Saturday, January 26, 2008

Biasala... Pompuan

If you have been in a car (You must have, right?) with either your Dad, brother, boyfriend, husband or your bloke friends, chances are, you must have heard them sigh and said those exact words whenever they come across women drivers... correct?

I was stuck in a traffic jam for one and a half hour on a Saturday night.

For KL lites, that must have been one of the norms in life. For us Johoreans, it is one of those once in a blue moon thing.

While my navigator was busy snoring with her seat conveniently adjusted and everything, I had to deal with motorcycles zig zagging in and out of narrow spaces, tailgating drivers and men who smiled my way in hopes of getting my attention.

There was now 2 rows of bumper to bumper lines on a single lane, and as I close in to the construction point, 3 lanes have now converted into a 7 lane turmoil.

What I notice about JB drivers is that we are selfish on the roads, even to fellow Johoreans. We are meaner to the outsiders, especially Singaporeans and we honestly, don't give a damn about it.

I have to admit, I don't like Singaporean drivers. My friend told me that Singaporeans are worst on the road, even at their own country. Of course, I don't know that for sure. I avoid driving into Singapore at all cost. I might, but I had to be really desperate I figured.

Recently, my car was banged at the side by my friend’s neighbour. My car was parked, the woman backed out and dented my car.

It got me thinking about the truth behind the whole women driver stigma. I have girlfriends who put male drivers to shame and a guy friend who sucked at driving on the road, preferring to do an ‘Oh My God You Are Killing Me here’ 70 KM/H on the highway!

So how true is this ‘women who drives are bad drivers’ stereotype?

Being the egotistical creature that God created, men will of course support the notion. Their male ego would definitely deny that they don't know how to drive. Afterall, is it not true that men are better in finding directions and not getting lost? They know their rights and their lefts and they are simply better at handling the car.

Women on the other hand, prefer to be careful. We signal when we want to change lanes and we keep on the speed limit.

Personally, I think I am not too shabby of a driver, although I suck at parking and will only be good at it when I am tipsy (It is true and I am not joking!) I like speed, and I am a sucker for fast cars. So you can say that I am one of the unconventional ones. I have 4 speeding tickets to prove that too.

So which one is better? Being skilled and fast, or being careful? So if women who are careful are considered as bad drivers, does it also mean that bad drivers are just being careful?

That’s a thought.

10 comments:

  1. hi there sarclover...

    i too have been receiv ing emails from my colleagues bout ther silly silly things that women drivers do, to a point that is nonsensical just to make fun of us...
    really insulting

    but i do agree that women drivers can really be a pain in the neck even to a women herself.

    likewise, one day i was driving (like u, i'm also a speed freak) and there's this one car on the speed lane, but not speeding. and wont even go to the other lane though i beamed her...

    well u got me cursing her there...

    but seriously... man can also do this sort of thing but maybe seldom la kot...

    u know, in my hometown penang is a lot worse. the drivers drive as though ni jln mak bapak depa tau...

    haha... sorry for the long comment

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  2. Sarcy,

    It's the same for both genders, each can be an a$$hole on the road. The men drive like there's no tomorrow & the women drive as if (as you said) the road belongs to mak bapak diorang.

    I was pissed of with this Wira driven by this middle aged guy whom I encountered 2 days in a row last Dec (thought whether I'd meet the Wira for the 3rd day but it was a holiday the next day). The b*gger was going 70-80 kmph (no doubt abiding the speed limit) on right lane of Fed Highway in the morning when people basically drive 90-120 kmph. I normally give a signal to ask people to move but this b*gger just made dunno & buat hal dia despite having a row of cars behind his. Had to overtake from the left. Yesterday pula, luckily I was alert when this Triton or some 4X4 came out from a junction within Shah Alam, promptly went & drove like 50kmph on the right most lane. Had to brake. It was a lady. Sheesh.

    Plus, I for one am all for slapping those who never used the thing called signal lights. Bila accident, these drivers act like it's our fault for not being alert.

    We shall never have an autobahn. Hmm, boleh kot if we wanna reduce the local population.

    Me also apologise for long comment.

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  3. Heya doll ;)

    I am one of those very fast but very very skilled drivers (betul, I started stealing mum's car at 15 and already knew the back alleys of downtown KL by 16!) and it KILLS me when I get drivers from the opposite spectrum/skill set anywhere near me.

    I mean, it's fine to be careful as one simply must be careful, non?

    But that does not warrant you hogging lanes or switching lanes in your own sweet time (tak indicate pulak tu) as that kind of driving most times is the CAUSE of accidents.

    Sigh. If only my car interior could talk, then you would know how many times i have cursed women drivers.

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  4. Ahhh one of my favourite subjects which is also the bane of my existence!

    Being skilled and fast, or being careful you asked?

    I absolutely hate it when upon seeing a woman made a driving boo boo and men will start to make general comments i.e eleh woman drivers..but when they see a man making the same mistake, then they'll say its road bully or incompetent driver which localised on that 1 person only!!

    Incompetent is incompetent period! No one should generalise it on the gender thingy. Both men and women can be good/bad drivers but stop blame it on the gender thingy. If gender is the basis, then women should naturally be the most careful, patience, safe and law abiding drivers!!

    There! I've said my piece!

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  5. At times, when I saw some extra-skilled guys driving extra-bikinned cars zig zagging behind, I'll make sure I'll torture them by either blocking them from mencilok or reduced speed until like 60Kmph. If they decided berlagak lebih sikit lagi, I speed lebih-lebih lagi sampai diorang tinggal sayup kat belakang. Haha... swear lah kalau sudi ... I won't be hearing it anyway.

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  6. Kawaii,

    get this... i dont beam, i rarely honk (actually, sometimes when i do, i had to actually find where is the bloody honker) but i do swear like a sailor!

    and i do it with actions la babe... i overtake and make them eat my bubbles... hehehe... Wiwa SE woooo... Kancil modified bunyi like vacuum cleaner pun kalah daa.

    Mark,

    Assholism, stupidity and idiocy are not subjective to genders... hear hear!

    Like the guy doing 60 KM/h even with me tailgating behind him.. i mean like wtf?

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  7. Danyanova,

    babe, you should sit in my car with me driving... i will make you blush with my french... HAHAHA!

    MsD,

    yelah.. betula babe... like a guy friend of mine who cursed a guy driver 'bodoh punya orang' but when it's a lady...'Bodoh punya pompuan!' like wtf?

    DNAS,

    babe, memang betul la kita bleh gang. i pun sker buat like that... hahaha.. saja je.. kadang2 like bosan la pulak on the road sorang2 dalam keta kan... :P

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  8. hah! the never ending debate. i personally feel it's individual. i consider myself a car enthusiast. I do have girlfriends who are the testimonials to how bad women drivers are. Then again, I've met equally bad men drivers too. So... it's not a debate really. It's just driving style. No gender involved. He he he...

    I personally, love speed. Skillful speed that is. He he he..

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  9. Hi sarclover. I'm new to your blog so give some chance ya. :P

    I don't think it's a gender thing, it's more of a style of driving thing. In KL the driving style is quite agressive so if you start driving slow and cautious, people will move out of the normal agressive stance and curse you for changing that.

    Drive in Penang for a day and you'll know what I mean by agressive. Then drive in Melbourne for a day and you'll be the king of the road. Everyone's so bloody polite on the road there!

    Btw, I think it's cool there are women car enthusiasts out there who know their stuff. But it'd be shore nice to know who they are cuz they are always hidden by their hellow kitty stickers and mashimaro soft toy walls.

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  10. jADE,

    Ggreat!.. so we can go car accessory shopping together, tell me how many babes actually go accessory shopping, love their car to death and call them their baby and no 1 husband? as of now, that one person will be me.. Hahaha...

    ISZO,

    welkam dude.

    i have never drove in Penang, so i dont know what it was like. but i figure if more than one person actually told me the same thing about Penangite drivers, well, you guys cant be wrong.... hahaha

    note to self, dont drive in Penang... hehehe

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