Travelers making their way through the security line at Beijing Capital International Airport may notice bright pink signs emblazoned with the words “Female Only” in Chinese and English.
The new signs are there to direct women towards the new women-only security lines introduced in Beijing, Shenzhen, Kunming, and Wuhan, the New York Times reported.
The gender sorting is meant to increase the likelihood that women will be patted down by female security officers. “We feel more comfortable when our coats and suitcases are checked by female security inspectors,” said one woman speaking to the Chinese government’s official newspaper, People’s China Daily, adding, “I think this seems like a VIP service for women.”
The women-only lines are also intended to speed things up because women and all their pesky face creams, lipsticks, and shampoos apparently slow down the general security process. “Female passengers often put many cosmetics into suitcases and need to open their luggage for a check,” noted People’s China Daily.
Since opening the gender-specific lines, efficiency has reportedly improved by 25 percent, although that improvement is most likely more for male travelers, who now wait behind fewer full-size shampoo bottles and instant noodles.
There’s no mention of which line a transgender individual or those who don’t identify as male or female should choose.