Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Women Drivers

Grumpy Old Lemons Like You
Rhyd6
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1262
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 10:01 pm
Has thanked: 3475 times
Been thanked: 1103 times

Women Drivers

#258053

Postby Rhyd6 » October 15th, 2019, 3:37 pm

This morning I was driving through a nearby village which has no parking facilities but plenty of cars parked on one side of a fairly narrow road. I stopped several times and nipped into gaps to let cars through and I couldn't help but notice that all male drives acknowledged this but not a single female driver. I use this route several times a week and have noticed that it is invariably women who fail to raise their hand to signal thankyou. Is this the norm in other parts of the UK or just in Wales.

R6

nb. I'm female and my father, when teaching me to drive, always impressed on me the need to say thanks for small courtesies

Arborbridge
The full Lemon
Posts: 10366
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:33 am
Has thanked: 3599 times
Been thanked: 5227 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258056

Postby Arborbridge » October 15th, 2019, 3:47 pm

Rhyd6 wrote:This morning I was driving through a nearby village which has no parking facilities but plenty of cars parked on one side of a fairly narrow road. I stopped several times and nipped into gaps to let cars through and I couldn't help but notice that all male drives acknowledged this but not a single female driver. I use this route several times a week and have noticed that it is invariably women who fail to raise their hand to signal thankyou. Is this the norm in other parts of the UK or just in Wales.

R6

nb. I'm female and my father, when teaching me to drive, always impressed on me the need to say thanks for small courtesies


I've not noticed it being the norm round here (edge of London) and most people seem fairly polite in that respect. I shall start doing a gender count from now on :lol:

sg31
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1543
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 925 times
Been thanked: 708 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258059

Postby sg31 » October 15th, 2019, 3:51 pm

Generally I don't find any difference in the attitude of male and female drivers unless it is around school run time. At that time females would happily kill you if you don't give way. There's no chance of being thanked, you are expected to be grateful you are still alive. :lol:

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8064
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2845 times
Been thanked: 3938 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258110

Postby bungeejumper » October 15th, 2019, 6:56 pm

We get a lot of that around these parts during the local school run. We're a small rural community with narrow roads, and many of the drivers have come out from the nearby town in their all-weather 4x4s, or more likely their posey two wheel drive soft-roaders.

They rarely wave to acknowledge a favour from other users, for pretty much the same reason that they don't like using reverse gear. They're terrified of the enormous chariots that they've been told to drive, and they don't dare take a hand off the wheel. :lol:

Not that I really mind, of course. It's better than the alternative.....

BJ

maximan
2 Lemon pips
Posts: 168
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:41 pm
Has thanked: 244 times
Been thanked: 52 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258113

Postby maximan » October 15th, 2019, 7:06 pm

A few years ago now when two of my grand daughters were under five I regularly took them with me when I walked their dog a beautiful black Lab.
On the route a busy road narrowed and there was a raised section. Whilst not a Zebra crossing it was used as one at your peril.
Over a two year period there were two extremes of behaviour being those that rarely stopped and those that almost always stopped.
The two categories involved were mothers with children in the car and boy racers.
Yes your ahead of me.it was the boy racers who stopped.

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8064
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2845 times
Been thanked: 3938 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258116

Postby bungeejumper » October 15th, 2019, 7:13 pm

I should have added, in fairness, that I have a fair amount of sympathy for the school runners. If you've got four kids fighting in the back seat, and one of them's just been sick on the carpet, and another one's left his bag at home, and then you've got to drive to another school in another town before your 10 am brunch appointment with the tennis coach, then it's probably getting a teensy bit fraught in the cabin. ;)

BJ

SalvorHardin
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2048
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 10:32 am
Has thanked: 5297 times
Been thanked: 2465 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258120

Postby SalvorHardin » October 15th, 2019, 7:42 pm

My years as a bloke on a motorcycle have taught me that women drivers are less dangerous to be around and they are more polite.

Except when it's school run time, when motorbikes become almost invisible to them. Though occasionally we become targets instead.

Mum plus 2.4 kids with assorted equipment and an overexcited Labrador in an estate car is something to avoid. If I ever spot one of those I automatically take evasive action.

That said nothing beats men wearing tweed hats driving Mercedes. They're in a class of their own when it comes to owning the road and ignoring everyone else.

I second all of bungeejumper's comments about city folk driving 4x4s out in the sticks. They're easy to spot as their vehicles are much cleaner than rural 4x4s (off road for them is the supermarket car park). They can be quite entertaining to watch (from a distance) when maneuvering out of a country pub car park (reverse gear is definitely optional).

Bminusrob
Lemon Slice
Posts: 386
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:45 pm
Has thanked: 77 times
Been thanked: 270 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258145

Postby Bminusrob » October 15th, 2019, 11:11 pm

I've got to agree with the comments about the school run. If you think motorbikes become invisible, you want to try going out running. Hi-viz counts for nothing. It has got the the point in my village that I am not brave enough to go out running at school run time. I value my life more than that.

servodude
Lemon Half
Posts: 8271
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 5:56 am
Has thanked: 4435 times
Been thanked: 3564 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258153

Postby servodude » October 16th, 2019, 1:31 am

A lovely lady yesterday waved and mouthed "sorry" to me while she drove across a pedestrian crossing I had started upon; rolling her eyes and shrugging in a "look at what I've done, silly me" kind of way.
I gave her a smiley thumbs up.

- sd

Arborbridge
The full Lemon
Posts: 10366
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:33 am
Has thanked: 3599 times
Been thanked: 5227 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258184

Postby Arborbridge » October 16th, 2019, 9:03 am

bungeejumper wrote:I should have added, in fairness, that I have a fair amount of sympathy for the school runners. If you've got four kids fighting in the back seat, and one of them's just been sick on the carpet, and another one's left his bag at home, and then you've got to drive to another school in another town before your 10 am brunch appointment with the tennis coach, then it's probably getting a teensy bit fraught in the cabin. ;)

BJ


You started off so well, but will spoil it with the wise-crack about tennis coaches? Your prejudice is showing and it was for no good reason.

Arb.

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8064
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2845 times
Been thanked: 3938 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258217

Postby bungeejumper » October 16th, 2019, 12:17 pm

Arborbridge wrote:You started off so well, but will spoil it with the wise-crack about tennis coaches? Your prejudice is showing and it was for no good reason.

Sigh, there's no cure for a SOH failure. :(

But, since you've raised the subject, if we'd been talking about men needing to sneak off for an illicit tryst with Tracey from accounts, you wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. Unfortunately, in this case, the prejudice that's showing is all yours. What a shame.

BJ
Last edited by bungeejumper on October 16th, 2019, 12:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

swill453
Lemon Half
Posts: 7962
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:11 pm
Has thanked: 984 times
Been thanked: 3643 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258218

Postby swill453 » October 16th, 2019, 12:21 pm

bungeejumper wrote:
Arborbridge wrote:You started off so well, but will spoil it with the wise-crack about tennis coaches? Your prejudice is showing and it was for no good reason.

Sigh, there's no cure for a SOH failure. :(

But, since you've raised the subject, if we'd been talking about men needing to sneak off for an illicit meeting with Tracey from accounts

To say nothing about Tracey the tennis coach...

Scott.

UncleIan
Lemon Slice
Posts: 954
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:35 pm
Has thanked: 616 times
Been thanked: 456 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258229

Postby UncleIan » October 16th, 2019, 1:41 pm

swill453 wrote:To say nothing about Tracey the tennis coach...


Keeps her balls in a tube.

didds
Lemon Half
Posts: 5243
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 12:04 pm
Has thanked: 3242 times
Been thanked: 1018 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258244

Postby didds » October 16th, 2019, 3:18 pm

Bminusrob wrote:If you think motorbikes become invisible, you want to try going out running. Hi-viz counts for nothing.


several studies regarding the use of hi-viz for cyclists (including stats for motorcylists too) has come to the same conclusion generally - Hi-Viz "does nothing" to improve safety ..

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/late ... nds-374898

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bris ... vis-840505

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... luorescent

other google hits are available etc.

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8064
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2845 times
Been thanked: 3938 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258282

Postby bungeejumper » October 16th, 2019, 5:33 pm

Late and rather obvious news: it's not just women who get themselves into difficulty..

This very morning, by pure coincidence, a brand new (well, 19 reg) all-electric e-golf pulled up outside our house and promptly tried to climb straight up our front lawn. Having discovered, to his annoyance, the reason why we keep a few concrete pots along the garden path (strike one :twisted: ), the driver got out and inspected his shiny but now noticeably scratched wheel, and turned his attention to Oliver and Tandy, who were clearly giving their dad a bit of a run-around this morning. It didn't look as though any of them was used to this poor sap doing the school run. What fun it was, though.

It must have taken the clueless pillock three minutes at least to get the two kids out of the car - he kept on telling them to pleeease turn off their ipads, and repeatedly calling them "daahling" in that quietly tense and despairing voice that clearly meant "you little bastards, just wait till your mother gets home" as they took it in turns to push all his trouble buttons at once . Much merriment, not least from me.

Having finally discharged his payload, Mr Millennial got back into his car, by now quite visibly angry, and reversed at full tilt down the track to the turning. (Oh yeah, furious reverse is another thing that Mr surplus-testosterone seems obliged to do from time to time. Don't ask me why.) This being an electric car, of course, it hardly made any sound at all, but it had a surprising turn of speed, which certainly surprised the school run mum who was taking the same corner in the opposite direction.

Screech, crunch, everybody turned to watch them get out and start shouting about whose fault it was. And why you shouldn't be attempting a J-turn in the first place when there are schoolkids around. And so on. Me, I just ducked back behind the curtain and let them to get on with it.

Just another everyday story of country folk. It passes the time. :D

BJ

Arborbridge
The full Lemon
Posts: 10366
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:33 am
Has thanked: 3599 times
Been thanked: 5227 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258379

Postby Arborbridge » October 17th, 2019, 7:56 am

bungeejumper wrote:
Arborbridge wrote:You started off so well, but will spoil it with the wise-crack about tennis coaches? Your prejudice is showing and it was for no good reason.

Sigh, there's no cure for a SOH failure. :(

But, since you've raised the subject, if we'd been talking about men needing to sneak off for an illicit tryst with Tracey from accounts, you wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. Unfortunately, in this case, the prejudice that's showing is all yours. What a shame.

BJ


Nice try, but you've included an unjustifiable and large IF there. You've also compounded the problem by not recognising your own quite obvious black mark. Whether you imagine some prejudice on my part, it certainly isn't all mine - as John Cleese might say "you started it!".
When one has been caught out, as you were, it's better to ackowledge and move on.

The refuge of people making prejudiced remarks down the ages has been to accuse the people who point it out of a SOH failure. It's a rickety refuge since there is nothing funny about prejudice, and only the prejudiced do not seem to realise that the way we use language is influential in proliferating such attitudes. It just doesn't cut it to say "I was joking" - that well worn excuse expired around 1980.



Arb.

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8064
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2845 times
Been thanked: 3938 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258387

Postby bungeejumper » October 17th, 2019, 8:49 am

Arb, you are one of my all-time favourite posters, but you're well wide with this one. And on the wrong board, too. This one is for grumpy old gits, but grumpy old gits who retain a sense of humour and (most importantly) self-irony. Where's yours gone this morning?
Arborbridge wrote:Nice try, but you've included an unjustifiable and large IF there. You've also compounded the problem by not recognising your own quite obvious black mark. Whether you imagine some prejudice on my part, it certainly isn't all mine - as John Cleese might say "you started it!".
When one has been caught out, as you were, it's better to ackowledge and move on.

And as most other people would say, when you're in a hole, stop digging. If you think there's blame on both sides (or, as you would call it "prejudice"), why not just accept it and (to quote your good self again) "move on"? ;)

BJ

kiloran
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 4092
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:24 am
Has thanked: 3234 times
Been thanked: 2827 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258474

Postby kiloran » October 17th, 2019, 1:32 pm

maximan wrote:A few years ago now when two of my grand daughters were under five I regularly took them with me when I walked their dog a beautiful black Lab.
On the route a busy road narrowed and there was a raised section. Whilst not a Zebra crossing it was used as one at your peril.
Over a two year period there were two extremes of behaviour being those that rarely stopped and those that almost always stopped.
The two categories involved were mothers with children in the car and boy racers.
Yes your ahead of me.it was the boy racers who stopped.

I'm currently in Coventry visiting my 95 year old mum. She's not so mobile these days, and uses one of those wheeled shopping trolley thingies to help her get about. When we are standing at the side of a road waiting to cross (not on a crossing), it's amazing how many drivers stop and wave her across. And they are nearly all boy racers! (haven't noticed any girl racers)

--kiloran

scotia
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3561
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 8:43 pm
Has thanked: 2371 times
Been thanked: 1943 times

Re: Women Drivers

#258929

Postby scotia » October 19th, 2019, 11:20 am

kiloran wrote:I'm currently in Coventry visiting my 95 year old mum. She's not so mobile these days, and uses one of those wheeled shopping trolley thingies to help her get about. When we are standing at the side of a road waiting to cross (not on a crossing), it's amazing how many drivers stop and wave her across. And they are nearly all boy racers! (haven't noticed any girl racers)
--kiloran

Interesting - I used to help with a visually disabled group (now disbanded), and one of our members commented on the use of a white cane (they are now actually tubular metal folding sticks). When wishing to cross a road, he would display the cane, and any car that had the temerity to whizz past was thrashed with the cane.


Return to “Bitter Lemons”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests