Pixies Place Forums - He's 'SUPPOSE' to know that stuff!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Vieth

After a read of the previous posts and a little laugh at some I have to have my say on this. Girls what I am about to say is in no way a slur at your gender, but it hints at something that one of the other's said about tyre changing. I was going to blockbuster one day and as I traveled up the road I noticed a parked car with a flat tyre. I thought nothing of it as I am sure that we have all seen flat tyre's on cars before. Anyway after I had finished at blockbuster and I was on my return home I saw the owner of the car who was wearing a red dress and heals, clearly going out somewhere notice that she had a flat tyre. During this observation of mine, I saw an RACV service van parked nearby and the guy going through the job of changing over the tyre.

Now it annoys me when people do this. Changing a tyre doesn't require strength. It comes down to correct leverage to undo the lug nuts that are on the tyre. Once they give the rest is easy. I think most males can change a tyre and there a quite a few women who can as well. What makes me laugh are the ditzy ones who just have no idea why their tyre is flat and expect it to change over on its own.

Another thing is fluid levels. Now we all know that their are important fluid levels that we are suppose to check in a car. They vary depending on the type of transmission and if the car has power steering or not. Just a quick run down:

Oil, water for the wipers, radiator fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, if it has an automatic transmission then their is the transmission fluid to check as well. Some manuals or stick shifts to those americans here also require transmission fluid as well.

The average person can read and in the owner's manual it shows you where these points are and what to use. It even shows you how to change a tyre and where to find the necessary components for this, i.e. jack and spare.

But alas people don't read and wonder why they have problems with the car. I have seen girl P plate drivers here, with a flat tyre on the phone ringing their boyfriend or dad to "come fix it".

These are just observations that I have seen nothing more, so make of it what you will.

I got something other than a laugh at this post Mark...because I think your disclaimer that this wasn't gender biased was proven false throughout. Despite what I think of the disclaimer...here's what I think of the statements above.

Changing a tire in which the lugs have been tightened by hand (the hand of either male or female) is so much easier than one where the lugs were tightened by a power tool (impact gun). It's especially more difficult if the tire has been on the wheel for any length of time.

And, to one-up that statement...a man has more upper body strength than a woman and it takes upper body strength to loosen the lugs. I know this from experience and also because my hubby used to be a diesal mechanic and has hand tightened my lugs and/or used his air powered impact gun. In both cases I had difficulty loosening the lugs, but a much easier time in the hand tightened case. I actually put a lug wrench on an air tightened lug nut once and had to literally stand/jump on it to get it to "give".

Regardless of that...I must come to the defense of the girl in the scenario you gave us. You stated she was dressed in a red dress and heels, "clearly going out somewhere". Now this is just my thought if I had been in her situation. Here I am on a traveled road, alone, cars passing me by, dressed to the nines and trying to get to my destination. I get a flat, pull to the side and try to loosen a lug nut with a dirty lug wrench. My lovely dress is being blown up over my head as the wind from the cars that are passing me by stir up fine dust that makes me look grey haired. I feel foolish because of my ego in the knowing that I can change a damn tire...I am not a "frail" woman! All the while I am thinking of that unused subscription to the road service club which I purchased years ago. Oh hell...I'm ringing those bastards up!

Hey...I had to be the devil's advocate!

And BTW...you assume the "girl P plate driver" is on the phone calling her dad or boyfriend to "come fix it". I highly doubt you can hear the conversation. If you can hear their conversations...have you ever eavesdropped on a man on the side of the road on a cell?

And another thing...why wouldn't you stop to help someone (anyone...male or female) on the side of the road in distress? It's just common courtesy and human kindness to ask if someone needs assistance. With good judgement and awarness of my surroundings...I'd stop and crack a window to at least make sure they were ok or if I could call someone to help them. But hey...that's just me!

It seems to me that you see more of what YOU want to see in your observations. It sounds more like assumptions to me! You assume a woman is pulled to the side of the road with a flat and possibly on a cell crying to a man and so she's dumb and weak and a cry baby...and yet, you don't really know the circumstance. Do you?

P.S. Us Americans know what a manual transmission is...tyvm!

*looks down at that fuckin soapbox*

OK...who shoved that under my feet again?