WHY WOMEN CAN DRIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1927, Page 10

WHY WOMEN CAN DRIVE

AN INHERITED GIFT.

Who drove Adam to apples, and man to hard, hard work? . Who drove Samson, mighty Samson to a hair-bob when the prevailing style was flowing tresses?

Who drives the butcher, the baker and the gas-wagon maker? Man? Weak, miserable man? No.

When 1 shot these questions at a bachelor friend of mine he sourly replied: “The female of the species is most deadly on the road. Women can’t drive, an automobile. She is a menace in traffic. How could she drive safely? She. hasn’t the talent for it (says an overseas writer). “Talent?” I came back, allegretto. “Listen. From the day apples first ripened down to our present age, woman has driven everything before, her so cleverly, so charmingly, that she is genius incarnate. “Women have always driven the children, a task 10.000 times more difficult than managing the skiddiesl flivver. She has driven kings off their thrones with a winsome smile, whom mighty armies could not have dislodged. She has driven lovers through lire and flood., over insurmountable barriers, that they might lie their heads off telling that she was the only woman they ever loved. In fact, woman has driven everything worth while: fashions, firesides, customs, religion, gossip, the destinies of men. But man, what has he driven? Previous to Ford’s discovery of the flivver, about the only thing man evere drove were a flock of sheep, a couple of kegs of nails, and a score or so of golf balls. To be honest, man is a novice at driving. If vast experience, marvel- 1 lous achievements, genius for directing signify talent, then a woman has it to the ninth degree.” And then I presented these facts to my friend: Woman not only has the talent to drive automobiles, but also has a consuming desire to convince men folks that she can handle a car as skilfully as they can. To attain this golden goal, woman knows that she must drive sanely and safely. She must avoid circus stunts which might cause wrecks and heap condemnation upon her head. Who ever saw a woman take her hand off the wheel with a car speeding 40 to roll a cigarette? Did you ever see a lady drive with one hand on the wheel and with the other pet her Romeo? Have you even seen milady drive with the throttle open while trying to study “calves” and “poultry” along the way? As- one sweet sister put it: “I must drive safely. So much is demanded of me. 1 dare not have the slightest accident. “Let Big Bro. upset a trolly or wreck a whole regiment, of soldiers, md everyone passes it oit lightly with ■accidental. Purely accidental.’ “But. let. me just, scratch a fender or break a spring, or bump the garage door, and the wohle. family jump me. with ‘serves you right. Had no business to take the car out. Cars were not made for girls to drive.’ “Big Bro. may open the throttle until the’ speedometer cries Ouch! and all you hear is, ‘How cute! Isn’t he a clever driver?’ “But let me drive at. 30 and 1 hear something that sounds like, ‘Hey, Sis. where is the fire?’ ‘Don’t hurry on my account.’ *Woa, Spark Plug’’ ‘Pay the insurances to mother.’ “It makes me sick the way folks treat me when I drive. 1 know Lean manage a car ■ better than they can.” Woman has not only the talent and the desire to excel a man in handling an automobile, but she has also the ability. The most bitter Mr Bowser must admit that woman sees more than a man. In the rear seat, Ma’s power of observation is uncanny. Were it not for the alert Ma continually warning day-dreaming Dad of all approaching dangers, so far as in her powers lie, the highways would be clustered with tragic wrecks. It’s, “Look out for that child.” “Pa, is the oil gauge working?” “Do you see that car coming out of the lane?” (Pa neyer saw it, but bluffs first). It’s. “Pa. did you see that sign? And you are driving at forty.” “Which sign?” he snaps back, irritated. How could he see it? He was dreaming of the bob-flush he bet his stack on the night before. “Well.” broke in my friend, unconvinced, “women may have the talent and the desire and the ability, as you contend, but. nevertheless, I prefer to carry heavy insurance and do my own driving.” And then I concluded with, “Have it your way, but when I am elected to the Legislature T shall introduce a Bill compelling every moving car to carry a lady pilot. That is how I value woman’s driving ability.”