THE AMATEUR PARKER … Where Are theWomen in Parking? I BY MELISSA BEAN STERZICK


MIGHT NEVER HAVE considered parking a sex- ist industry if I had not had such a strong and spontaneous reaction to


the September 2010 cover of Park- ing Today. Two women under the headline: “Beth Tindel and Faye Silverman Run Parking at Kenne- saw State.”


I actually cheered, and then realized I


was cheering because I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen women on the cover. Then in October, the magazine reported that the National ParkingAssociation had named Christine Banning its new presi- dent. Go, Christine!Another woman in a position of prominence in parking. Before anybody gets offended and


cancels their subscription, I have to clari- fy. I don’t think the parking industry is sexist, because I am sure, as a group, it does not hate or reject women. What I mean is I have to consider the possibility, because the industry does not seem to havemany femalemembers. But that’s not to say theworld of park-


ing should be recruiting women just to be politically correct. I believe merit, skill, ability and per-


formance to be the main requirements for employment, and it’s OK with me if there are more men thanwomen in construc- tion, themilitary, security and other professions that require serious heavy lifting. I might be a feminist, but I’m not the kind who can’t acknowledge the value in traditional gender roles nor admit there are dif- ferent strengths and weak- nesses inherent in each sex. There are jobs you want


female teacher and an 80-year-old one to boot – the absolute perfect kindergarten teacher – a woman with a kind heart and nerves of steel. On the flip side, I thought a female


I do have a female pediatrician and a


Is the industry really dominated by males? Is it because cars are stereotypically part of the male domain and driving is a stereotypically masculine skill?


done by a woman and jobs you want done by a man, and the reasons might be arbi- trary and unpopular, but deep down we all feel more comfortable with certain stereo- types, whether it’s OK to admit it or not. My 5-year-old was certain, without


any input from me, that a female kinder- garten teacher was within her comfort zone and that a male kindergarten teacher would be terrifying. She would go to school only if her teacher were female, she told me. Luckily for us, she got a


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obstetrician was a great idea, because nat- urally she would be more sympathetic to my experience. I had two different female obstetricians for the birth of my two chil- dren – both delivered by emergency cae- sarean. I don’t think a male obstetrician would have said, “If Iwere you, I’d cut that baby out of myself,” the way Dr. Psy- chopath did, or told me not to cry as Dr. Heartless did. So even though choosing a female OB seemed like a no-brainer, it is not something I recommend.


DECEMBER 2010 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


female family practitioner who are very kind – even in emergencies.My dentist is male, my accountant is female, the con- tractor working on my bathroom is male, my mechanic is male and my hairdresser is also male. But I honestly try not to focus on gender – just skill. That said, why are


there fewer women than men in parking? Are the numbers equal but the media coverage unequal? Is the industry really domi- nated by males? Is it because cars are stereotyp-


ically part of the male domain and driving is a stereotypicallymasculine skill? When I do see women in parking,


they are doing only certain jobs. On the business end, there are some female execu- tives, of course. Out on the pavement, I have never seen a female valet. I’ve met plenty of female booth attendants and can- not discount the iconicmetermaid. The parking industry is an insulated


one. I can understand how the tradition of masculine emphasis could go unchal-


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