A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl has prompted the New Zealand Transport Agency to replace its "unfair" road signs after writing a letter to its chief exec.
Zoe Carew, from Wellington, said she spotted people working on power lines next to a warning sign that read 'LINEMEN' while travelling with her dad and brother to visit her grandparents.
She explained that she talked about the sign with her father and wondered why it was gender specific when women can also work on power lines.
In a letter to Fergus Gammie, chief executive of the NZTA, Zoe wrote: "Why does the sign say ‘Linemen’ when the people working on the lines may be men or women? I think this sign is wrong and unfair. Do you agree?
"Can you please change the sign to say ‘Line-workers’ instead, or something else correct and fair like that."
Fair enough, eh? At least, until you read the rest.
We were happy to take Zoe’s suggestion on board, because great ideas can come from anyone, including seven-year-olds! Good on you, Zoe! https://t.co/CanSuHBNXN
— NZTA News (@nzta_news) July 30, 2018
"I don’t really want to be a line-worker when I grow up because there are so many more exciting things I would like to do, but some girls might want to learn to be linewomen."
The cheek of it.
Despite the supercilious wording of the letter, Mr Gammie was gracious enough to respond, saying he accepted the criticism and that the NZTA would change the signs from 'Linemen' to 'Line Crew'.
"I commend you for your suggestion and for taking action where you think something unfair should be fixed. Well done," he wrote.
Zoe's mum Caitlin wasted little time sharing the correspondence on Facebook, saying she was "so proud of my 7yo".
She added: "High 5s all round!"
High fives!? Some people have six fingers, don't you know? Surely "high hands" would be more appropriate...
... Tongue, meet cheek.
See More: Identity Politics, Letter, New Zealand, Road Signs, Sexism
