Women are worse at parking than men
Women are worse at parking than men
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Podie

Original Poster:

46,646 posts

295 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all
uh-oh...



LONDON (Reuters) - Women drivers have greater problems with parking than men, according to an analysis of accident claims by an insurance company.


The findings reported in the Times newspaper on Friday will do little to bring harmony in the perennial argument over which sex makes the best drivers.


A study of half a million claims at Admiral Insurance found that women were almost twice as likely as men to have a collision in a car park, 23 percent more likely to hit a stationary car, and 15 percent more likely to reverse into another vehicle.


But, before male drivers start congratulating themselves, the study also found that men have more serious accidents, made more costly insurance claims, and kill more pedestrians.


Men were also responsible for 98 percent of convictions for dangerous driving.


Allan Pease, the author of a book called "Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps", told the newspaper the survey backed his belief that women are not as good at judging distances.


"Spatial ability is one of the male strengths," he said.


But the Automobile Association (AA) argued that the insurance findings were, rather, a reflection that women drivers tend to make more short journeys around towns and shopping centres which involve frequent parking.


In contrast, men spend more time driving long distances on motorways, the driving organisation was quoted as saying in the newspaper.

SGirl

7,922 posts

281 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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I shan't even bother replying to this 'cos you all know what I'll think!!

Suffice it to say - written by numpties, for numpties. So there.

Podie

Original Poster:

46,646 posts

295 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all

SGirl said: I shan't even bother replying to this 'cos you all know what I'll think!!

Suffice it to say - written by numpties, for numpties. So there.


If it's any consolation I was recently involved in trials for Sat Nav systems... strangely the men always questioned the system and it's reliability ("I made the right turn, it's the poxy system that's wrong, not me") whilst the women had issues with directions ("oh, you meant the OTHER left").

Don

28,378 posts

304 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all
Actually its proven, scientific fact that men have superior spatial awareness. Its not something you can argue about - it is just true.

Doesn't make 'em better drivers, of course. But it does give 'em a natural advantage at certain tasks - shame so many don't make the most of it.

It also doesn't mean that you ladies are crap at parking..it just means if you're good at it you managed to be good at it given a small natural disadvantage at one ability that contributes to being good at parking.

errrr.

SGirl

7,922 posts

281 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all

Don said: Actually its proven, scientific fact that men have superior spatial awareness. Its not something you can argue about - it is just true.

Yes, absolutely - I agree. No problems with that. My only problem is why someone would bother to carry out this research and then angle it along the lines of "women can't park and men have lots of high-speed shunts", only to then qualify it by saying "well, maybe it's because women get to park more and men do more fast driving". I mean, what exactly is the point?! Doesn't it just give the anti-car brigade more to complain about?


It also doesn't mean that you ladies are crap at parking..it just means if you're good at it you managed to be good at it given a small natural disadvantage at one ability that contributes to being good at parking.

Er - thanks. I think.

CarZee

13,382 posts

287 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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Don - does your browser have a 'Back' button?

Marcos maniac

3,148 posts

281 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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A study of half a million claims at Admiral Insurance found that women were almost twice as likely as men to have a collision in a car park, 23 percent more likely to hit a stationary car, and 15 percent more likely to reverse into another vehicle.






They must have been following Mrs Maniac arond Tesco's car park yesterday.

how the FCUK she managed to hit a parked car as she pulled into the Parent and Child Space is beyond me. Fortunatley no damaage to the other car (apart from the the fact that its bumper is now colour coded to match the doors on mine)

Best thing is I'm supposed to be PXing it in an hour for her as she wants a bigger car.

Fatboy

8,246 posts

292 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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God no!!! If she can't park a small car for ****s sake don't get her a bigger one!!!!!!

plotloss

67,280 posts

290 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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Now whilst I realise that this incident isnt typical of women I had to share it.

I have just been downstairs for a crafty smoke. Whilst I was minding my own business a doddery old dear comes along and attempts to park in the space opposite my office.

In this 7 minute manouvre she managed to:

Hit the car in front of the space
Hit the car behind the space
Hit the parking sign next to the space

She then proceeded to initally park with one wheel on the kerb, this wasnt acceptable so she then managed to get the front nearside on as well.

She then got out of the car to check where she was, only to find both wheels now on the kerb. Back in the car, shunting backwards and forwards until the tyres reluctantly slide off the kerb, out of the car again, she obviously feels that she is too close to the car in front so back we go, back wheel on the kerb again.

At this point she gives up and dodders off with her rain scarf and carpet bag.

Everyone over the age of 60 should be tested every year. What chance does she have on a motorway if she cant even park the bloody thing.

I despair.

Matt.

Don

28,378 posts

304 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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plotloss said:

Hit the car in front of the space
Hit the car behind the space
Hit the parking sign next to the space



I hope she left a note for the poor owners so they could claim on her insurance.

Don

28,378 posts

304 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all
Interesting thing about spatial awareness.

My Mrs hates putting the car in the garage. Why? Because she has trouble accurately guageing the distance of the wing mirrors/front wings of the car from the edge of the garage.

She has never damaged her car by this..why?..because she compensates for her difficulty by inching the car slowly and carefully into the garage.

Takes her a bit longer than it does me but it gets the job done.

My point is...if she was crap at it she'd have damaged the car...she just needs a different technique.

And...errrm..actually I'm not going to point the finger as my parking wasn't all it could be prior to joining the IAM and needing to be able to demonstrate it on demand to a reasonably high standard.

BTW...has anyone noticed...no bugger ever expects you reverse park in a car park..and consequently they drive far too close behind you to allow you to do so....

I have developed a technique with lots of signalling, and pointing that seems to work..but God what an effort.

roop

6,018 posts

304 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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I remember reading a summary of a report on birds vs blokes as pilots and it suggested that females made much better pilots in one sense as they followed the rules more closely and took less risks. The blokes were better in a different sense as if anything outside normal parameters happened (emergency or whatever) they have a far greater chance of getting the thing on the ground safely.

So, if you've got a Boeing, better get a male pilot, if you have an Airbus, you're better of with a female.

If it's a Boeing, I ain't going...

Don

28,378 posts

304 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all

roop said: So, if you've got a Boeing, better get a male pilot, if you have an Airbus, you're better of with a female.

If it's a Boeing, I ain't going...




Hah. Airbus uses our software.

M@H

11,298 posts

292 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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My wife is much better at parking than me... ! however the corners of her car are easier to find than on the Tiv

Big_M

5,602 posts

283 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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Everyone knows why women are crap at parking.

It's because men have convinced them that 6 inches is really 8 inches

SGirl

7,922 posts

281 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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Go Big M!!

Podie

Original Poster:

46,646 posts

295 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all

Big_M said: Everyone knows why women are crap at parking.

It's because men have convinced them that 6 inches is really 8 inches


madcop

6,649 posts

283 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all

Big_M said: Everyone knows why women are crap at parking.

It's because men have convinced them that 6 inches is really 8 inches


In that case why do they still hit things. they should stop with 2 inches! and be grateful

nonegreen

7,803 posts

290 months

Friday 8th November 2002
quotequote all
Are you seriously suggesting that women are allowed to drive? Good grief they will getting the vote next. What is the world coming to....?

Adam says to god, "I'm bloody bored I want someone to play with" God thinks for while and says "mmmmmm.. OK but its gonna cost ya" "How much" says Adam. God says, "an arm and a leg". "Boody hell" says Adam, "thats a bit steep, what can I get for a rib?" Moments later there is a flash and Eve is standing there. "Well whadya think says God?" "MMMMMM" says Adam " Not bad, but just think what I could have got for and arm and a leg"

Terminator

2,421 posts

304 months

Friday 8th November 2002
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roop said:
So, if you've got a Boeing, better get a male pilot, if you have an Airbus, you're better of with a female

So, if the Airbus has a female pilot, it no longer has a cockpit?