Thursday 3 April 2008

Politcal correctness gone mad?

From the Guardian April 3 2008 (scroll down to the bottom ;@) )

A leading building firm is banning its brickies from wolf-whistling at women, saying the "outdated" tradition had become a distraction for young househunters. George Wimpey Bristol has outlawed the practice, for fear of putting off "savvy and sophisticated" buyers visiting sites. Sales and marketing director Richard Goad told Bristol staff in a memo that builders could not wolf-whistle on any of the city's six sites from 9am today. He said: "In the 21st century the wolf whistle is out of place. Our buyers know what they want and the general feeling is that women won't stand for being whistled at by builders." Press Association

I'm waiting for the squeals of 'political correctness gone mad'. But hey, either these guys whistle because they think you're attractive, or they don't whistle because they think you are too old, too ugly or too dowdy. What gives them the right? Would they do it if they were on their own? Is it really an inter-male communication, a display of virility? Am I talking rubbish?
I'm old enough not to care which of the three 'undesirable' categories I'm in and I don't worry about walking past building sites now, though I used to hate it. What do other people think?

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