Female train drivers

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Roderick Smith
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Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 8:44 pm

Female train drivers

Post by Roderick Smith »

Perhaps more accepted on trams than trains, and that took years to achieve. Google on Butland 'I don't need a penis to drive a bloody tram'.
There are also inroads into aviation piloting, but I don't know the percentage.
In this case, it isn't just noble Metro meeting equal-opportunity agendas. It is a tactic in management vs RT&BU, getting rid of hardliners in favour of a more compliant workforce.

Roderick.

ABC Radio Melbourne Thurs.18.1.18.
Twitter helps mother convince four-year-old that female train drivers do exist.
I need to find a female train driver for my daughter to meet because apparently ‘only boys drive trains’. Any leads?
A woman and a young girl play with a toy train on the floor in front of a couch.
Photo: Erin Watson-Lynn's daughter Philippa loves trains but believed only males could drive them. (ABC Radio Melbourne: Simon Leo Brown).
Parents, where do you turn when you can't convince your preschooler they're wrong?
Internet, of course.
Erin Watson-Lynn was at home with her four-year-old daughter Philippa, playing with a toy train set in their Melbourne apartment, when she was confronted with such a situation.
"Where's the girl train driver?" she asked her daughter as she chose the male figurine to go in the driver's seat.
"Only boys drive trains," Philippa replied.
No amount of parental persuasion would convince Philippa otherwise, so Ms Watson-Lynn turned to Twitter for help.
Her tweet caught the attention of ABC Radio Melbourne staff, who worked with Metro Trains Melbourne to introduce Philippa to female train driver Anita Sawyer via the radio.
Recruitment targets women.
It is true that train driving has traditionally been a male-dominated profession.
When Metro took over Melbourne's train network from Connex in 2009, just 2 per cent of drivers were women.
The company has gone to some lengths to correct this gender imbalance, procuring a special dispensation to target women when advertising for new drivers.
Today, 18% of Metro's more than 1000 train drivers are female, with women making up half of all new recruits.
Formerly a bartender, Ms Sawyer became a train driver six years ago after seeing a job ad in the newspaper.
Photo of a young woman smiling and wearing a bright yellow vest and standing in front of a train.
Photo: Anita Sawyer has driven trains for six years and also trains new drivers. (ABC Radio Melbourne: Simon Leo Brown) .
"It's changed my whole life so I feel very lucky that I got that opportunity," she told ABC Radio Melbourne's David Astle.
"It's just a massive responsibility ... I'm absolutely rapt with the job."
'Not surprised' by daughter's assumption Ms Watson-Lynn said she was "disappointed but not surprised" by her daughter's comments.
"No matter what you expose them to, or how much effort you put into them being able to think that anyone can do anything, there are parts of society that just aren't that way yet," she said.
"You've got toys that just have boy train drivers; they're not exposed to female train drivers.
"It's just about raising the profile of female train drivers, letting young girls know that girls can drive trains too."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-18/m ... trains-too
tonyp
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Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:31 am

Re: Female train drivers

Post by tonyp »

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eddy
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Re: Female train drivers

Post by eddy »

Tony,
I have a confession to make that as an old guy it has been hard for me to accept much of what is acceptable today including women doing "men's jobs" or paying for their own drinks etc.but I have come to the conclusion they have been the underdogs for a long time.
Parrahub, an extra option in the public transport menu http://www.parrahub.org.au/
tonyp
Posts: 12348
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:31 am

Re: Female train drivers

Post by tonyp »

Women are formidable beings eddy. Best to stay on the right side of them. ;)
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