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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

The daily grind of entitled wankers

137 replies

Grace212 · 07/08/2019 18:27

A slightly unusual question for the board

I’m looking at driving again after a very long time. Today I had a refresher lesson. It was nice. But I did find myself wondering, will my world contain more or fewer entitled wankers if I’m driving again? As opposed to frequent public transport and a cab about once a week?

This may be the maddest question on the board but ...life is so full of arses.

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 08/08/2019 17:49

I now feel like a giant with clown feet on this thread, rofl Blush

I have size 7 or 8 feet depending on style.

More I was wondering whether they actually sit differently, because I’ve got in cars driven by men shorter than me and still had to pull the seat forward to reach the pedals properly.

I don’t sit particularly far forward, there’s plenty of room between me and steering wheels, but I can’t drive as far back as men put it.

I’m kind of wondering if it’s pelvis shape? Or something obscure like that that means even if car designers adjust for height...it’s still not right for women.

LifeIsGoodish · 08/08/2019 19:52

I'm tall, but dh is 7" taller. Yet when we are sitting down he is only about 4" taller than me. His legs are definitely longer in proportion to his body. I can get away with not adjusting the height of the driver's seat when we share a car, but I certainly have to bring it forward a long way!

Original poster
Grace212 · 08/08/2019 20:37

So how are the footwells designed in a 4x4? I’d love but I can’t get one because mum wouldn’t be able to climb in, so just asking out of curiosity.

The car thing should be so much fun, realising I’ve got to research anything bigger than a Micra for all this is annoying!

OP posts:
AnotherAdultHumanFemale · 08/08/2019 20:52

This thread has really opened my mind about how things are built for men and how women are just expected to adapt and laughed at if they are unable to do so.

I'm average height and have an average shoe size and I had a look today at my feet in the car (whilst parked!) to see if I was able to place them on the floor as well as the pedal at the same time. I noticed I my foot hovers above the clutch pedal because the angle is more severe making it painful for my foot to be on both the pedal and the floor at the same time. Of course a big bloke with massive feet would have no such problem. I've also ALWAYS found seatbelts uncomfortable and could not figure out why. Whatever way I wear them they seem to dig in.

I really want to read Caroline's book now about all of these statistics. It's fascinating and terrifying to see misogyny and patriarchy so clear with so much data and evidence.

Surely there is a gap in the market for cars which are made to women's proportions?

AnotherAdultHumanFemale · 08/08/2019 20:54

Also slightly off topic but I had to leave my last gym because all of the machinery was designed for what seemed like giant 6'5 men. It was uncomfortable to use, my feet sometimes didn't reach the floor or pedals and the parts were often too heavy to change the settings on them. I asked one of the instructors and they pretty much acknowledged it. The gym then scrapped the yoga studio and made an even bigger space for all of the blokes to grunt loudly and drop their weights on the floor whilst wearing those ridiculous vests.

Original poster
Grace212 · 08/08/2019 21:52

I’ve had that with one gym, years ago, but I guess it still happens. Fortunately that one was the exception for me.

The Caroline book info is shocking. I mostly heard about the body armour issues when the book came out and I was just stunned that anyone could consider that okay.

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 08/08/2019 21:58

“Of course a big bloke with massive feet would have no such problem.”

Sad my feet fit on both...

Rofl

Seatbelts though, i worked out while still learning to drive that they’re not designed for women... I asked my instructor what was wrong with my seatbelt and he looked confused and I realised it wasn’t designed to sit properly with breasts...

AnotherAdultHumanFemale · 08/08/2019 22:04

Haha sorry tabulahrasa, nothing wrong with being a tall woman! My point was that cars are designed for the averagely heighted (or even tall?) man. I'd never even considered it before because it seems to insane to me that vehicles that can and do regularly cause death and are not even designed for 51% of the population. I can't imagine being 5 foot and having to drive with all this in mind. They really need to make cars safe and comfortable for everyone, including seatbelts that acknowledge that women have boobs.

There's definitely a gap in the market for boob comfortable seat belts.

CharlieParley · 08/08/2019 22:31

My own car has an sliding seatbelt anchor at the side, so it's only the boob thing bothering me. But when I sit in the back of almost every other car, the damn things cut across my neck, too. I spend the entire drive pulling the seatbelt away, acutely aware that whether I do that or not, in an accident I'm screwed either way.

ButterflyBitch · 08/08/2019 22:53

My husband refused to believe that I
Couldn’t find a comfortable driving position in his Ford Focus. I wouldn’t drive it as never felt safe.
I have a fiesta which is fine but I have to have the seat right forward to reach the pedals.
I also drive my husbands Audi occasionally but the seatbelt always digs in to my neck. I might point him in the direction of this thread but he probably wouldn’t bother to read it.

tabulahrasa · 08/08/2019 23:11

“My point was that cars are designed for the averagely heighted (or even tall?) man.”

I know, I just thought it was funny Grin

But I was adding that even if you’re tall for a woman, things still aren’t in the right place.

ErrolTheDragon · 08/08/2019 23:22

My own car has an sliding seatbelt anchor at the side

So does mine, and DHs, but they don't go low enough.

Original poster
Grace212 · 08/08/2019 23:43

Butterfly, instructor car was a Focus.

Not heard of these fancy seat belt things either. It’s going to be a learning exercise going to see cars!

OP posts:
Original poster
Grace212 · 09/08/2019 11:36

Woke up this morning and realised how much enthusiasm this wanker had taken out of me.

Have booked a lesson with another place for next week. Fingers crossed.

OP posts:
Fraggling · 09/08/2019 11:42

Yy I've never driven a car where the seatbelt didn't cut into my neck.

I adjyst the side thing and also prefer an upright seat position so am as 'tall' as can be, still the whole neck cut thing.

Shit design isn't it let's be honest here.

Fraggling · 09/08/2019 11:45

Grace do try lots of cars is amazing the difference even an extra inch of height adjust gives, also its surprising how different they are in terms of whether you can see any / some / most of bonnet for eg.

Seems big cars attract less aggression than small.

Also we've got a big and a little and they are fairly similar in terms of comfort for me, it's not necessarily the case that small car fits small person.

Look at skoda? I felt like I fitted really well in octaviA Estate someone else on thread flagged skoda octavia as well.

Good luck with your new instructor!!

ErrolTheDragon · 09/08/2019 12:23

it's not necessarily the case that small car fits small person.

Yes - I've sometimes wondered if larger cars have room to accommodate more adjustment mechanisms. Or maybe more care goes into their design?

Another thing I've remembered for short people to check if they're buying a hatchback is whether they can close it without standing on tiptoe.Grin

Fraggling · 09/08/2019 12:29

Large cars are more expensive and so they have to feel comfy/ just right / great for whoever is driving them?

Women drive range rovers a lot I always assumed for fashion/ show, I mean they cost a bomb, but maybe there's more to it, maybe they are really good for women to drive and so women with £££ and choice buy them. And I was being sexist. Gah!

Anyone on here got a range rover? The evoque is the one that women seem to like. I mean they're lovely cars. I'd have one of I could afford it and wouldn't feel a touch guilty about emissions (although we have 2 cars so I can't talk tbh at all so let's shrove that).

Op do you have oodles of dosh? Something high end and electric might fit the bill!

wacademia · 09/08/2019 13:00

My Micra K12 has tilt on the driver's cushion so I tilt the front edge down as far as it will go. It's a great feature for the short-legged and stops the seat edge from digging into the back of my knees.

The shoulder area of the seat is terrible, as is the headrest. My shoulders don't touch the seat whilst my head is pushed forwards if I wear my hair in a mid-pony or bun. Weirdly, the K11 I had before had a much more comfortable seat.

I'll try that suggestion of a board under the mat, as the pedals sit too close to my toes for my liking.

kittykarate · 09/08/2019 16:16

small car fits small person.

Agreed on this!

I've not driven a Japanese car for a while, but they used to design to a shorter average height, so I was fine driving Toyota Celica and Honda Civics. The Celica used to cripple my 6'3 husband.

Despite all my whinges about Astra's, Vauxhall Corsa seemed to have a lot of adjustment for shorties. Seat Ibiza are ok so I'm going to take punt and say the VW Audi 'cousin' models are probably fine too as they re-use a lot of design elements.

If it's only you who will be driving the car it gets a lot simpler to put in adjustments like the board under the mat etc.. add in a 6'3 husband and it's a nightmare.

Fraggling · 09/08/2019 17:01

Lol dh is tall we hit the min and max on these bloody things.

At least he can see though!

Original poster
Grace212 · 09/08/2019 23:12

Does everyone have random boards lying around? Grin

Yes, the micra was quite good so Japanese car sounds a good shout.

OP posts:
wacademia · 10/08/2019 02:38

Does everyone have random boards lying around? grin

No, but a place called B&Q has them neatly stacked up. But then you need an electric jigsaw to cut the board to shape, and the jigsaw is heavy and its grip is too big for your female hand...

Not kidding, the design of power tools, hand tools, and even musical instruments is for men not women.

JellySlice · 10/08/2019 15:38

And if you do find tools redesigned for a female hand, they are pink. Hmm

(Though OTOH pink is a brilliant colour for gardening tools. I can always find my trowel and hand fork!)

Fraggling · 10/08/2019 17:41

Pink, inferior in function, and more expensive.