The wife's driving....
Discussion
Been doing a bit of an update on my profile this week and noted that my wife has written-off 4 cars in the last 10 years. She emerged from all of them unhurt.
She wrote off a Jeep Cherokee and a Saxo within about 100 metres of the same spot. She wrote-off a Multipla going up our drive (it is a long one to be fair) and she wrote off another Multipla when a tennis ball got stuck under the brake in York.
Not to mention the damage inflicted on the poor Landy over the years. It is currently 3 shades of red, green, grey and black with all the replacement new and Ebay panels it has received.
Needless to say she is not allowed anywhere near my car. She is actually quite good at operating all the pedals and levers it's just that she doesn't see that driving should be any impediment to undertaking normal daily tasks. She once bought a book at a motorway service station to read on the journey forgetting she was the only driver. She threw away the wheel with the punctured tyre when she had a puncture. She poured oil over the engine of her first car instead of in it and was astonished when the engine eventually seized (true honest - she said she wondered why there was always a puddle under the engine afterwards. She thought she was putting too much on).
So, is she the worst driver out there?
She wrote off a Jeep Cherokee and a Saxo within about 100 metres of the same spot. She wrote-off a Multipla going up our drive (it is a long one to be fair) and she wrote off another Multipla when a tennis ball got stuck under the brake in York.
Not to mention the damage inflicted on the poor Landy over the years. It is currently 3 shades of red, green, grey and black with all the replacement new and Ebay panels it has received.
Needless to say she is not allowed anywhere near my car. She is actually quite good at operating all the pedals and levers it's just that she doesn't see that driving should be any impediment to undertaking normal daily tasks. She once bought a book at a motorway service station to read on the journey forgetting she was the only driver. She threw away the wheel with the punctured tyre when she had a puncture. She poured oil over the engine of her first car instead of in it and was astonished when the engine eventually seized (true honest - she said she wondered why there was always a puddle under the engine afterwards. She thought she was putting too much on).
So, is she the worst driver out there?
My missus is actually not a bad driver, has had three dings that I know of, only one of which was her fault.
My Grandmother, however, is utterly terrible. She has many dents on her car from HOUSES she has reversed into. In every case, she has made some excuse for why a static object, that in some cases has been in the same spot for hundreds of years, has taken her completely by surprise.
My Grandmother, however, is utterly terrible. She has many dents on her car from HOUSES she has reversed into. In every case, she has made some excuse for why a static object, that in some cases has been in the same spot for hundreds of years, has taken her completely by surprise.
Geez! I feel lucky! Mine had a couple of minor scrapes in her first few months that were her fault. She's been the victim of other peoples' incompetence a couple of times since but generally I'm confident the car will come back the same shape and colour it left in.
And she has strong views on what she wants to drive, which more or less aligns with my ideas too.
You guys have my sympathy!
And she has strong views on what she wants to drive, which more or less aligns with my ideas too.
You guys have my sympathy!
My missus is a pretty good driver really, no size or type of vehicle phases her, she has a passing interest in cars but not a massive one, I think I drive her mad rattling on about them.
She does tend to drive in the wrong gear on Dual Carriageways, i.e. one or two lower than she should be but I have learnt to just not mention it as no good ever comes of saying something, she tends also to accelerate towards hazards a bit.
She hasn't dome any significant damage to any of the cars, her record is better than mine in that respect, its more parking dings and the odd kerbed wheel, usually is annoyed if someone else clangs it and utterly unrepentant if she kerbs a wheel.
She does tend to drive in the wrong gear on Dual Carriageways, i.e. one or two lower than she should be but I have learnt to just not mention it as no good ever comes of saying something, she tends also to accelerate towards hazards a bit.
She hasn't dome any significant damage to any of the cars, her record is better than mine in that respect, its more parking dings and the odd kerbed wheel, usually is annoyed if someone else clangs it and utterly unrepentant if she kerbs a wheel.
How the hell my OH hasn't had a proper prang is beyond me, why do women (sweeping generalisation) fail to observe anything until the last moment? She once asked me what made a good driver, when I replied 'observation' she got the raging hump & thought I was having a dig.
She wonders why I rarely let her drive either of my cars yet she always drives through the pothole at the end of our road rather than around it for instance
She thinks she's a great driver, presumably because her best mate is even bloody worse than her.
She wonders why I rarely let her drive either of my cars yet she always drives through the pothole at the end of our road rather than around it for instance
She thinks she's a great driver, presumably because her best mate is even bloody worse than her.
Might be worth having a chat with her, maybe getting her involved with some maintainence etc
My wife seems quite good with vehicles - she devised a neat way to lubricate my cables on my motorcycle once, and she checks her car over on a regular basis and will ask me to book it in for services (hard of hearing)...including today, she feels as though her engine is idling rough (she can feel it's not right as opposed ot hearing anything, and I must admit it does hunt sometimes). She was quite enthusiastic to change her cabin and air filters too (and once she got into it, she used words I didnt think she'd ever learned...1 series bmw, bit of a pain to work on!). She's quite good with controlling oversteer and is generally a very, very competant and safe driver.
For every women out there that is crap with cars, I guarantee there is a man that is also crap. But if you consider yourself good, and your other half is not good, then gently educate them and get them to change their habits
My wife seems quite good with vehicles - she devised a neat way to lubricate my cables on my motorcycle once, and she checks her car over on a regular basis and will ask me to book it in for services (hard of hearing)...including today, she feels as though her engine is idling rough (she can feel it's not right as opposed ot hearing anything, and I must admit it does hunt sometimes). She was quite enthusiastic to change her cabin and air filters too (and once she got into it, she used words I didnt think she'd ever learned...1 series bmw, bit of a pain to work on!). She's quite good with controlling oversteer and is generally a very, very competant and safe driver.
For every women out there that is crap with cars, I guarantee there is a man that is also crap. But if you consider yourself good, and your other half is not good, then gently educate them and get them to change their habits
thatdude said:
Might be worth having a chat with her, maybe getting her involved with some maintainence etc
My wife seems quite good with vehicles - she devised a neat way to lubricate my cables on my motorcycle once, and she checks her car over on a regular basis and will ask me to book it in for services (hard of hearing)...including today, she feels as though her engine is idling rough (she can feel it's not right as opposed ot hearing anything, and I must admit it does hunt sometimes). She was quite enthusiastic to change her cabin and air filters too (and once she got into it, she used words I didnt think she'd ever learned...1 series bmw, bit of a pain to work on!). She's quite good with controlling oversteer and is generally a very, very competant and safe driver.
For every women out there that is crap with cars, I guarantee there is a man that is also crap. But if you consider yourself good, and your other half is not good, then gently educate them and get them to change their habits
Not been married long, have you, Mr Dude?My wife seems quite good with vehicles - she devised a neat way to lubricate my cables on my motorcycle once, and she checks her car over on a regular basis and will ask me to book it in for services (hard of hearing)...including today, she feels as though her engine is idling rough (she can feel it's not right as opposed ot hearing anything, and I must admit it does hunt sometimes). She was quite enthusiastic to change her cabin and air filters too (and once she got into it, she used words I didnt think she'd ever learned...1 series bmw, bit of a pain to work on!). She's quite good with controlling oversteer and is generally a very, very competant and safe driver.
For every women out there that is crap with cars, I guarantee there is a man that is also crap. But if you consider yourself good, and your other half is not good, then gently educate them and get them to change their habits
balls-out said:
lockhart flawse said:
She wrote-off a Multipla going up our drive (it is a long one to be fair)
My girlfriend enjoys driving, and through being stuck with me wittering on about it has taken far more of an interest in driving well.
It's just a case of not being interested meaning no observation. She can tell the difference between how she used to drive and how she has improved, and the vast majority of that is simply observation, planning ahead and assuming everyone else will do the stupidest thing imaginable at any opportunity.
Teaching her to rev match on downshifts was a proud moment
My good lady thinks that if it goes it's all good! I have educated her over 14 years about mechanical sympathy, warning signs, what noises to take notice of etc. She has still managed to murder a few.
However, I found the antidote in an immaculate, low mileage, MB C240 Elegance from the 90's. She treats it better than she treats me!
Big bonus was how cheap one owner low mileage variants of these cruisers are. Not much more than Shed money.
However, I found the antidote in an immaculate, low mileage, MB C240 Elegance from the 90's. She treats it better than she treats me!
Big bonus was how cheap one owner low mileage variants of these cruisers are. Not much more than Shed money.
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