Speed awareness course - sex discrimination?

[MrsFionaCharming]

This is just theoretical pondering I’m not actually planning on making a complaint. Also, I know speeding is bad and I’m happy to face the consequences of my actions, this isn’t about that. Just interested to know others thoughts.

I’m doing a virtual speed awareness course tomorrow, lasting around 3 hours. When I signed up, it specified you must not be caring for children at the same time. I have a breastfed 6 week old. Now, my husband works flexibly and baby will happily take an expressed bottle so it’s not a problem. But what about women who don’t have a partner or with a bottle refusing baby? That woman wouldn’t be able to do the course and would be forced to accept the points and the rise in insurance etc that comes with that. Given a man wouldn’t be in that position and made to accept the points due to his biology, could this be considered sex discrimination?

What about for more serious crimes? Should mothers be spared punishment because they're breastfeeding? If so, how would that be fair on other women and men and how would you prevent women getting pregnant on purpose to get out of the punishment?
It's not really the same as the workplace.

My mum was in one years ago with a breastfeeding mother. She brought someone with her to look after the baby and was allowed to feed the baby during breaks out of the room. My mum said the man running the course was quite arsey about it but another person was actually kicked out because he had his eyes closed too long so he was possibly generally arsey. Sometimes having a baby is a right faff but it’s just not always possible for the experience of breastfeeding mothers to be the same as everyone else’s. They are allowed to do the course, you can organise it over a huge time span, they are allowed to feed on breaks, they aren’t told they must just partake the points. I think that’s as good as anyone can expect. Some people breastfeed for years, should they be allowed to defer a safety course for years after the offence? I would say not.

I'd just ignore and have the baby with you tbh

I only received the letter the day after coming home from the hospital. It was a reminder one but I never received any previous ones, but we’re on a new build estate where post frequently goes missing. Because it was already 6 months since the offence I panicked and just signed up for the soonest course.

So…. No one forced you to accept this date when you have a 6 week old. You chose the date. Ok

That was silly

Ffs... then they would find childcare, such it up or just not speed!!!! Talk about deflecting!

@Oddieconvert op has said right from the start she has no issue with attending the course.

She's concerned how it may affect others.

Back off.

But we have established

Flexibility as to the date of the course
The course explicitly stated that they will Accommodating breastfeeding mothers either by offering an online attendance or a space for the mother to leave and breastfeed

So… all good

(and let’s not forget this is a punishment for an offence that could well have resulted in the death of an innocent exclusively breastfeeding mother knocked over by the speeding OP)

I’d say self employed people, of which the majority are men, would be most put out by having to take a course!

I've only ever been caught for speeding once. I couldn't fit in the speed awareness course around childcare. I took the points. That's just life surely?

This is a discussion forum for feminist issues. I raised an issue, helpful posters explained how this was mitigated. Problem solved. That’s all I wanted to discuss, not my own precise circumstances which aren’t relevant.

Probably best not to have included in such detail in your op and follow up posts then.

Not at all - the OP was asked questions and she responded. That doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s a feminist issue and one of potential discrimination. Fortunately enough posters were able to understand that and not let themselves get sidetracked.

The OP was before any questions 😐

Some details were on the OP - others were in the follow up posts you specifically mentioned.

Yes.

Just a debate. Probably shouldn’t have mentioned… caught speeding, pregnant at time, exclusively breastfeeding, flexible working dh in op if didn’t want posters to comment

(and let’s not forget this is a punishment for an offence that could well have resulted in the death of an innocent exclusively breastfeeding mother knocked over by the speeding OP)

Why do people keep bringing this up? It's irrelevant and dangerous. Even if somebody was a rapist or a murderer, it would still be against the law to treat them worse than other rapists and murderers because of their religion or sexuality or other protected characteristic. It's like reading Daily Mail reader comments here sometimes

Probably thought that posters were intelligent enough to focus on the main issues (feminism, potential discrimination of a protected characteristic) rather than posting nonsense about things like breastfed babies coping perfectly well without a feed for 3 hours and hypothetical breastfeeding mothers being killed by speeding drivers.

“Nonsense” to some
Relevant to others

the beauty of a chat room

Yes, nonsense to those of us who grasped the main issues at play here - others got tied up in posting hyperbole and made themselves look foolish in the process.

There’s been a few cases raised about this in the news in the last few years. The course providers will provide a room for mums to breastfeed and mums can take breaks to feed their baby. The baby isn’t allowed into the course room and must have someone else to look after them in between feeding whilst the mum does the course.

That’s seems fair. I would prefer these awareness courses to be mandatory but people that speed still get the points.

Also, I thought you could do online courses since lockdown? Maybe that would be easier.

Best not to speed and risk killing your baby though.

I disagree

again- the beauty of a chat forum

Yes - I’m sure you do disagree, which is why you’ve posted the nonsense you have.

Freedom of speech comes with its downfalls clearly 😂