AIBU to feel f****d off with a world built for men?

[DarjeelingDarllng]

I read** this article with increasing horror.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/23/truth-world-built-for-men-car-crashes?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Many parts I recognise; the phone for example, I have a better camera but the phone is larger so harder to actually use.

I struggle to sit on most chairs easily as my feet don't touch the floor; this has caused some back issues.

I've known that most medical research has always been done on white men aged around 25.

The 'gender neutral' toilet thing is just obvious.

This quote, below, pissed me off the most, not least that there was once an AIBU where a pregnant woman was querying at what point did everyone stop driving as she was really struggling. 70% of people (roughly) said, just get on with it. The rest agreed it was challenging.

I very sadly know of a woman who was involved in a minor crash a week before her due date; the baby died.

The situation is even worse for pregnant women. Although a pregnant crash-test dummy was created back in 1996, testing with it is still not government-mandated either in the US or in the EU. In fact, even though car crashes are the No 1 cause of foetal death related to maternal trauma, we haven’t yet developed a seatbelt that works for pregnant women. Research from 2004 suggests that pregnant women should use the standard seatbelt; but 62% of third-trimester pregnant women don’t fit that design.

How tall are you RandomMess?

A world made by men for men......I notice it more and more every year of my life. Perhaps explains why I have discovered, in my 40s, that I am a radical feminist.

5' so if everything was even 2" lower/shorter/nearer it would be so much easier!!!

Fortunately my DC are all much taller!

But Random most of the things you describe,as frustrating as they are, are due to your size surely?

Not being able to close the car boot when parked on a hill isn't caused by male designers is it? That's just simple mathematics.

I’ve got a track pump like the one pictured above.

Im small of boob so,that’s not an issue. But pushing down with my entire available body weight I can just about get my tires to 75psi. My road bikes need 100 minimum.

I have to get DH or a bike shop to do it. Despite owning 2 of the damn things. None of my female cyclist mates can get the correct pressure either. (Ponders... maybe I should have a go at redesigning the track pump)

My DDs that are 5'5 struggle too

Most of these things are designed for men that have an average height of what 5'9 / 5'10? An average woman is notable below that, a short man is still ok a short woman has no bloody hope!

Why have a high level oven if you can't reach it? Have a low level one or 2 side by side, tell the builder to put the microwave at the level you need it at - these are issues that you can control.

Only if you have the space / can afford it @Weetabixandshreddies, in a previous property I got them to install it lower (again an argument as to why I could possibly want it lower) and they had to manually alter the housing unit as they aren't designed to accommodate anything other than "standard"

I have no issue with leg room on public transport though

A tiny thing that pisses me off, but brought it all home to me is the product I use for ‘chub rub’.
Many woman, big and small, find chub rub when wearing a skirt or dress a real problem. I searched for years to find a product to help with this but there was nothing.
Then I found Body Glide which is made for men who find their cycling gear rubs.
No one bothered to make anything for women wearing clothes and living their lives, but as soon as it’s required by a man doing a hobby, quick invent that shit.

You can get a woman’s version, you can tell it’s for women as it’s in a pink packet.

I don't recognise any of the issues that people say are due to things being designed for taller men, like driving position…

Well, you won’t actually ever get to recognise the most worrying thing about driving position, the ‘being 17% more likley to die in a collision‘. You’ll never know if you were a part of that statistic.

I'm 5'5 and have no problems apart from the highest shelves. We all have different requirements, some problems might well be due to thoughtlessness of design but I think lots mentioned here is due to requirements that put people outside of the average range. Eg I can't see how they can lower toilets without making it difficult for the majority of women. I need a riser on the toilet seat ideally so I would find it impossible to use a lower than standard toilet.

Toilets do come in different heights, some are ok, some too high but considering ideally your feet knees should be higher than your hips they are meant to be low.

Something definitely designed for women is pushchair handle height...

@RandomMess but this is just because of the size of appliances isn't it? A built in oven is a certain size. My mum used to have a free standing cooker but couldn't bend down to lift things out or to clean it so she had a built in oven with separate hob. It wasn't a conspiracy of men against women that a cooker has the oven low down. If you need non standard then you have to pay for bespoke unfortunately.

Something definitely designed for women is pushchair handle height...

I found none were high enough for me. They were all too short for my arms.

Not being able to close the car boot when parked on a hill isn't caused by male designers is it? That's just simple mathematics

But think about the design process. When you design a vehicle, you design a boot lid to open to a certain height. How do you think the designers arrive at that height? Why do boot lids open to 2m (for example) and not 2.5m? Or 3m?

Because 2m is the height an average person + average highway gradient can reach the handle (bearing in mind roads can only really be within a certain range of gradients due to the mechanics of laying tarmac)

Except it isn’t an average person it’s an average man

An easy way round it is perhaps a switch to customise the lockout height. Even cheaper, Skoda SUVs have a dangly handle that even i dont have to jump for. Some modern cars have a boot closer switch or some sort of sensor. All examples of good inclusive design.

If you need non standard then you have to pay for bespoke unfortunately.

Whooossshhh.

Being a woman and left handed can be a bugger

Toilets do come in different heights, some are ok, some too high but considering ideally your feet knees should be higher than your hips they are meant to be low.

Maybe to use them, not to stand up from using them. Try standing up from that if you have mobility issues or have had a hip replacement. See, what works for some doesn't work for others.

Yes a built in oven is a certain size but the housing could easily be designed to fit it at differing heights. They are made for the main oven to be at a set height so if you get a double oven the top one really is high.

That works for 90% of men but isn't particularly safe for probably 40% of the adult population because it hasn't occurred to men that the height is or even could be an issue!!

Some modern cars have a boot closer switch or some sort of sensor. All examples of good inclusive design.

Exactly. So the answer is to choose the design that best works for you.

user

ROFL. Nail. Head.

random why can’t you just loosen the lever and move it closer to your thumb position?

I think our driveway is steeper than the permitted road gradient 🤣 oh to have been able to afford to choose a car that was actually suitable for me and my family instead of picking from what I could afford to fit 5 adult sized people (well apart from me the only driver)

RandomMess

I'm not tall for a woman but I have never found an oven that is too tall for me. I really find it hard to believe that a double oven is too high for 40% of women.

@ScafellPoke I already did that it's the stretch reach on my thumb on the 3 gears, it's a bit better since it's worn in and got tweaked by the bike shop.

I don't even have particular small hands!