Dad chides supermarket for having 'sexist' signs in its car park

The dad's tweet received a great response within just a few minutes. Photo / Twitter/Justin Simard

A Canadian dad who visited a supermarket with his infant son took to Twitter to call out the chain for its "sexist" carparking signs.

Justin Simard tweeted a photo of himself with his 9-month-old son in the carpark of the Sobeys supermarket, on Prince Edward Island, near a sign that said the spot was for "Expecting Mothers" and "Mothers with Small Children".

"Crap, am I allowed to park here?" he asked, tagging the supermarket in his tweet.

@sobeys crap, am I allowed to park here? #notababysitter #dadissues pic.twitter.com/NY3OkcBbnP

— Justin Simard (@JustinSimard) August 21, 2017

The supermarket was quick to respond that Simard was definitely allowed to park there and added that it would be replacing the signs to include fathers.

You are definitely entitled to that parking spot, Justin! Which location was this so we can update the signage? #SuperDad

— Sobeys (@sobeys) August 21, 2017

Although it might seem a minor issue, Simard pointed out that the signs exclude more than just fathers.

"When I went to get out of my car, the person in the spot next to me gave me a dirty look, which quickly vanished when I took my son out of his car seat," he told the Huffington Post. "Then the wording of the sign bothered me. What about single fathers? What about same sex couples? It occurred to me that the sign could be more inclusive.

"My hope is that the sign was simply an echo of a thoughtless sexism that insists that raising children is 'women's work', and that people will realise that raising children is 'parents' work'," he added.

Twitter users were, for the most part, supportive of Simard's request.

Nice job! LANGUAGE MATTERS. When society makes parenting inclusive for Dads, it helps to "free up" us Moms too. #KeepSpeakingUp #SuperDad

— Janine⚡️🇨🇦 (@janinethe6ix) August 23, 2017

Good for you and your wife for being healthy, progressive, lovely people. Your babe is growing up with awesome parents. Ignore the trolls.

— Maureen Batt (@operaredhead) August 23, 2017

This kind of crap obviously isn't the most egregious wrong in the world but it's still stupid and unnecessary. Just make it "parents." #dads https://t.co/KPx0fsgDIq

— Aaron's Book Is Now Available! (@DaddyFiles) August 22, 2017