant women. Everyone's favourite kind of course. Now there is a common misconception people have with petite female gynaecologists. 'Oh look at their little hands and they know how to be gentle' you will think, before your induction. NO!! They'll shove their whole hand up there, in the style of a vet calving a heifer! Go and find yourself the medical professional with the biggest hands possible. They'll just dip their little finger in.

AnotherVice · 28/10/2023 01:09

Hospital beds are too high. I work for the ambulance service and when we bring people in, most women need help to climb up onto them. Completely ridiculous.

ArborealArdour · 28/10/2023 01:20

Babysharkdoodoodood · 26/10/2023 17:26

My dad actually designed and patented a new type of public toilet that was in a helix shape. It meant that there were 3 times more ladies loos than men's. It took up the same footprint as a normal public loo due to the design.

No one wanted it though. He tried with theme parks, councils etc but they all said there was no demand! Despite the fact that there are queues in every woman's toilet every single day.

your dad is a hero! Has he tried going to kickstarter or some other public campaign?

maisie123 · 28/10/2023 02:06

Stiles. It's like climbing over a mountain sometimes.

Catsmere · 28/10/2023 03:17

StoatofDisarray · 27/10/2023 07:28

The crinoline was easy to collapse for sitting etc.

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And the very wide skirts were only in fashion for a couple of decades, the cage crinoline far less time.

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 28/10/2023 05:50

Kickstarter wouldn't really help - he needs organisations to use the design in their buildings, not to sell individual 'toilet units' (who to?).

glitterfinder · 28/10/2023 07:11

Thinking of the builder who put up some kitchen shelves in a house share I had a long time ago. We needed a ladder to get to them.
Also I once saw a doctor about some pain and numbness that was happening at work. (Desk job). It turned out that if my chair was the correct height for my body, then the desk was too high. The desk also had a curved bit where your elbows were supposed to relax but mine had to dangle in the gap. Those desks were made for men and I had to get a footstool and a special armrest out of my own pocket so I didn't get a trapped nerve.