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“Equality” Vs. “Equity” Twitter Debate Occurs After A Motoring Organization Revealed That They Don’t Prioritize Lone Women Over Men
It’s a fact that our society continues to deal with multiple issues regarding the equality and comfortability of the people. Nowadays, we’re strenuously trying our best to fix what’s been broken for what seems like an eternity, but changing the viewpoint of thousands or even millions of people requires hard work and effort.
For women, it’s been a rocky road, at the very least. Constantly proving our significance and fighting for equal opportunities, but instead getting laughed at in our faces and men pulling the “well, you wanted equality” card, when the only laughable thing is their understanding of equity.
A thought-provoking incident occurred with a woman from Bristol, UK, when she had to call a company due to her car breaking down in the middle of the night. The original tweet received nearly 4K likes and a fiery discussion where folks shared their opinions regarding the situation.
More info: Twitter
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People are questioning this company’s reply regarding a car breakdown
Image credits: Andrew Bone
The story divided the people into two camps, where folks attempted to understand which side of the conflict was more reasonable. Some agreed with the company, as they didn’t seem to do anything wrong – others supported the OP in every way.
This motoring organization refused to prioritize a lone woman and blamed it on equality
Image credits: _HelenMott_
A woman decided to use Twitter to share her nighttime encounter with AA, a British motoring association. The OP expressed that she was displeased with the way the company handled her situation, as once she called to report the issue, the call handler let her know that they don’t prioritize lone women as everyone is equal.
Image credits: _HelenMott_
Image credits: _HelenMott_
Image credits: _HelenMott_
The OP was highly disappointed to hear such things, as she believes that refusing to prioritise lone female drivers is not a sign of equality. She revealed that waiting for over an hour, god-knows-where, especially during the night is far scarier for a woman than for a man.
In the end, someone from the AA managed to successfully sort the woman’s problem out and get her home completely safe. However, this event provoked some customers into questioning whether they want to contribute to a company that follows such values.
Image credits: _HelenMott_
Image credits: TheAA_UK
Image credits: TheAA_UK
The AA ended up replying to the woman’s concerns reassuring her that, yes, they don’t prioritize based on gender—however, they do take into consideration the locations and the risks of the situations. The company also mentioned that they haven’t messed with their vulnerable customer policies and that essentially they prioritize everyone who is in danger.
Image credits: AAPresident
Image credits: TheAA_UK
Image credits: RichardJGarside
The head of AA also didn’t miss his chance to reply to the woman’s thread. Edmund King quoted one of the laws that stated how it’s illegal for anyone who’s providing services or goods to discriminate. He followed it up by confirming the AA’s previous tweet and promised the OP and their other customers that they assess the situations and help everyone in a timely fashion.
Image credits: amfast
Image credits: deborahmsamuel
Image credits: TheAA_UK
Unarguably, women continue to be the number one targets for all kinds of assaults and our fear is very reasonable. Therefore, it’s understandable why the AA’s customers are disappointed with them mentioning equality when the initial issue arose due to a woman feeling unsafe. And since they advocate for helping those who are at risk, why did their response feel rather bitter?
What do you think about this situation? Do you think that the OP might’ve overreacted or maybe that both parties worded their concerns/responses in a misleading manner?
Fellow online users had a wide array of opinions
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Bailey 3 years ago (edited)
The point the AA are trying to make is a completely valid one. She is not automatically top priority because she is a woman, but that does not mean she will not be top priority as it's based on risk and call outs at that time. If it's a choice between a woman who breaks down alone in the middle of nowhere, a family who's car won't start while they were visiting a relative, and a man who broke down outside his work, she would be top priority as she is the most at risk. Equally, if she has broken down 5 minutes walk from home, and a man is stranded on the side of the motorway, he should be the priority. It's about looking at individual circumstances at the time, rather than a tick box to say who gets priority.
just me 3 years ago
Did people miss the party where the company explained it was illegal to prioritize based on sex, it did I misunderstand something? They were trying to give everyone the magic words, if the person mentions reasons to be concerned for their safety. The lady has no idea who was being prioritized over her. A guy with a serious medical condition or something stabbed in the middle of nowhere should take priority over a healthy woman somewhere relatively safe. Not saying those were the circumstances, just a reason they can't automatically prioritize a woman as higher risk.
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 3 years ago (edited)
Exactly. Towing companies don't know the complete situation until the tow truck driver gets there. Not everyone thinks of telling the towing company an emergency situation because they likely have already called someone else. They could have a small child they need to take home. A small kid will always take precedence in the queue. This woman wasn't even in any danger at the end of the day. She was just thinking of the what-ifs. I know dark highways are creepy af, you're imagination can run wild. I used to come along with my now-ex in his tow truck. Came across all types of people. Men were just as relieved to see help as women. It's a dangerous job and tow truck drivers are just as likely, if not more, to be attacked on site. It's a bit of a false security to think your safe when they're there. Often their backs are turned, busy doing their job. When he would get the stolen recoveries one of the cops would always stay to watch over the tow truck driver in case a suspect is nearby.
Load More Replies... Beth L 3 years ago
This *is* equality. It is not equity. Too many people ask for equality when what they want is equity.
Viviane 3 years ago
Equity is based on the principle of leveling the playing field. That means considering variables beyond belonging to the same species. A form of triage, so to speak. Treating everyone the same is not the same as being fair.
Load More Replies...
Susie Elle 3 years ago (edited)
You shouldn't discriminate based on gender, you SHOULD discriminate based on safety risks. A man with carrying his infant child in a car that broke down would deserve priority over a man alone, right? You prioritize based on a risk assessment, not because of bobs an vagene.
NotTodaySatan!! 3 years ago
"Discrimination" based on safety risks isn't discrimination, but rather logic. This woman sounds a lot like, "I want to always come first when I call. And to ensure I do, I'm going to try and make it sound like I mean something other than I'm being selfish".
Load More Replies...
Robert T 3 years ago
I'm smelling a mountain of BS being made out of a molehill. Just like the emergency services, the AA will prioritorise your call based upon your circumstances. If you are in a vulnerable position, and they are made aware of this, they should try to reach you as quickly as they can. The problem is that having switched over to all callouts to be made from their app, not all information about circumstances is necessarily captured. An elderly person stuck out in the cold with no means of staying warm is obviously a priority regardless of gender. Another issue to consider is that people will lie in order to raise the priority of their call. What the AA needs is here is a new social media person who sets the rules straight. They do not decide priority based on gender (as that would be illegal), but they do prioritorise vulnerable customers. And then another click-bate social media story would have vanished from the internet!
Justine Queequag 3 years ago
Another issue to consider is that people will lie in order to raise the priority of their call Happens all the time, and you can't blame the responders, because they assume, (wrongly) that the caller is in genuine need of help
Load More Replies...
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I initially assumed that "AA" meant "Alcoholics Anonymous", and several seconds of glorious confusion followed.
PeachPossum 3 years ago
Same here. I imagined a beer truck pulling alongside with the driver holding a six-pack out the window. Some would consider that a rescue indeed.
Load More Replies...
Cecily Holland 3 years ago
Squawks about equality. Gets it. Then Squawks about not being prioritised as a female. Reading the original post she didn’t tell them where she was stranded made her feel unsafe. The prioritised her when she called back and gave them that info which she should have given the company in the first place. I hate cherry-picking
Chris Scritchfield 3 years ago
It's a cluster to be sure in today's age who is vulnerable. Is a cis woman in more danger than a trans woman. Is a cis man less vulnerable what if he has Asperger's. You can't base vulnerability as a metric. You need to look at this as a per case basis. Yeah you got Karen's male and female that will lie to get preferred service but honestly I don't see that many people being an jerk to cause problems besides if they falsly prioritize themselves note the account so that way it will have the calling wolf effect
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 3 years ago (edited)
I may have the unpopular opinion here (nothing new lol), but as a single female, I've gone on late night walks in various types of neighbourhoods, alone, and not felt unsafe as long as I'm being aware of my surroundings and looking like I know where I'm going. But I think that's common sense for anyone, regardless. It's not like men haven't been attacked at night. My boyfriend was jumped on News Years walking home alone by a couple of guys pretending to ask for a cig. Women do tend to have the upper leg. When reporting a missing person there's more urgency for a missing woman than a missing man, as if men are considered "able to handle themselves". My question would be to this lady, if she feels that vulnerable and scared to be out, alone, at night, and feels there's that high of a risk of something happening to her, why doesn't she have someone come along with her? Nothing wrong with doing that if safety is that much of a concern, instead of putting onus on a service company.
Zophra 3 years ago
She didn't have someone along with her because she wasn't expecting her car to break down.
Load More Replies...
Bailey 3 years ago (edited)
The point the AA are trying to make is a completely valid one. She is not automatically top priority because she is a woman, but that does not mean she will not be top priority as it's based on risk and call outs at that time. If it's a choice between a woman who breaks down alone in the middle of nowhere, a family who's car won't start while they were visiting a relative, and a man who broke down outside his work, she would be top priority as she is the most at risk. Equally, if she has broken down 5 minutes walk from home, and a man is stranded on the side of the motorway, he should be the priority. It's about looking at individual circumstances at the time, rather than a tick box to say who gets priority.
just me 3 years ago
Did people miss the party where the company explained it was illegal to prioritize based on sex, it did I misunderstand something? They were trying to give everyone the magic words, if the person mentions reasons to be concerned for their safety. The lady has no idea who was being prioritized over her. A guy with a serious medical condition or something stabbed in the middle of nowhere should take priority over a healthy woman somewhere relatively safe. Not saying those were the circumstances, just a reason they can't automatically prioritize a woman as higher risk.
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 3 years ago (edited)
Exactly. Towing companies don't know the complete situation until the tow truck driver gets there. Not everyone thinks of telling the towing company an emergency situation because they likely have already called someone else. They could have a small child they need to take home. A small kid will always take precedence in the queue. This woman wasn't even in any danger at the end of the day. She was just thinking of the what-ifs. I know dark highways are creepy af, you're imagination can run wild. I used to come along with my now-ex in his tow truck. Came across all types of people. Men were just as relieved to see help as women. It's a dangerous job and tow truck drivers are just as likely, if not more, to be attacked on site. It's a bit of a false security to think your safe when they're there. Often their backs are turned, busy doing their job. When he would get the stolen recoveries one of the cops would always stay to watch over the tow truck driver in case a suspect is nearby.
Load More Replies... Beth L 3 years ago
This *is* equality. It is not equity. Too many people ask for equality when what they want is equity.
Viviane 3 years ago
Equity is based on the principle of leveling the playing field. That means considering variables beyond belonging to the same species. A form of triage, so to speak. Treating everyone the same is not the same as being fair.
Load More Replies... Susie Elle 3 years ago (edited)
You shouldn't discriminate based on gender, you SHOULD discriminate based on safety risks. A man with carrying his infant child in a car that broke down would deserve priority over a man alone, right? You prioritize based on a risk assessment, not because of bobs an vagene.
NotTodaySatan!! 3 years ago
"Discrimination" based on safety risks isn't discrimination, but rather logic. This woman sounds a lot like, "I want to always come first when I call. And to ensure I do, I'm going to try and make it sound like I mean something other than I'm being selfish".
Load More Replies... Robert T 3 years ago
I'm smelling a mountain of BS being made out of a molehill. Just like the emergency services, the AA will prioritorise your call based upon your circumstances. If you are in a vulnerable position, and they are made aware of this, they should try to reach you as quickly as they can. The problem is that having switched over to all callouts to be made from their app, not all information about circumstances is necessarily captured. An elderly person stuck out in the cold with no means of staying warm is obviously a priority regardless of gender. Another issue to consider is that people will lie in order to raise the priority of their call. What the AA needs is here is a new social media person who sets the rules straight. They do not decide priority based on gender (as that would be illegal), but they do prioritorise vulnerable customers. And then another click-bate social media story would have vanished from the internet!
Justine Queequag 3 years ago
Another issue to consider is that people will lie in order to raise the priority of their call Happens all the time, and you can't blame the responders, because they assume, (wrongly) that the caller is in genuine need of help
Load More Replies... Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I initially assumed that "AA" meant "Alcoholics Anonymous", and several seconds of glorious confusion followed.
PeachPossum 3 years ago
Same here. I imagined a beer truck pulling alongside with the driver holding a six-pack out the window. Some would consider that a rescue indeed.
Load More Replies... Cecily Holland 3 years ago
Squawks about equality. Gets it. Then Squawks about not being prioritised as a female. Reading the original post she didn’t tell them where she was stranded made her feel unsafe. The prioritised her when she called back and gave them that info which she should have given the company in the first place. I hate cherry-picking
Chris Scritchfield 3 years ago
It's a cluster to be sure in today's age who is vulnerable. Is a cis woman in more danger than a trans woman. Is a cis man less vulnerable what if he has Asperger's. You can't base vulnerability as a metric. You need to look at this as a per case basis. Yeah you got Karen's male and female that will lie to get preferred service but honestly I don't see that many people being an jerk to cause problems besides if they falsly prioritize themselves note the account so that way it will have the calling wolf effect
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 3 years ago (edited)
I may have the unpopular opinion here (nothing new lol), but as a single female, I've gone on late night walks in various types of neighbourhoods, alone, and not felt unsafe as long as I'm being aware of my surroundings and looking like I know where I'm going. But I think that's common sense for anyone, regardless. It's not like men haven't been attacked at night. My boyfriend was jumped on News Years walking home alone by a couple of guys pretending to ask for a cig. Women do tend to have the upper leg. When reporting a missing person there's more urgency for a missing woman than a missing man, as if men are considered "able to handle themselves". My question would be to this lady, if she feels that vulnerable and scared to be out, alone, at night, and feels there's that high of a risk of something happening to her, why doesn't she have someone come along with her? Nothing wrong with doing that if safety is that much of a concern, instead of putting onus on a service company.
Zophra 3 years ago
She didn't have someone along with her because she wasn't expecting her car to break down.
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