Berkley Bans The Manhole

Who would've ever thought that anyone could be offended by the term manhole?  Well one of America's most well known liberal cities has banned the term manhole.  Berkeley, CA is getting rid of manholes.  Well, not the actual holes themselves, but they'll now be known as 'maintenance holes' within the city limits, reports KTVU TV.  The Berkeley City Council just passed a new ordinance banning 'gendered language' from the city code.

The city council was not content to replace the term manhole.  It looks like there will be not one mention of gender in anything the city of Berkley, California.  Some other changes include replacing 'firemen' with 'firefighters' and any instance of 'he' or 'she' with 'they'.

If you thought men and women were safe, not anymore.  Even the phrase 'men and women' is being replaced with 'people'. City Council member Rigel Robinson said "A male-centric municipal code doesn't reflect the reality of the city of Berkeley".

Now that you've read the story, it's time to find out if you agree or disagree with the Berkley City Council.  What do you think of this rule?  Should other cities adopt it, or is it a waste of time?  Are there any gendered phrases that you no longer use?  Would you support similar rules in Idaho or in your workplace?

We'll continue to update you on any changes that the city council decided to impose on its citizens.