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In Slovakia, the national railway company has decided to reserve compartments on certain trains for women. A decision which had already caused controversy during a similar experiment attempted in Germany in 2016.
Gentlemen, you are not allowed to enter! This is the new message displayed via a pictogram on certain trains in Slovakia. The drawing depicts a female-looking figure, with long, wavy hair. It is intended to be a representation of women to indicate to the opposite sex that they are not welcome.
The national company of the Central European country has in fact decided to reserve certain compartments of its express trains only for female passengers. According to local media, The Slovak Spectator, men do not have the right of access, except for little boys under ten years old. Announced by the Bratislava company Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK), this measure was put in place on June 9 and concerns the second class.
As for the reason for introducing such an adaptation, the European citizens’ information portal TheMayor.eu acknowledges: “it is not clear what prompted ZSSK management to introduce this type of compartments“. Note that this plan supposed to improve passenger comfort does not only concern these compartments which could cause controversy. It also includes wagons equipped with bicycle racks as well as “quiet zone” compartments located in first class of express trains In the same way, a pictogram indicating that you must remain silent calls potential offenders to order.
Beyond the controversy that the introduction of compartments reserved for women may generate, a dynamic consisting of ensuring better comfort on board European trains seems to be emerging. The announcement at the end of last April by the German railway company wishing to renovate its train fleet did not go unnoticed. Deutsche Bahn had in fact indicated that it wanted to set up “cuddle compartments”. In short, cabins to preserve privacy, ensured by frosted glass windows, thus suggesting the possibility of indulging in the most erotic dreams on board German trains…