As someone who is often called an aggressive driver, I take personal offense to this stupid piece via Yahoo News Canada in the "car research" section listing 10 inarticulate and sexist reasons women supposedly can't drive. The piece is from Askmen.com, which means it is actually not humor, even if to us that website is hilarious since it is drenched in the cowardly spirit of men that are afraid of vagina.
One of the reasons women can't drive,
No.4 - They have no interest in carsAnother reason women can't drive is a matter of interest -- or rather, a lack thereof. You can't do well at something when your give-a-damn meter reads zero point zero. Women have no interest in cars beyond them serving as appliances of transport. As long as it starts, all is well. So when dash lights flash, components make ugly sounds or smoke appears, it may or may not resonate with the female driver that these are less than ideal operating characteristics.
Right, just like women don't like trains, airplanes, computers and any other modern technological marvel that helps us get somewhere.
Joking aside, I do think there is something to be said about women feeling secure in their driving abilities, since they are told that they are bad drivers and that driving is a manly thing to do. One of the first things you internalize when coming of age as a teenager is that women (along with some ethnic groups) are not good drivers.
Before we start the convo with, "but women really don't have depth perception" I know some really really good female drivers that are aggressive, confident and rarely if ever get lost or in accidents. So, based on my own empirical evidence and recognition of the sexist expectation that women aren't as good of drivers, I call bullshit on the premise of this article. Shame on Yahoo Canada for running such a sexist piece of crap.
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I think the "women can't drive" stereotype makes me really self-conscious on the road. Technique-wise, I'm actually not that bad a driver, I just drive really fast and kind of recklessly. I'm always worried by my "bad" driving, though, because while I think it's just based on my personal skills set and impatience on the road, I feel that other people will automatically attribute it to my sex.
If we women have no spatial awareness and no "driving gene" (LOL), why do we get lower insurance rates?
That's because although statistically women get in more minor accidents, men make up almost 75% of fatal accidents. Statistically men are worse drivers, and therefore pay higher insurance. Take that Yahoo.
Also, does this article remind anyone else of the bs on Askmen.com?
It's because it is from Askmen.com
Ummmmm, excuse ME but didn't you read the first sentence of the article? "Forget about what statistics say; men are better drivers."
Yeah, so shut up, ladies-this male author knows best.
Forgetting about statistics is ignoring the truth, and does not win an argument.
Pretty sure Msmaddy was being facetious ;)
You have to realize that women drive less so it's normal for them to have less accidents. I don't believe that driving skills are related to gender because I'm a woman and a fairly good driver - even though I constantly speed, for instance. Driving learning is related to risk-taking too and this is why I believe men on average are better drivers, besides the fact that they do it more and practice makes perfect.
And speeding fines... You should count how many times you got pulled over and got a pass too. I noticed that I got out of a lot of tickets by just smiling innocently to the officer.
Drunk isn't an excuse, but an extenuating circumstance?! DUI is an aggravating circumstance.
Human Bean is right. All skills that men acquire that make them better drivers can be learnt by women too.
Vanilla -
So all women drive less than all men?
That's funny - I live in New York, I don't own a car, I haven't been behind the wheel of a vehicle in about 4 months, and I've driven maybe 100 miles in a car IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
There are 400 women who drive buses for the NYC Transit Authority - they drive 10 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week, week in and week out.. some of them have been driving for 20 or 30 YEARS.
But I'm a better driver than them - because I have a penis?
Sorry, that logic is thin.
If only we had some type of company or organization who had an interest in tracking statistics about accidents by gender and age, oh wait, insurance companies do exactly that and men pay higher premiums because they get in more accidents. It's OK askmen.com, numbers and facts are complicated. Don't you worry your pretty little heads about them.
That's what my initial reaction was too!
The driving gene was first observed in the Y-chromosome of our australopithecine ancestors, specifically the F. flintstone subspecies.
It's called "science" people, look it up.
little knowledge is dangerous.
biology is constructed and almost every behavior/personality is multifactorial. the gene expression is influenced by the epigenome, which definitely constructs a person's temperment and tendencies. but those are reinforced or discouraged by the environment which continues to hardwire persons.
driving is multifactorial and there's no scientific reason to propose there's just one gene for driving. i haven't found the research article in preliminary Pubmed searches, so if you could post the link i would like to read it. from the google search, it seems that Askmen.com was the reporter of this "driving gene" article. surprise surprise.
it's all called "science." look it up.
Daniel Koffler was joking, obviously ( see "F. Flintstone subspecies")
umm. yeah. i was passing time in a class. didn't take note of flinstone until later. i don't have the doing two things at once gene.
Fuck. that. shit. I'm not, like, the world's greatest driver (although I'm accident-free) and it's true that I'm not terribly interested in the mechanics of a car, although I, like any intelligent person, understand car maintenance and realize that if the engine light turns on I need to bring the car in to the mechanic. Articles like this piss me off, but they also amuse me because my boyfriend, who's almost 30, has never had a license and has no desire to learn how to drive, so I've always been the driver in the relationship. It's frustrating because, like Samhita says, it's not even presented as "satirical;" nope, this is the absolute truth, women are crap drivers because, you know, they just are. Gah.
Now I feel bad for singing in the car. THANKS YAHOO.
Still, all this just increases my determination to take a defensive driving course and prove them wrong. It's only natural, seeing how many times I almost get run off the road by males behind the wheel who, seeing that I'm a young female, think they don't have to give me respect as a driver. Yeah, "women are bad drivers" can translate into cutting us off and tailgating.
No fucking way I'm stopping singing in the car, though.
Gah! Not only is that "article" offensive, but the only method of expressing displeasure at it being posted, and in the "Car Tips" section, is via a message board on Yahoo, where some of the commenter aren't seeing a problem with it!
Fuck. That. Noise. I cannot say that loud enough. Fucking HELL, I really shouldn't have clicked through.
You know what? I have a friend who's pouring buckets of money into souping up his car. And when he wants to brag about the newest part that came in, or some new mod he's making, who does he turn to? Not my boyfriend. Me. Because my boyfriend will just look blankly at him and go "Um, ok." Whereas I will enthusiastically discuss the merits of his choice of brand for that particular part and tell him how jealous I am that I can't afford to do that with my car. I love driving. When the boyfriend and I go places together, we take my car and I drive. He didn't even get his license until he was 20 because he didn't care. Sure, I drive a beat-up old sedan, but I drive her like she's an Aston Martin and I love the looks on the faces of guys in their penis-replacements when I'm halfway down the next block by the time they get their car in gear. Does that mean I'm secretly a man and my boyfriend's manliness card is gonna get revoked?
And since when did singing along to the radio make you less competent as a driver? Jeebus fuck, I don't even want to know what world that asshat lives in. I'm going to go sputter in inarticulate rage now...no. I'm going to go for a long, fast drive to calm my ire. A much better solution.
This is ridiculous!
My one brother has had more speeding tickets than I can even remember. The other has had numerous speeding tickets and traffic violations (Running stop signs, no seatbelt) and several accidents (he totalled MY car when he rolled it several time in a corn field and I think he's rear ended about 3 people!)
I on the otherhand I have one speeding ticket.
And they say men are better drivers! Even my 80 year old grandma's never had a traffic violation compared to my grandpa who has numerous speeding and traffic violations (I remember one time in FL, and he ran three red lights in a row!)
But speeding tickets aren't "real" tickets. They're manly and the sign of a daredevil. A daredevil whose inner Dale Earnhardt Jr. is being suppressed by a system that won't let them show off their skillz.
Wow, this is really offensive. But as a woman “gear head” I’m not surprised. I’ve encountered a lot of obnoxious behavior in the car/motorcycle world. I’m really into cars and bikes and I often get nothing but disrespect at car/bike events or show rooms.
Some of my favorites are:
1. “What? You really know how to drive stick?”
2. “are you sure you are putting the coolant into the right place?” (Let me say, if you are woman working on a car, you will be questioned…a lot!)
And my favorite:
When we were shopping for a new car for me, we would tell sales people that the car was for me, and they would ignore me and ONLY talk to my husband. He would try to re-direct back to me, but it wouldn’t work. I finally bought a car from a dealer that paid attention to me.
Oh, gods, amen to the "You drive stick?" bullshit. My dad insisted I learn to drive stick before I was allowed to touch an automatic, and my mom seconded fully. Their rationale being that, in an emergency, they wanted me to be able to drive any car I had access to. I hate that more people aren't taught stick anymore, and I politely turned down my mother's offer to roll over my brother's car to me when he goes off to basic training next month, because while his is newer, it's an automatic, and I will never again (unless there's no option at all) own an automatic transmission vehicle. My 15-yr-old Mazda clunker gets better gas mileage and is way more fun to drive than his 2-yr-old Nissan.
And yet most every car-minded guy I've ever known, when the subject has come up and I've admitted I can, in fact, drive stick, has stared at me like I've grown a second head. It's *almost* as bad as walking into a game store while in possession of breasts.
Amen. I have experienced the "You drive stick?" phenomena myself. Repeatedly. In as much as it is possible, I drive stick exclusively.
I don't know what's worse, when the salesmen won't talk to me, or in the case of the one older salesman who latched onto me and kept trying to show us automatic minivans(do they come any other way?) after we repeatedly and emphatically told him we wanted a sedan with a manual transmission.
Bleah.
And second on the gaming stores.
I once had a conversation wherein I "gained points" for knowing how to drive stick and hubby "lost points" for not knowing how. These days though, with all the paddle shifting being put into cars, I wonder if anyone will still know how to drive a traditional manual.
Mazda sells a manual minivan. LOL
so true on the driving-stick thing. i'm currently driving my first automatic; i've had sticks since i was 16. my left foot still gets bored. i tell people i know how to drive a stick, and they're like, "whaaaa?…?"
i'm teaching my fiancé this summer how to drive a stick, b/c he doesn't know. last month i changed his tire. heh.
it's the same walking into the guitar store.
Sorry, tangent:
Once I went into a guitar store and asked for a couple sets of strings, then proceeded to look through the picks, particularly trying to see which finger picks fit me. The guy behind the counter then asked, "is this stuff for your boyfriend? I see a lot of girls in here buying presents for their boyfriends." I looked at him indignantly and said they were for me. I thought about it later about how stupid of a question that was. If I didn't play guitar and my boyfriend did, I probably wouldn't have any clue what types of strings and picks he likes. Plus, it's just not that romantic of a gift. I haven't been in there since.
i know.
i remember once some male classmates of mine were discussing their guitars (phallic symbol much?) and i attempted to join in the conversation....i made some mention of one of my electric guitars having a humbucker pickup (not exactly mind-blowing guitar terminology here), and they all looked so surprised, and one asked me incredulously, "you know what that is?". one of them then asked me if i knew how to play it. my own damn guitar.
so i stopped attempting to have any sort of conversation with those douchebags.
Bah! I hate that whole "you're a girl, you can't manage manual" thing! Guys always look at me weird when I say "yes, I can drive stick", and even weirder when I have an informed opinion as to why I prefer manual transmission.
I'm another woman car fanatic. I love working on old cars, and car shows are pretty much what my vacations are planned around. I haven't had much disrespect at car shows themselves, but auto parts stores are pretty much a nightmare to get waited on if you are a girl.
As for the "You can drive a stick?" - want to really freak the guys out, drive three on the tree! My daily driver is a stick, but the '49 is column shift.
My personal favorite: "Is that your husband/boyfriend/daddy's car?" (rarely at car shows but really often at gas stations, restaurants, etc)
Just when I thought I couldn't get any angrier.
What a load of misogynist claptrap. LOVE that it starts with "pay no attention to FACTS".
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
This reminds me of a joke:
A man was driving down the highway. He sees a woman in the lane next to him doing her make-up in the mirror, and running into his lane as a result. The man lets the cell phone slip from between his ear and shoulder, drops his coffee onto his laptop, which he was using to send and e-mail at the time, and burns himself with his cigarette as he grabs the wheel and swerves out of the way. As he does so, he snarls "DAMN WOMEN DRIVERS!"
Some people are just shitty drivers, only when it's a woman is it attributed to her gender. I believe that statistically speaking, women are more likely to be the cause of minor, fender bender-type accidents, and men are more likely to be the cause of severe accidents with fatalities. A lot of articles like to point to this an say "see, women cause more accidents," because most accidents are minor, but the truth is that men are more likely to kill on the road, which is better?
Why can't Hellen Keller drive?
...
...
...
Because she's dead!
Ugh, my own mother likes to say that women drivers are the worst, and believes that she is different because her father taught her to drive "like a man." To which I exasperatedly reply, "No, mom. He taught you to drive without the expectation that you'd be bad at it."
Driving is something you learn, not an ability that you're born with. As such, expectations concerning performance. If your instructor treats you as though you won't be able to do it, of course you won't be able to do it properly.
Askmen.com and their cronies are nothing but pits of idiocy. Their attempt to share one brain cell among them isn't working very well.
I do lots of maintenance on my own freakin car. That means I have to know where the parts are, what they do, how to install them, and how to know when they are not working correctly. For example: I know that when my gas pedal gets sticky/hard to press down, it's time to clean the throttle body. I know what that is, how to get at it, how to clean it, and how to put everything back together when I'm done cleaning it. Suck on that, Askjerks.com! And I haven't been involved in a wreck since age 16 or had a moving violation since age 21. I am now 40.
Whoa, dude, imagine that! Oh wait...I hear them saying "you must be an ugly dyke." Nope. I'm hot, femme, and bi.
Not that they will be reading this anyway, as they are too busy inserting their penises into any orifice-like parts they can find on their cars.
i come from a traditional family where my mom intentionally herself snugly into all those stereotypes :-(
i am just now beginning to learn about engines - my ex would show me around the engine of the trucks and motorcycles. i'm now alone and really wish that i had been encouraged into more traditionally male activities.
i have to say that whenever I go into the auto parts store, the workers (men) are really helpful and don't condescend to me. I think they respect that I'm in there myself trying to learn stuff. Or, it boosts their male egos to help an ignorant woman -_- ---> either way, I benefit!
Living in Nashville, I find that asshole driver knows no gender/racial boundaries.
Boooo. I'm not the most skilled driver in the world, but I'm a cautious driver. For some reason, when driving with some of my male cronies this makes me a bad driver. Wtf? Who's the one with no speeding tickets?
And spatial reasoning? Really? I've been making clothes for myself for almost eight years now. Sewing and tailoring teaches you how to think in three dimensions to fit your shape, and drafting patterns involves math. (Which I am still terrible at, but that has a lot less to do with what's between my legs than it does with the fact that I had shitty teachers in high school/my own lack of interest)
Ditto here, well no tickets for over a decade anyhow. It's kind of the sad thing about the culture that aggressive driving is considered normal and following the rules is considered wrong.
My interest in cars is only "I want something that is nice to drive, to get me from point A to point B", thus I "must" be a bad driver.
I can't stand articles like that one.
Ughhh this stereotype is so infuriating, especially as a woman who is a good driver. I'm a much better driver than my brother is- I actually get scared when I ride with him because he's crazy. This stereotype may have been the truth back in the day...but in this day, it's just not true.
One thing I want to point out is reason #4, mentioned in the post, that women can't drive because we have no interest in cars. That's wrong...I have an interest in cars, the interest to drive them! I don't need to know the specifics of the engine to be able to turn the key, look around, push the gas pedal and turn the steering wheel. I know when there's an odd sound, and I proceed to take the car in to get looked at. This has nothing to do with my ability to navigate the car in traffic.
This here woman has been driving since 1980, no accidents, no tickets....not a single one. Also, I'm a dyed in the wool car nut. Go figure.
Ugh, I hate this kind of stuff.
The women in my family have always been known to be the best drivers, but it's not because we're women, we're just awesome drivers. And for that reason the mother in my family is the one that teaches all the children to drive. My grandmother taught my mom and my mom taught me and my brother.
And someone mentioned it above, but I really really hate the whole "You can drive stick?!?!" amazement that I get from some guys. My first car was a stick shift and I loved it! I learned on a stick. I taught my best friend in high school how to drive stick. Yes, it is possible for female brains to understand the complexities of driving a stick shift car and be good at it. Amazing I know!
Ugh. Luckily, I didn't have this growing up. In fact, my dad, who was a pilot, told me it was a shame I wasn't interested in flying, because what he saw in my driving showed I had skills that would make me a good pilot.
I'm trying not to instill any stereotypes in my sons, but it's hard because my husband is a vintage motorcycle geek, and I have no interest. I try to make a big deal out of pointing my husband's women friends who are into bikes to my boys, so they don't get the idea that it's a guy thing in general, even though it's a guy thing in our house.
Speaking as someone who has wept copiously every time I've had to get rid of a vehicle, I say nerts to their "Women aren't interested in cars." Just two days ago the husband and I had a conversation along the lines of this:
Me: "I really want a hobby car. I just want something I can tear apart and put back together and make it better."
Him: "We do not have the space or money for a hobby car. No."
Me: "But what if it was really awesome?"
Yeah, as you can tell, I have no interest in cars at all. Not to mention I do most of the driving because my husband hates it, and if I'm having a bad day, I will frequently just hop in the car, roll down the windows and drive aimlessly for an hour or two just to cheer myself up.
PS. I also want a motorcycle, but he has also put the kibosh on that. His reasoning: "You drive with too much like you have testosterone poisoning already. No motorcycle for you."
I can totally relate to the weeping when you have to give up a car. I was SO sad to have to sell my first car, I still have a key to it on my key ring. If I find it, she's coming home! :)
And my ex used to joke that I came home with way more projects and car parts than he did (and he restored cars for a living)! Car projects are fun!
The internet is full of terrible crap, and once again Ask Men is leading the way.
I drive like a BEAST. I know nothing about how cars work, but I sure can drive.
This article is the stupidest thing I have ever seen. No joke.
"And OK, some women have proven they have a clue -- take Danica Patrick, she's an exception, an exceptional exception, but still an exception."
The FUCK? Danica Patrick is the only woman who has ever competently driven a car? I don't understand how these people can look around and see the world they see. How on earth do they sit in traffic and not notice that half the drivers are women who are currently not causing accidents? How????
So classy how it starts out "forget the facts." So, even if feminists come armed with facts that disprove stupid sexist stereotypes, it doesn't matter, because male superiority is beyond factual proof? Puke.
Re: Reasons No. 10 and No. 9. Do no men ever drive anywhere with their dogs? How does that even make sense? Do no men carpool? Are men smarter because they put more harmful carbon emissions into the atmosphere because they're too manly to hand over the wheel to their dude and insist on driving everywhere alone? Clearly, there has never been a female backseat driver in the history of the world, or a female who takes pride in her driving skills and doesn't like to let others drive her car. Nope, every personality trait that goes beyond doormat status should exist only in the domain of dudes.
Do sexist men really have such a deep fear that women are are allowed to be like them and do things they do? That women are allowed to have quirks and interests and desires and God forbid THOUGHTS????? If women retain their privilege to get behind the wheel, let alone vote, read, earn a living, change a lightbulb, and fix the faucet, then how the fuck are men ever going to live?????
Also: "No.3 - They have no interest in driving"
Now that's just... what? How on earth can they maintain that? I mean, hell, I guess if I could teleport everywhere I'd have no interest in driving either, but honestly, I would guess the writers of this article heard a woman lamenting the fact that she has to drive for five hours to go see her annoying Uncle Ted for Easter and then took that to mean that ALL women hate driving ALL the time.
AskMen.com needs a Friday Feminist Fuck You, and quickly.
No.10 - They let their dogs in the car I have never met anyone who lets their cat in a car without it being in a cage... and as for dogs? Guys don't let dogs in their car? I guess my own personal observations of the world is flawed since I'm a woman...
No.9 - They let their friends in the car Yes, boys... you're all paying attention to the road when all 4/5 of you in the car start hollering and catcalling the girl on the sidewalk or the bike... Do us a favour: If you're going to do that, stay home.
No.8 - They obstruct their vision with crap I haven't met many women who drive who have this problem. If anything, there's like one thing hanging from the rearview... nothing on the back window. OH! But my brother has managed to block part of his back window with sports equipment bumper stickers! And I know guys who keep piles of shit in the back window. But they're not women, so they're obviously brilliant drivers anyway...
No.7 - They sing while driving If I sing while driving, it wouldn't be Katy Perry. But hey, I can't sing along to a stupid punk or metal song without moshing or headbanging! No wonder I've got so many accidents on my driving record!
No.6 - They use the mirrors to look at themselves Uh...huh. Because women are all so self-involved that we must check ourselves out instead of watching where we're going.
No.5 - They make calls and send texts while driving 'Cause I've never seen a man do this classic bad-driving stunt... Oh, wait, I have... like every single fucking day when some guy almost runs me (biking) off the road while on a cell phone (so lucky that I have spatial awareness!). I've also seen a guy try to role a joint while speeding on the highway (one of those "please pull over, I'd rather hitch hike" nights).
No.4 - They have no interest in cars It's not that I have no interest in cars. I like certain types of cars. I'm just not into the "I bought a macho car, don't you want to fuck me" line, or the mid-life crisis mobile. I'm generally more interested in crappy rust-bucket compact cars with standard transmission. And a hatch back. I do love them hatch-backs.
No.3 - They have no interest in driving I love driving. I just try not to do it often because I think it's something that should only be done when absolutely necessary. Why? Because it's wasteful, and to drive for no other reason but because you think you're a macho macho man means you've probably got your head up your ass.
No.2 - They have no spatial awareness Alright, I'll just concede to your point here. I don't know the difference between a car and an iPod. I really, truly don't.
No.1 - They have no driving gene The driving gene? You, sir, must be lacking the fictional science gene. Oh, wait, you're a man. That means you must be so smart, with those science and math genes...
And yet, with all your obvious genetic superiority, I'm willing the bet me 'n my rust bucket could beat you and your ugly ass vehicle (whatever it is, I'm guessing Hummer? A manly man's truck?) in a standard driving test any day.
Oh, yeah, and I'm a young woman, so my insurance rate is like a third of the cost it would be if I were a man of the same age! Sweet...
"No.9 - They let their friends in the car Yes, boys... you're all paying attention to the road when all 4/5 of you in the car start hollering and catcalling the girl on the sidewalk or the bike... Do us a favour: If you're going to do that, stay home."
Damn good point. Though I guess hollering at unassuming female passersby is the only appropriate time for men to be in the car with their friends, since they're gathering to do the manliest thing of all-harrassing women!
"No.4 - They have no interest in cars It's not that I have no interest in cars. I like certain types of cars. I'm just not into the "I bought a macho car, don't you want to fuck me" line"
Love it. Yeah, I think the type of guy who would read this article and go, "Hey! They're right!" would probably have the attitude that women who have interest in cars MUST have interest in HIS car, and have interest in fucking him because of the car. Therefore, if the woman in question doesn't fuck him, she must have no interest in his SUPER HOT MACHO CAR with the two-foot pussy magnet I MEAN spoiler.
An even better way of refuting this article is insurance rates. Insurance companies consistenly give better rates to female drivers. They wouldn't do that if women were worse drivers, would they?
Whether or not women take an active interest in cars is irrelevant to their skills with maneuvering the vehicle. And despite their B.S. on this subject, most guys I know are of the "I take it to the mechanic to get an oil change" variety, including me. Only a very few hardcore guys I know with access to their own garage do their own repairs. And how does being able to prattle off the specs on a car make you better at driving it?
Finally, it's possible that an "active interest" in cars that men have can be traced back to the gender-segregated play as children. Boys play with toy cars so they buy big toys to play with when they grow up. The "tomboyish" girls I know who played with Matchbox cars as girls love sports cars as grown women.
OK, I think its well documented that women are statistically better drivers than men (See: Gender Differences in Insurance Premiums).
I think the real reason men complain about women drivers is that women tend to drive less aggressively than men (See: Gender Differences in Insurance Premiums).
Funny, how that works huh?
my girlfriend is a much better driver than i am.
she makes fun of me for driving an automatic.
I guess according to them I'm not female since none of that applies to me. #1 is ridiculos, there's no driving gene period, because cars aren't natural.
I'm glad you highlighted that particular stupid reason women supposedly can't drive, because it gives me an opportunity to share this lovely story.
About three years ago, I was sexually harassed on my college campus by the same duo of morons twice in a span of a couple of weeks. They drove past me and called me a 'ho. The first time, I was by myself. I didn't get too outraged, because I don't normally get outraged about the stupid things that stupid people do. I couldn't really see their faces because they were driving as they were yelling at me. But I did take note of two things: their car (early 2000s black Honda Accord) and their license plate (Florida, which was odd, because I went to a college where most of the students are from the Mid-Atlantic and New England states). The second time, I was with three friends, all of whom do get outraged from time to time. I knew it was the same idiotic duo that harassed me the week before because I recognized their car. So we went to the campus police and I gave them a description of the car, the same description I noted above. The next day, those two jerks were on campus again. Campus police told them to get the hell off of our campus or they'd be arrested. And I seriously think that those two buttheads didn't think that the young woman they were calling a 'ho knew a thing or two about cars. They were taking advantage of the stereotype that women don't pay attention to things like makes and models and how the appearance of vehicles change over the years. Didn't work.
I'm a man. I do not have a driver's license. When I was fifteen, my brother tried to teach me to drive in his university parking lot. I couldn't understand the concept of driving on the left side of the road; the middle felt much safer.
I do like riding bicycles, scooters, mopeds and motorcycles though.
Even though I don't drive myself, I do see this article as gross and sexist. I watch TopGear and drool when I see the cars on there (or maybe it's the Stig that's causing it), but outside of what I see on there, I don't have much interest. So that makes me a bad driver by default?
Sort of related to the whole "must be bad at something because you're a woman" stereotype, I get a lot of crap for being good with computers and would rather spend my time programming in VB than doing something "girly". when i go to Best Buy or other places for hardware problems, the clerks usually talk to my fiance or my brother and ignore me, even though I was the one who brought up the problem and asked what hardware would be the best to fix it.
@jellyleelips
"Therefore, if the woman in question doesn't fuck him, she must have no interest in his SUPER HOT MACHO CAR with the two-foot pussy magnet I MEAN spoiler."
So we must be bad drivers because we want a man to be confident about himself rather than compensate with an expensive car that he likely sees as a euphamism for his penis?
Storytime!
My girlfriend and I (female) carpool to class every morning in her car, and usually I drive for no particular reason... mostly just because I get in the driver's seat first. We also sometimes take our roommate (male) if he happens to be leaving at the same time, otherwise he takes the bus or his bike. This morning my girlfriend brought up this article, which we had both read and he had not. She had not clicked on the link to the actual list, and I had. She was saying that she wondered what was on the rest of the list because she thought that saying girls don't like cars was a little silly, but whatever. Before I could open my mouth to say anything, our roommate, not having any clue what we were talking about, pipes up with "Well girls *are* worse at spatial relations. I think it's societal, but it's still true." Usually I keep my mouth shut when he talks, because he LOVES to play devil's advocate and I don't like enabling that habit. But my gf was curious, and asked him, "So... do you think women are worse drivers than men because they are not as good at spatial relations?" At this point he said, "Well, yeah..." and started to explain himself. I got very angry, stopped the car, and told him to get out in probably not the nicest choice of words. We hadn't made it very far, so he was fine - he could just get on the bus from there - but I started feeling bad shortly afterward. Usually his BS doesn't harm anyone, but I just had to say something - he was stating an opinion that some people actually believe! Even if you truly believe women are worse than men at spatial relations for ANY reason, it doesn't follow that they must be worse drivers. I probably could have made it a Teachable Moment, but usually when I tell him he is mistaken about anything, he gives in after a long argument by saying "you may have a point," but you can tell that he still thinks he is right, which is why I did not want to try and discuss the topic with him. My gf says that I did the right thing by kicking him out of the car... what do you think? Was I being a feminist warrior or just an asshole? I'm not necessarily looking for support- I really would like to know what you might have done in my situation.
You were driving her car and she didn't have a problem with what you did. I personally do not think you were in the wrong.
Oh so that is why I've never even been ticketed, let alone in a car crash... And why I know my car inside and out. And drive a stick(by choice).
Just another way to try to keep us unsure of ourselves. God forbid we have confidence behind the wheel.
DON'T GET ME STARTED ON MAP READING.
A few notes on this stupid topic.
1) I know a ton of horrible male drivers...but of course their driving has nothing to do with their gender. Its just that they are bad drivers.
2) I do think women are socialized to be worse drivers. I know many boyfriends of my girlfriends who demand their girlfriend is a bad driver, so they must be behind the wheel. This not only tells the girlfriend they are bad drivers, but gives them less experience behind the wheel. I don't own a car and rarely drive, so I know when I do I feel less comfortable than if I was driving all the time.
3) Why can't we get past ridiculous ideas like this? Also, their arguments are probably the most ridiculous of all. Men must not like food because they have no interest in ovens. The author must have a poorly developed brain since he has no interest in neurology.
Haha I love the ovens analogy, awesome!
I think it's important for women to know how to and feel comfortable driving. I know a few older women who can't do XYZ because it involves a minor driving challenge. And regrettably, after a few years of city living sans car, I found myself saying, "I can't do ABC because I am scared of driving on the highway." It's really important to stay self-sufficient in this respect.
Yeah, cause men never text or talk on cells when driving. Plus they never take their dogs in the car. Riiiight. Not to mention I know a ton of men who sing in the car and the men I know who ride in the car together are not all watching the road, they are talking, jostling each other, eating McDonalds while driving, hanging out the window to check out girls, etc. I'm sure guys never flip down the visor to check their hair either. Yeah right. Oh, and they never drive extra fast to impress their friends. In reality, the female drivers I know happen to drive way safer than the male drivers who tend to be overconfident and take too many risks. If there is one drawback it is that due to articles like this people believe the BS and women therefore don't get as much experience driving because the guy they are dating, married to, etc. does it all. I think this article's main intent was to offend.
Incidentally, things like eye-hand coordination, response times, and spatial awareness are skills. They can be taught, learned, and practiced. The studies I've seen indicate that while there sometimes appears to be a slight difference in some of these skills between men and women, it falls well within the degree that would be accounted for by learning and practice. That is, men tend to (from an early age) be more involved in spatial awareness and coordination related activities--think playing sports, construction toys like blocks, video games that rely on rapid response times, etc. This socialization pattern very likely accounts for any difference we see in adults, and can easily be corrected for by making an effort to cultivate such skills in all children. So even if someone does pull up statistics about men and women performing differently on tests of these kinds of skills, it doesn't necessarily indicate anything about hard-wired abilities.
By way of anecdote, I feel that my ability to do things like put together cheap IKEA furniture properly is directly related to long hours playing with Legos as a kid. I have also noticed my coordination and response time in all kinds of other activities (driving, for one) has gotten a lot better since I took up Taekwondo and started playing video games.
I always find it interesting that men always bring up this stereotype because every time I need to swerve to avoid getting into an accident, it's always some young guy, usually in a pick up truck or sometimes some little sporty car which a loud engine who does somethings stupid/cuts me off. Thank god *I* know how to drive to avoid these accidents.
The reason more men are interested in cars than women is simple socialization, not some inherent superior ability to drive or understand mechanics. And despite the fact that men are more likely to understand cars (because they are more likely to be pushed towards it from a young age), women are still far less likely to get in serious accidents. I notice any time a man gets into a stupid accident the comment is, "What an idiot, that guy can't drive!" But when women get into stupid accidents the comment is, "What an idiot, women can't drive!"
This is ridiculous, and infuriating. In Britain, as in America, the insurance premiums are much lower for women than men - if you have a boy aged 20 insured on a car and add a girl aged 18, with some companies the premiums come DOWN because the boy will be driving less than previously!
Oh and in Britain, it's pretty much impossible to buy an automatic car. We all drive 'sticks', just fine.
Oh and in Britain, it's pretty much impossible to buy an automatic car. We all drive 'sticks', just fine.
That is, the Brits do. Us poor continental Europeans who accidentally rent said 'sticks' tend to have some problems with this fact, given the different configuration of cars due to driving on the left. (I don't think my dad is ever going to volunteer to help move my things again...)
But yeah, I'm surprised at the various comments here! Manual is the rule in Germany as well.
One day when I have my the time and space for I will have a wonderful, well trained Shiloh Shepherd. And he will ride shotgun in the car with me. I dare anyone to say I am bad driver merely because my doggie rides with me.
Going off your point, a car is how dogs get to the vet. So, by saying that men don't take dogs in cars, then they don't take dogs to the vet, meaning that men are bad and neglectful dog owners, and women are good to their dogs because they let their dogs in the car. So, by a syllogistic argument, the author dissed himself and men. Hope he feels proud!
OP -- Please stop driving aggressively! Whether you are male or female it is a dangerous and generally bad way to drive.
I judge driving as passenger and pedestrian, mostly, but I can say this: I watch drivers disobey simple traffic laws every single day, I have cars nearly plow into me at brightly lit crosswalks every other day, and these are almost invariably male drivers (in expensive vehicles, ensuring that they cost more to replace than I might). In fact, the only time I can recall, in the past year, where it was relatively serious risk and a female driver, it was one of my students and she was drunk and trying to get my attention. Drunk isn't an excuse, but it is extenuating circumstances and still the event was a rarity. I'm pretty sure the hundred plus guys I come across yearly, who can't stop at a red light (or stop sign, or for an ambulance) aren't all inebriated, they just can't (or shouldn't be allowed to) drive.
Ha! I'm only just turning nineteen this week and I drive myself and my boyfriend almost everywhere--my boyfriend is five years older than me but I still get nervous when he drives because a.) he almost never drives since he practically lives on campus, and b.) he has really terrible vision! After taking karate I can pretty much just fix my eyes in one spot and see everything around that spot pretty well, and can focus on it if I see something amiss; I have excellent peripheral vision and spatial abilities. Also, I never panic. I spun out for the first time this winter and just calmly got myself pulled over to the shoulder even as I was watching an oncoming car heading straight for my door.
i just browsed for www.lemonde.fr to check on some news, and was so disgusted with the abundance of adds from a car rental company:
http://www.sixt.fr/
if you check both, they are all "women drive better than men" on their site, however the low aspect of their campaign is disgusting.
"continental Europeans who accidentally rent said 'sticks' tend to have some problems with this fact, given the different configuration of cars due to driving on the left."
As a Brit, I've hired automatics in the US, and sticks in Europe. I never had a problem which side the gear lever was - it just maps from one side to the other.
This is typical BS and, frankly, I've been shocked at times to find that some more enlightened men buy into this stereotype (even ones who are horrible drivers themselves). The other typical stereotype is that women spend more money or have more credit card debt, which is absolutely false, and that is not just my opinion. There are statistics and was even a recent article refuting that one.
I think a lot of this IS socialization and depends on where you grew up. I'm from a place where girls are expected to drive and know how to maintain their automobiles. My first boyfriend didn't even know how to open the hood of his car and ruined his vehicle after letting it run completely out of oil. I've only had one boyfriend who knew a lot about cars and he was a horrible driver. He would turn to look at something and turn the steering wheel in the direction he was looking. I've never seen anyone weave out of his lane so much. It was SCARY. Yet, because he knew a lot about the mechanics of automobiles, that was supposed to somehow translate into him being a good driver. Sorry, but that logic is faulty. Somehow people don't make the same logical leaps when it comes to aviation or operating heavy machinery. I wonder why?
I got my license at 14 and thereafter became the family driver because my dad liked being able to sit back with the dog on his lap. I drove every kind of car and truck. I love it when a group of men are watching me parallel park because I can parallel park like a champ. On the other hand, it sucks that they all turn and watch, waiting for me to fail. I get really irritated by the double standard. Several of my male friends cannot parallel park AT ALL and they don't get judged the same way. Also, I constantly see men running into the concrete parking stops with their front tires. Is that supposed to indicate their excellent spatial ability? Seriously, I started noticing this years ago and always point it out to my passengers when out and about, just to throw a wrench into this whole notion that men are somehow biologically superior when it comes to spacial ability.
I personally think it is more difficult to prepare a gourmet meal or try to knit/sew something than to work on a car. In all cases, success is a matter of being familiar with the terminology and parts and having someone take the time to show you how to do something. All of this has little to do with being male or female.
Funny, I told my boyfriend about this list and he asked, "Is that a joke?" Boy do I love having a boyfriend who doesn't believe the type of crap that people like the writers for askmen.com put out.
I am a damn good driver. Why? Because I was taught by two good drivers (my parents) and wasn't disadvantaged from the get-go by being told I would suck at it.