What if it was men who were actually more sensible and practical in this case? What if they had discovered something that gave them personal freedom and were prepared to work and try to earn enough to finance that freedom? Freedom to be mobile, to go where they pleased when they pleased, to do things on their own time (as my mum discovered when she first went out shopping in her little car), to accept a job that would take a train and a bus to get to if they were to rely on public transport?
It seems to be the complete opposite of sense and practicality when the result of your decision to leave the road to men and their phallic symbols is time of yours spent waiting for public transport, limitation of where you can live or where you can work, even limitation of what activities your DCs might engage in.
Why are women more likely than men to become martyrs when a family can afford one car? Doesn't that only reinforce a stereotype of male breadwinner and female sahm? I have no axe to grind against sahms as I am one myself, but I remember so many neighbours putting L plates in the family car and driving around the block, chainsmoking and holding the steering wheels for grim death as they practiced back in the Dublin suburbs in the 70s, and lo and behold, when they really wanted cars for themselves, money was scraped together somehow and little bangers were bought. Next came part time jobs... If some sort of symbolism is to be attached to cars, then there's also a lot of symbolism to families where 'the car' belongs to Himself and the missus has to be driven around.
Nesta -- Why do you think a woman who drives is 'proving' something? What is there to prove when it comes to women and driving?