Glass staircase not dress friendly
A glass staircase is causing women to rethink taking the stairs.
June 9th, 2011
08:44 PM ET

Glass staircase not dress friendly

For years, women across America have dealt with glass ceilings. But now, women in Ohio have a new problem - glass floors.

A $105 million courthouse opened in Franklin County, Ohio, on Monday, but the builders seemed to have forgotten one thing - the bottom of the stairs, reports affiliate 10TV. The staircase is made of glass.

Dress wearers need to avoid taking the stairs, according to Franklin County Judge Julie Lynch, who wears dresses under her robes almost every day.

"I wear dresses because that's my personal choice," Lynch told 10TV. "When you stand under the stairwell, you can see right up through them.”

She speculates that men, who didn’t take half the population into account, designed the stairs.

Attorney Lori Johnson was startled by the transparent stairs. She worries not only about stares, but also how many cell phones have cameras attached.

“The next thing you know, you’re on the internet,” Johnson said, according to 10TV. “It sounds like a lawsuit in the making.”

While security guards warn women about taking the stairs, it seems most are just hoping people will be mature about the situation.

"They hope people will be mature? That's not a solution," Lynch said to 10TV. "If we had mature people that didn't violate the law, we wouldn't have this building."

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Filed under: Architecture • Courts • Justice • Ohio
soundoff (739 Responses)
  1. michael borders

    that's nothing...check out the stairs t the Apple store on Fifth Ave in New York City – http://www.uptomark.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/fifthavenue_gallery_image4.jpg – and they get tons of women in skirts!

    June 10, 2011 at 9:42 am | Report abuse |
  2. hw

    You may brilliant architects, builders, etc. but they have no clue as to the average human being. The other half, females, for the most part, wear a dress. Now, there are many such as a non-mentionable New York Congressman who would stand underneath those stairs and observe and report. Yes we have a bunch of drolls living among us. So, how is it that a court house will have such an obvious problem? The issue is that were that building is located the male population has a HUGE EGO.

    June 10, 2011 at 9:42 am | Report abuse |
  3. hingedlwnb

    It's bushes' fault.

    June 10, 2011 at 9:43 am | Report abuse |
  4. Acepod

    Ok, so up a professional sized skirt (past the knee), with no direct lighting, from a minimum of 12-15ft away (so as not to look obvious), how much is someone really going to see.......

    Ohhhh no they saw a non descript white sliver that might have been panties...

    seriously are you kidding me?

    June 10, 2011 at 9:49 am | Report abuse |
    • hingedlwnb

      Why did you stop???

      June 10, 2011 at 9:50 am | Report abuse |
    • Lacey18

      I'm guessing you're not a female. It may not be easy to look up a pencil skirt, but what about an A-line dress or a flowy skirt? I work in a professional office and wear both. Even if you can only catch a glimpse of panties, that's still a violation of privacy and enough to make most women uncomfortable. I wouldn't take those stairs.

      June 10, 2011 at 10:12 am | Report abuse |
  5. James

    Hey lets be careful before any corrections are made. The trolls who hang around under the stairs may sue if their pleasure event is removed...and the courts the way they are, may rule in their favour.

    June 10, 2011 at 9:50 am | Report abuse |
  6. tj

    Of all the stories and issues this is #1. What a buch of perves.

    June 10, 2011 at 9:54 am | Report abuse |
    • Rando

      Apparently you are a perv too cuz you read the article and then commented on it..

      June 10, 2011 at 9:59 am | Report abuse |
  7. lee

    Just paint the backside of the risers ... problem solved!!!

    June 10, 2011 at 9:55 am | Report abuse |
    • HBBB

      Painting the risers is way to simple a solution. Instead, the tax payers are paying a security guard to stand at the bottom of the stairs to warn people and suggest the elevator. Why would the government want to fix this with a few hundred dollars when they could spend thousands on an employee in perpetuity!

      June 10, 2011 at 10:05 am | Report abuse |
    • Suzy

      They are creating jobs. Why hire a few day laborers to paint the backs of the stairs when you can hire two full time, permanent security guards?

      June 10, 2011 at 10:31 am | Report abuse |
  8. yetzy

    A lot of you dont seem to get theat the stairs themselve are not glass its the risers (the part in between the steps). i know for a fact that these kind of stairs are all over the counrty. except the ones all over the country dont have any risers AT ALL. if you dont feel comfortable walking up the stairs in a skirt/dress dont use them or wear shorts under them. there are plenty if shorts out there made for skirts and dresses. if your dress or skirt is too short to wear anything else but ur underwear then obviously you have no problem showing off some of your s3x appeal. quit cryin and let people enjoy the art. if you actually walk undert hose stairs you cant see anything but peoples feet. always someone tryin to get some money for sueing.

    June 10, 2011 at 9:57 am | Report abuse |
  9. funny

    A friend of mine once told me to sit on a particular sofa when I visited him and waited in the reception area. I was slightly puzzled until I heard heels tapping above me and naturally looked up only to find that you could see up the skirts of women walking down the stairs holding the handrail. I don't think the women knew about it....

    As for solutions to the glass issue – what about window tint film or something similar applied to the underside reflecting back at anyone underneath.

    June 10, 2011 at 9:59 am | Report abuse |
  10. CDQ

    Winning!

    June 10, 2011 at 10:02 am | Report abuse |
  11. Legal Briefs

    Well I know every time I'm feelin' hot and bothered, I race on down to the courthouse to scope me some lawyer and judge underwear. I can't think of anything more stimulating than looking up the skirts of middle-aged women who make a living arguing. Doesn't that just sound SOOOOO hot?

    June 10, 2011 at 10:02 am | Report abuse |
    • hingedlwnb

      Depends.

      June 10, 2011 at 10:05 am | Report abuse |
    • Legal Briefs

      You want to see DEPENDS?!?!?!? You sir have issues!!! (lol)

      June 10, 2011 at 10:06 am | Report abuse |
    • hingedlwnb

      Awesome. I thought it was maybe too subtle. Good man.

      June 10, 2011 at 10:08 am | Report abuse |
    • Legal Briefs

      That joke is the only reason they ran this article... I'm betting. Kudos!

      June 10, 2011 at 10:09 am | Report abuse |
  12. hingedlwnb

    Yes the soultion is to paint the underside. With glass cleaner.

    June 10, 2011 at 10:03 am | Report abuse |
  13. Huh

    That judge is pretty hot. But kinda scary.

    June 10, 2011 at 10:05 am | Report abuse |
  14. Booka

    I for one am going to stand under the stars just to see if those female judges really do have balls! :p

    June 10, 2011 at 10:05 am | Report abuse |
  15. nagrad

    Its a trap! They designed it intentionally (at the COURTHOUSE) so they could draw in the pervs and save themselves the trouble of going out and finding them 😉

    June 10, 2011 at 10:06 am | Report abuse |
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