Air India Will Offer Special Seating To Solo Female Travelers

They should arm the Indian women to kill the gropers

Separate but equal is never equal.

Why should women be forced to segregate themselves into a separate row? If someone is behaving poorly or breaking the law crew should deal with it like they would any other situation.

If a woman chooses not to sit in a defined area, will people wrongly assume that she is 'open' to advances? Will women feel pressured to segregate themselves?

As has happened (according to new reports with Orthodox Jews) what if a man for religious reasons refuses to sit next to a woman? Will she be forced to move to a special row to accommodate a man?

So many things wrong with this idea I don't know where to start. Ugh.

This will be a battle between common sense solutions and militant-non-discrimination stances. And then somewhere in between.

This is something that Air India has been under pressure to implement for years, together with preferred seating for Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribes / Other Backward Classes. It is a slippery slope to start with the typical bureaucratic reservation system on board aircraft like in so many other facets of Indian society.

@DougG +1

The only way they could make this any worse would be to force single women to sit together in row 36.

Who is forcing them to sit in that row Doug? Is that how you would like it implemented?

Setting a cultural standard that women who prefer not to be assaulted by other passengers are restricted to certain seats is inherently damaging.

Where policies like this have been implemented the results have been mixed at best. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11824962/Women-only-trains-and-transport-How-they-work-around-the-world.html

@TG, as outlined in the article it sounds like no one is being forced so forgive my poor choice of words.

My concern is that having that row makes it that much easier for someone in the future if they have an issue. Expanding my comment about Orthodox Jews, here is a story where a woman was forced to give up her seat on El Al:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/jewish-woman-made-to-move-flight-seats-by-ultra-orthodox-man-says-rule-is-not-in-the-torah-a6964641.html

As a woman I see a potential problem - the sentiment can be turned around: if you're a woman who has a problem with being groped, book the special seat. Otherwise, you're fair game and asking for it. Much like dressing "provocatively."

Sounds crazy but in this day the "she was asking for it" argument is still too prevalent.

Can I sit in a male only section then? I'm tired of dealing with crazy chicks and would feel more comfortable among the brotherhood.

This is victim blaming - no way should anyone have to book a special seat to avoid freight uncomfortable about who they are seated next to. Deal with the harassing passengers not those who are being harassed.

@ Sean M

Buddy your sense of understanding about Indian caste system is either based on heresay or stuck in the 50s

Have you just woken up from coma after 60yeas?

As someone who travels to Mumbai very frequently, it is very common in India to have women's reserved accommodations, like women's only seats in buses, or women's only compartments in trains. Heck, there are entire trains only for women. Same goes for reserved seats/compartments for handicapped/disabled. I feel it is a great system which works in India. It would be safe to assume, AI is not trying to offend anyone as some might suggest.

Lucky highlights an important point. AI has limited capacity in domestic sector and flights are often overbooked. What if there are not 6 women travelling alone while the flight is?

I think this system makes sense. In no case should inappropriate action against women be tolerated, but I think there is no harm in offering this option to women as a logical extension of the system already in place in almost all other forms of public transportation in India.