Going Backwards

Japan is trying furiously to catch up the ways of the western world. But sometimes they take one carefully planned step forward and it equates to a huge leap backwards.

Okay Ladies�f Day at the movies is very popular with the office ladies. It means we females can go along for 1000 yen instead of the expensive regular admission fee. Males don�ft complain because they are usually still working anyway and they may think by not complaining they are doing their little bit for �gladies first�h something that is starting to be recognized.

But of course nowadays in western society we have made it quite clear that we want equality not to be treated �especially�f because of our sex. And of course the guys also have a moan when they feel women�fs liberation has gone too far so I wonder how those guys would react to not being able to ride in a certain carriage on the train during the rush hours in the big cities.

Ladies Only Carriages
My friend, who is just visiting Japan, and I had a chuckle the other day when we were standing at the train platform and looked down at the huge sticker on the ground that said, �gBoarding area for the ladies only carriage.�h

I explained to my friend that these carriages are recent additions. The Ladies�f Only carriages were introduced to reduce the number of sexual harassment cases that had been reportedly on the rise. My friend couldn�ft quite believe a sticker would be enough to deter men from riding in the new carriages. But as I told her it works society, or glares from women, assure the men quickly exit the carriage if they find themselves mistakenly in the midst of dozens of females.