Skirting the driving issue.
According to an Associated Press story filed in Buenos Aires last night, Fiat Argentina is removing one of the handbooks issued with its new vehicles after women’s groups used social media calling it “misogynistic.”
The booklet in Argentina given to every new vehicle owner said: “If a lady’s skirt is too short, we recommend that she travel in the backseat to keep our concentration.” It dug the hole deeper by saying “if the skirt is not that short but you tend to have a wandering hand, she should also travel behind.”
Distracted driving is meeting social media here, with unknown effects on Fiat sales. Fiat sold 60,000 vehicles in the challenged Argentinian economy, a more than 16% increase year-over-year, according to its latest sales numbers. AutoInformed wonders if there is a senior female executive in Argentina or Milan?
The embarrassing reversal in Argentina comes as FCA US and its Fiat brand this weekend celebrate diversity and inclusion by sponsoring the Motor City Pride parade and festival, a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) culture. This is the largest LGBT gathering in Michigan.
An employee of the Italian-based automaker said on its Twitter account that it regrets the handbook had that effect and that it never meant to be “disrespectful.” Fiat in Milan is silent on what is an explosive issue. Another section of the egregious manual said that any woman who aspires to become a co-pilot “must at least have nice legs.”
Under a heading, “driver with love,” it said that in order to “behave like a gentleman, you should know that if your partner, girlfriend or squeeze travels with friends, you should become the chauffeur for each and every one of them, taking the spot of the alpha male and dropping each one of them safe and sound at their resting place.” <This is a translation, but you get the drift.>
The handbook was strongly criticized by Argentine women’s groups <no kidding>, including the organizers of a protest held last week in Buenos Aires to condemn violence against women under the slogan #NiUnaMenos, meaning “Not one less.” The group published photos of FIAT Argentina’s handbook on its Facebook page, calling it, “a summary of stereotypical and misogynistic messages.”
Many people took to Twitter to express their outrage.
“The user’s manual is unbelievable. It’s full of old, misogynistic jokes,” Silvina Quintans wrote to FIAT Argentina on her account. “Remember that women also drive.” They also buy a great number of vehicles.
