MY CUPPA TEA
With Women’s Month drawing to a close (and may I note at one heck of a speed!), I thought I’d touch a nerve by opening up the age-old debate about whether women are better drivers than men.
Without blatantly stating the obvious (yes, we are), let me kick off by saying we all did the same test to get legally on the road, so why would men be better drivers?
Personally, I have never met a man who asks for directions and I have never driven further than the petrol station when my fuel light has come on. “E” does not stand for “enough”, it stands for “empty”.
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But according to my husband, you can still drive halfway to Durban after the light has come on – but he has also proven this to be very untrue by having stood without petrol far, far too often. My eyes cannot roll far enough back in my head everytime this happens to him.
While, I believe, women generally have cleaner cars and check their oil and water more regularly than men do, of course we have our little faults (tiny ones) as responsible drivers.
I’ve taken out a pavement or two in my life, once hurtling straight over the “rockery” at a shopping centre in Farrarmere. The car guard’s eyes nearly fell out of his head. Needless to say, I did not check the undercarriage of my car afterwards or mention the incident to anyone.
My car kept driving and didn’t make any funny noises and that was good enough for me.
We can all be better drivers, I suppose. So, here are some handy hints from the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA):
• Basically, if your car runs out of oil, the engine will have no lubrication, seize up and die, leaving you with a car that doesn’t work and a hefty mechanic’s bill. Checking your oil once a month can prevent this. Make sure your car has been stopped for five minutes or so (the engine turned off!), open the bonnet, pull out the dipstick from the engine then wipe and replace it, before pulling it out again – the oil level should be between the minimum and maximum marks. If it’s not, then it’s time to top up.
• Ever heard the common myth that having your air-con turned on uses more fuel than opening the window? At most speeds, if the car window is open, the coefficient drag is enough to make your car work harder, thus using more fuel. In fact, it uses about the same amount of fuel as having your air-con turned on.
• Putting the gear lever into “park” won’t stop the vehicle from moving and falling off the jack, once lifted. If you have passengers onboard, have them get out, and apply the handbrake as tight as it will go. Switch the engine off. Open the boot and ensure that the spare wheel is at hand before undoing the wheel. The biscuit tyre is an emergency tyre and cannot be used indefinitely. Have the flat repaired immediately.
• If you’re running on reserve, find the nearest petrol station and top up. Not only is it dangerous if you get caught out without fuel, it’s not good for your engine either.
• Unless you’re driving a 1969 Ford Escort, stockings do not make a good replacement for a fan belt. Modern motor vehicles have a serpentine belt which drives all the moving components attached to the engine, and pantyhose stockings will not be able to drive these components. Make time to understand how the serpentine belt works.
• Keeping your foot on the clutch while driving will not help you change gears more smoothly. Rather, the thrust bearing is being overworked by constant pressure from the fingers of the pressure plate which will ruin the thrust bearing and cause premature clutch failure.
• High heels elevate your foot and distort the ability to measure how much pressure needs to be applied to the clutch and brake pedals. Heels also have a good chance of getting caught in the floor mat. If your heel is wedged under the pedals or stuck on the carpet/floor mat, you might not be able to react swiftly. Consider keeping a comfortable pair of driving shoes in your car and do a quick shoe change before driving.
I don’t wear heels, so no problem there, and who knows what tomorrow brings after I get into my car, but the one thing I do know is that I will have my boots on!
Yes, the world is starting to come out of hibernation, albeit a little hesitantly – like the rest of us spring doesn’t want to fully commit to the change of season yet.
Blossoms there may be, but it is far from sandal weather.
As I’m writing this, I’m wishing I had dressed warmer today. My feet are freezing, my light cardigan serving absolutely no purpose.
Tomorrow I’m back to boots and three layers, I don’t care what the weatherman says.
At least if for some strange, bewildering, bizarre reason I run out of petrol, I will be nice and comfy on my walk to the petrol station.
