# should women be allowed to drive cars ?



## amelhope (Nov 20, 2015)

do you think women should be allowed to drive cars ?
if "yes" say why ?
if "no" say why ?


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## Schrody (Nov 20, 2015)




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## amelhope (Nov 20, 2015)

you tell me


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## Sam (Nov 20, 2015)

What? 

No, seriously, _what__? _

Oh, dear WF, you never cease to amaze and entertain.


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## amelhope (Nov 20, 2015)

i'm supposed to write an argument essay about it , so i need help


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## ppsage (Nov 20, 2015)

If they want to, I'd be willing to give it a try.


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## Deleted member 56686 (Nov 20, 2015)

Women should only be allowed to drive if they have a driver's license :lol:

Out of curiosity, is this about certain cultures?


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## amelhope (Nov 20, 2015)

no , in general 
why do women should be allowed to drive cars ?


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## LeeC (Nov 20, 2015)

Sorry, I don't see a difference that can be rationally argued  Is this a comedy sketch? When and where I was young, one only needed a driver's license if they drove within the county seat's limits.


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## Ariel (Nov 20, 2015)

What country are you from?  This is seriously backwards and sexist.


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## Stormcat (Nov 20, 2015)

[video]https://youtu.be/F8DGFh0aNKI[/video]


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## PiP (Nov 20, 2015)

I believe women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia and could be some other Muslim countries... why I don't know. So perhaps it's cultural or religious reasons.


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## Sonata (Nov 20, 2015)




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## Sonata (Nov 20, 2015)

PiP said:


> I believe women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia and could be some other Muslim countries... why I don't know. So perhaps it's cultural or religious reasons.


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## Deleted member 56686 (Nov 20, 2015)

I think this is a serious question for what it's worth, guys.

It's hard to answer that question as an American, Amelhope. We don't really think of women as second class citizens as a rule (Not suggesting that your country does either). We pretty much accept that women have a right to drive just as men do. Sometimes men will joke about women drivers, but it simply that, a joke. No one really seriously thinks a woman shouldn't be driving any more than a man shouldn't


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## J Anfinson (Nov 20, 2015)

amelhope said:


> i'm supposed to write an argument essay about it , so i need help



Just so you know, nobody here is going to write the paper for you, but we can help point you toward useful material. Try looking up equal rights.


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## Minu (Nov 20, 2015)

Some countries & religions don't allow female drivers and some deep south counties have some rather backwards bylaws about it. 

However, having just watched a 30 year old MAN at the local food store this morning  put his minivan in reverse, not turn the wheel properly and so backed straight into the SUV behind him (and the distance between his rear end and the SUV was large), drive forward, turn about in a relatively narrow space [so it wasn't as if he was drunk], park beside the SUV, check to see if the damage was bad from the driver's seat [never got out actually], and leave... by the time I got to the exit of the food store about 5 seconds after him, thinking I'd get the license plate # he had vanished into thin air. So ultimately he must have driven off like a freaking lunatic to escape being IDed obviously [and there's only two ways you can go, left or right with the side street being quite a distance away]

 In that respect, I can tell you this. If men like this, and that is actually quite tame to what I've seen driving all over, can "drive" a car then a woman shouldn't have a problem driving a car. Personally with the growing number of half-arsed drivers I see nowadays, both male & female, I'd feel more comfortable if 70% of "drivers" turned in their vehicles for bicycles before they ended up killing someone.


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## Kevin (Nov 20, 2015)

What is the argument against? You need to rebut this. 

Just offhand you could site statistics, safety and otherwise... years of history in other places... an anecdote about Danica Patrick... Emelia Erhardt (certainly flying requires a greater skill) how nice it would be if she could go and do  whatever task while he is off doing whatever, improving overall efficiency...


The cars could be bulletproofed, they lock... a female guard could ride shotgun...


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## PiP (Nov 20, 2015)

amelhope said:


> do you think women should be allowed to drive cars ?
> if "yes" say why ?
> if "no" say why ?



So to the OPs original question.

Women should be allowed to drive because we are not second class citizens. Our rights are equal to that of men'. In fact, what if we posed the question: Should men be allowed to drive? IT would be met with equal horror at the thought that women would have more rights than men. Women are as equally intelligent and in some ways are better and less aggressive drivers.


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## amelhope (Nov 20, 2015)

-_- -_-  i only asked for help , & i needed some ideas so that i can write the essay , i didn't ask anyone to write the paper for me .anyway, thanks .


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## Schrody (Nov 20, 2015)

mrmustard615 said:


> I think this is a serious question for what it's worth, guys.
> 
> It's hard to answer that question as an American, Amelhope. We don't really think of women as second class citizens as a rule (Not suggesting that your country does either). We pretty much accept that women have a right to drive just as men do. Sometimes men will joke about women drivers, but it simply that, a joke. No one really seriously thinks a woman shouldn't be driving any more than a man shouldn't



What M said.


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## escorial (Nov 20, 2015)

one day or pets will too


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## Bloggsworth (Nov 20, 2015)

Women are far less likely to be involved in accidents causing injury or death. Men are able to drive cars better then women, this mistakenly leads men to believe that they are better drivers, they are not. Car handling and driving on the public road are two entirely different things.


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## Red Sonja (Nov 20, 2015)

Females should be allowed to drive because: 

It will aid in the care of children, as then mothers can take their offspring to school, etc.
It will cause untold hardship and societal chaos to take away driving privileges from females who formerly had them.
There will never be a way in the event of a catastrophe to evacuate all those non-driving women and their offspring.

Females should not be allowed to drive because: 

They pay more attention to their appearance in the rearview mirror than what's on the road.
Females are more likely to have had sheltered, pampered, non-mechanical lives and thus less likely to operate a dangerous machine in a responsible manner than a male.
For females to drive will take them away from their all-important family responsibilities, with resultant societal hardship and chaos.

I hope this was helpful.


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## PiP (Nov 20, 2015)

amelhope said:


> -_- -_-  i only asked for help , & i needed some ideas so that i can write the essay , i didn't ask anyone to write the paper for me .anyway, thanks .



Hey, amel. I hope we can help with some ideas. So far we have it seems we have cultural issues or sexist attitude.


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## Jeko (Nov 20, 2015)

> i needed some ideas so that i can write the essay



You know, the purpose of an essay is to use primary and secondary material to come up with ideas yourself. That's why the word technically means 'an attempt'; academics used the word for their scholarly articles because essays always attempt to test or prove a case.

If all you're 'attempting' to do is put a few thousands words together based on other random people's ideas, you're missing the point of what the 'attempt' is supposed to be. This issue is also so rich in literature - from serious academics on social and biological differences between men and women to sexist jokes that never seem to be forgotten - if you applied yourself for long enough to the resources available to you you'd have more ideas than you need to write just one essay.

Don't be a passive student, asking people for ideas and rewriting them in your own words. Put together your own ideas from the inspiration sphere of everything that's around you. At least, if you're going to start a _discussion _based on a topic to give you some ideas to play with, start it with your own ideas. Give people something to respond to, and an idea that you're going to respond to them.


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## Jeko (Nov 20, 2015)

> Females should not be allowed to drive because:
> 
> 
> They pay more attention to their appearance in the rearview mirror than what's on the road.
> ...



I'm drowning in this sea of sexism.

Also, let's say I'm drowning because I got distracted while driving and drove my car into the sea. Also, my friend did the same thing in another car in another country, albeit into the same sea. Let's say I was born with male sexual organs but now identify as female. Let's say my friend was born with female sexual organs but now identifies as male.

Let's have some more modern thoughts about gender, please.


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## Phil Istine (Nov 20, 2015)

Yes - but not mine.


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## JustRob (Nov 20, 2015)

Let's try some well balanced arguments.

In a country where a man and woman often travel together, if the man does all the driving then there is more risk of him tiring and causing an accident than if the woman drives part of the time. In a country where a man usually leaves the woman at home he won't benefit from the woman driving and therefore won't see any point in it. 

In a country where men drink alcohol they need someone sober to drive them home. In a country where men never drink alcohol they don't need this.

In a country where both men and women go out to work their ability to drive is an integral part of both their lives. In a country where women are expected to stay at home the need is not so equal.

In a country where men feel that they can trust a woman as much as a man it doesn't matter whether a vehicle, maybe even a public transport vehicle, is driven by a woman. In a country where men can't even trust themselves with the sight of a woman they are unlikely to trust anyone and feel the need to drive themselves, preferably on roads where at least none of the other drivers are women. 

Men spend much of their lives finding a purpose in them. This often involves travelling a lot. Women have an inherent purpose in life and when they travel it may well be to escape from that purpose for a while. Well, for how long do you think I can stay serious on this sort of topic?

The question can only be answered within a specific cultural context. Within many cultures the question itself is meaningless.


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## Minu (Nov 20, 2015)

Red Sonja said:


> Females should be allowed to drive because:
> 
> It will aid in the care of children, as then mothers can take their offspring to school, etc. --- what a sexist mentally, if a woman doesn't have a child is she not supposed to have a car? Is the husband too lazy to drive the kids to soccer practice?
> It will cause untold hardship and societal chaos to take away driving privileges from females who formerly had them.  --- same with men and having driven all over the world I've seen plenty of men not fit to drive a pushcart.
> ...



A more accurate statement would be something along these lines

Females should drive because
- we're not in the 50s anymore where a woman's role is simply to be bare foot, chained to the stove and look after the kids. Many women are in fields making much more than men. 
- women have the right to drive as much as men. There's plenty of male drivers whom should have their licenses cut into tiny pieces
- statistically women cause less accidents, are less impaired by drugs, and are less likely to get behind the wheel drunk

Females shouldn't drive because 
- 7 out of every 10 women are taught by their fathers, which, unless they belong to a lesbian couple, would be a man. If there is no husband they are oftentimes taught by a close male relative such as an uncle, grandfather.


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## Riptide (Nov 20, 2015)

I don't drive, but let's see. How are ways you can approach this topic? Is it a synthesis, a research paper, an argument paper? You can compare two different countries, religions, even time periods. Compare driving to NASCAR and the lack of woman there, then consider accident reports, safety measures, test scores on drivers testing. DUIs maybe, reckless driving, tickets... I like data, I always use it. Bring in some polls on what Americans think, maybe if you can find something on the worldly view of the question. Of course, you need to have your own opinion on the matter and try to focus those to heighten your outlook while considering thoughts that go against your own. Going into cultural stereotypes won't help, I'm pretty sure because those are so... unclear, changeable, and debatable. They're itching to be shot at and argued, so try to avoid that.


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## Phil Istine (Nov 20, 2015)

The only reason I can think of against women driving is a specific religious one.  In some cultures, some women are expected to wear religious garments that may hinder their peripheral vision - so there could be a safety issue.  Whether or not they ought to feel obliged or compelled to wear such garments in the first place is probably encroaching into debate territory, so I won't go there.
This is the only possible reason I can think of and even that might only apply to a tiny subset of women within those cultures because the degree of covering up varies.  However, as I've never worn such a garment myself, the supposition about impaired vision may be wrong.

Footnote:  I'm glad to see that cars aren't made these days with a little mirror behind the sun visor ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ONLY


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## dale (Nov 20, 2015)

amelhope said:


> do you think women should be allowed to drive cars ?



as long as their not asian. ha ha


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## Kevin (Nov 20, 2015)

sorry amel, but the perspective here is unfamiliar with other cultural norms. Please don't take offense.


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## Minu (Nov 20, 2015)

Kevin said:


> sorry amel, but the perspective here is unfamiliar with other cultural norms. Please don't take offense.



I don't think anyone is trying to offend. It is more we're thrown for a little bit of a loop. Aside from thoroughly sexist ideas/backgrounds - typically people don't give a second thought about women drivers. 


To the OP maybe if you gave us a bit more information - a background [cultural / religious] as to why you are asking after female drivers would help. What is the intent behind the paper. I am not asking for the entirety of it nor that we write it for you... but we're missing A, B, and N about why you're asking us.


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## PhunkyMunky (Nov 20, 2015)

I say why not? My wife is an excellent driver... Although 16 years ago she pushed a park car part way into another parking space before she realized "Oh! I'm hitting this car!" and parked ALL the way over on the opposite side of the parking lot... But then in my youth I rolled my truck while drunk. Which was dumber? Probably mine. 

Women are perfectly capable of driving safely. There's no reason they shouldn't drive other than opinion or cultural stigma.


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## Ariel (Nov 20, 2015)

Cultural context would really help.  I can't believe you would be writing this paper for a "western" secular school.


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## Bishop (Nov 20, 2015)

amelhope said:


> -_- -_-  i only asked for help , & i needed some ideas so that i can write the essay , i didn't ask anyone to write the paper for me .anyway, thanks .



I think your teacher/professors want YOUR ideas, not ours. The essay's purpose is to force critical thinking. If you throw your hands up and run to the internet every time you're faced with these types of questions, you will learn nothing.

By "ideas" I assume you mean our arguments for or against. Which you will then feed into your paper as material. I'm not buying it. Gather some work ethic and courage, do your research and actually earn a grade on this paper. Cite sources, make a well-thought-out and pointed argument. Stand on your own legs and I promise it will be worth it. Not because of the grade, not because of some sense of 'pride' you'll get... but because fostering those habits now means that ten years from now, you're highly employable, excelling in the workplace, and making more money as a result of fostering good habits early on. Being a slacker breeds a slacker. 



amsawtell said:


> Cultural context would really help.  I can't believe you would be writing this paper for a "western" secular school.



I've seen such things before--they put forth a highly polarizing, one-sided argument that has long been decided and propose that because it'll be easier for the students to form an argument, when the topic is so clearly black and white. That being said, I've never seen one that targets race or sex.


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## Sam (Nov 20, 2015)

Minu said:


> A more accurate statement would be something along these lines
> 
> Females should drive because
> - we're not in the 50s anymore where a woman's role is simply to be bare foot, chained to the stove and look after the kids. Many women are in fields making much more than men.
> ...



For someone who just claimed the OP was being sexist, I think the irony is lost on you that your one and only post about why females shouldn't drive is so blatantly sexist as well.


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## Minu (Nov 20, 2015)

Sam said:


> For someone who just claimed the OP was being sexist, I think the irony is lost on you that your one and only post about why females shouldn't drive is so blatantly sexist as well.



Actually, I'm well versed in irony. After all, my response was done intentionally. It's just a little satirical poke at how sexism, seeing as how the comments were anti-female sexist, isn't nice when it is on the other shoe.


And I didn't claim the OP sexist, unless the op is *Red Sonja *and not *amelhope*.


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## Sam (Nov 20, 2015)

Minu said:


> :lol: That was intentional actually. Just a little poke at how sexism isn't nice when it is on the other shoe.



Look a little deeper. 

Words to live by.


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## Bishop (Nov 20, 2015)

This thread...


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## Minu (Nov 20, 2015)

Sam said:


> Look a little deeper.
> 
> Words to live by.


 
:lol: I agree. Now the question is, whom is misunderstanding whom.  Because all the positives of a woman driving [lack of drugs, lesser drunk driving]* isn't *taught to them by daddy. Because if they picked up those traits from daddy, whom taught them to drive, the drunk driving would be even between men and women.


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## dale (Nov 20, 2015)

Minu said:


> :lol: I agree. Now the question is, whom is misunderstanding whom.  Because all the positives of a woman driving [lack of drugs, lesser drunk driving]* isn't *taught to them by daddy. Because if they picked up those traits from daddy, whom taught them to drive, the drunk driving would be even between men and women.



where in the god damn hell do you live that you think women aren't drunks and drug addicts as much as men are?
women may be better at beating a ticket or a DWI charge if they flash their tits to the officer or something, but women
i know are no better than men at the drinking and driving thing.


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## Bishop (Nov 20, 2015)

Minu said:


> :lol: I agree. Now the question is, whom is misunderstanding whom.  Because all the positives of a woman driving [lack of drugs, lesser drunk driving]* isn't *taught to them by daddy. Because if they picked up those traits from daddy, whom taught them to drive, the drunk driving would be even between men and women.



You're also implying with all of this that women can't learn to drive independently, that they must be taught by their fathers. Also, it implies that women can't think for themselves and go beyond the teaching of their fathers. It also implies that teachers are directly 100% responsible for the failures of their students. It also assumes that women never teach men how to drive, or teach other women how to drive.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to wait in a corner with my stopwatch and time how long it takes before this thread is closed with extreme prejudice.


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## Red Sonja (Nov 20, 2015)

This is one of the funniest things I've seen today.


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## bazz cargo (Nov 20, 2015)

Yes women should drive cars, not be 'allowed' they should drive.

Why?
Mobility aids economic activity, any society that denies half of that society the chance to engage in commerce is going to suffer economically.  
Restricting any portion of society from commerce is denying freedom, or more bluntly engaging in slavery. 
Any form of repression will eventually lead to rebellion. 

There are ethical, moral and political reasons as well, but they are subjective. 

Good luck on your essay.
BC


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## dale (Nov 20, 2015)

bazz cargo said:


> Yes women should drive cars, not be 'allowed' they should drive.
> 
> Why?
> Mobility aids economic activity, any society that denies half of that society the chance to engage in commerce is going to suffer economically.
> ...



but for the sake of the argument, yu could come up with reasons why women shouldn't be allowed to drive.
so i guess i'll play devil's advocate here....

1. i'm not sure if the "sexual revolution" could have even took place without the car. it gave women an independence they really hadn't known before. i don't know how many of you all have daughters...but it's a frightening thought to think and ponder of your sweet little girl getting banged in the back seat of a car on prom night from some jerk like myself.

2. the woman can now wander freely and get suckered into adultery by men whispering all those sweet nothings in their ear cuz you ain't around. you pissed them off the night before bitching about your burger was too well done? well now she's at the damn shopping center with some blow-hard telling her she shouldn't have to put up with that.

3. women really do get emotional about things and drive bad because of it. men do it, too. but women have more of this tendency. they'll run a stop light just because their period is soaking their pad too much and the color red pisses them off.


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## Bloggsworth (Nov 20, 2015)

We would often drive 450 miles or so and only reluctantly stopped for fuel; while my late wife drove I read a book or newspaper. Both of us also did the drive solo, never finding it tiring. My wife never even had a parking tick and, always, cruised faster than me - She once said to my boss, after he had lent her his car for a week in Scotland: "It's very stable at 120...


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## Hairball (Nov 20, 2015)

Yes, women should be allowed to drive cars. Here are some reasons why:

1. Because they can hear that weird noise that signals the end of the transmission. Men play the radio too loudly to hear anything except a 747 on takeoff at 100 feet.

2. Sending a man to the grocery store with a list is inherently dangerous and simply not done.

3. Someone has to drive when a man has had a colonoscopy.

4. We are the only gender who can drive to the hospital while in labor. (I did that!!)

5. My husband drives like a bat out of hell. He needs me to drive to keep our car insurance rates down.

6. You are NOT going to find a man who is willing to go to the Vera Bradley outlet.

7. Women really do stop at guarded railroad crossings. For some reason, men think it's fun to play chicken with a freight train.

8. We have shorter legs than men, and that puts us closer to the gearshift.

9. We know how to use the cruise control if the brakes go out.

10. We can drink a cup of coffee, light a cigarette, turn on the windsheld wipers and change the radio station at the same time without causing an 11-car pileup.


I reckon there's your essay. LOL!!


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## popsprocket (Nov 20, 2015)

Of course women shouldn't be allowed to drive. If we assume that taking women off the road would mean a 50% drop in traffic can you imagine how much more room us menfolk would have to do some fully sick skidz?


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## Bishop (Nov 20, 2015)

dale said:


> but for the sake of the argument, yu could come up with reasons why women shouldn't be allowed to drive.
> so i guess i'll play devil's advocate here....
> 
> 1. i'm not sure if the "sexual revolution" could have even took place without the car. it gave women an independence they really hadn't known before. i don't know how many of you all have daughters...but it's a frightening thought to think and ponder of your sweet little girl getting banged in the back seat of a car on prom night from some jerk like myself.
> ...








Dale. That list went from bad to worse faster than a rocket car goes zero to sixty.


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## dale (Nov 20, 2015)

Bishop said:


> Dale. That list went from bad to worse faster than a rocket car goes zero to sixty.



lol. well, i couldn't think of any REAL reasons, so i figured it'd be fun to invent some.


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## PhunkyMunky (Nov 20, 2015)

Hairball that was outstanding! LMAO


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## popsprocket (Nov 20, 2015)

Hairball said:


> 1. Because they can hear that weird noise that signals the end of the transmission. Men play the radio too loudly to hear anything except a 747 on takeoff at 100 feet.



Years ago now, one ofy friends ended up with a seized engine because she thought that her mechanic was trying to rip her off by claiming that her car needed engine oil.


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## escorial (Nov 20, 2015)




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## LeeC (Nov 20, 2015)

popsprocket said:


> Years ago now, one ofy friends ended up with a seized engine because she thought that her mechanic was trying to rip her off by claiming that her car needed engine oil.


Wouldn't you agree we all have different skill sets and perceptions, regardless of gender. Occasionally, when I'm unable to, the wife does the dishes and invariably asks which buttons to push to run the dishwasher.  On the other hand, when I'm up to it and take her car a short distance, I'm annoyed when it won't work because I pushed a button too hard, and is otherwise telling me things like "No bluetooth signal to connect." What the hell is bluetooth, and what's it have to do with the car running properly 


Hey es, you're disparaging the over-the-hill gang, which I take personally


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## Kevin (Nov 20, 2015)

> the woman can now wander freely and get suckered into adultery by men whispering all those sweet nothings in their ear cuz you ain't around. you pissed them off the night before bitching about your burger was too well done? well now she's at the damn shopping center with some blow-hard telling her she shouldn't have to put up with that.-


this one'll get you killed in some parts, no answers given. Just the thought of this puts some into a rabid frenzy. They don't want that to happen so better to keep things under control; make a law.


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## Hairball (Nov 20, 2015)

popsprocket said:


> Years ago now, one ofy friends ended up with a seized engine because she thought that her mechanic was trying to rip her off by claiming that her car needed engine oil.



Mechanics do that. You have to be very forceful with them. I love it when male mechanics try to condescend to me. 

When the timing chain on my Subaru Forester broke, I had it towed in by AAA.

I told him, "The alternator's good, the starter's good, the battery's fine. It has to be the timing chain."

He looked at me and said, "Sweetie, you don't know about cars. We'll find the problem and don't worry your pretty little head about it."

Really?!!

He called me about an hour later and said, "Your timing chain broke...."

Geez! No kidding, idiot!


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## Ariel (Nov 20, 2015)

I am deeply saddened and disheartened by the responses in this thread.  Women are not inherently better or worse at operating machinery of performing other mental tasks.  There may be differences in physiology, granted, but with machinery to even those differences I hardly think this topic should be relevant much less have garnered these types of responses.

I am, at this moment, deeply ashamed to be part of this forum.


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## popsprocket (Nov 20, 2015)

LeeC said:


> Wouldn't you agree we all have different skill sets and perceptions, regardless of gender.



Sure, but I wasn't actually trying to make the opposite point. It was supposed to be a funny counterpart to the argument that women can tell what's wrong with their cars better than men because of the radio volume (I paid good money [not really, they're an odd size so I basically just had to take what I could get which ended up being cheap and a bit crap] for those speakers god damnit I'm going to turn them up [also my car is barely the right side of 40, it's noisy, the exhaust is loud, and the roof comes off which makes it real hard to hear my awesome music and share it with other drivers if I don't turn the volume up ]).

Also someone made the comment in this thread about men driving hard to look "cool" and I take offense to that. I drive hard because it's fun and not for anyone else's approval. AND I've never had a traffic accident or infringement.

I also drive hard because my car can't have more than 60 horses left in it and if you don't put your foot down and go fast then it doesn't go anywhere at all...


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## TKent (Nov 20, 2015)

You forgot . . . AND put on mascara..



Hairball said:


> 10. We can drink a cup of coffee, light a cigarette, turn on the windsheld wipers and change the radio station at the same time without causing an 11-car pileup.
> 
> 
> I reckon there's your essay. LOL!!


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## Hairball (Nov 20, 2015)

amsawtell said:


> I am deeply saddened and disheartened by the responses in this thread.  Women are not inherently better or worse at operating machinery of performing other mental tasks.  There may be differences in physiology, granted, but with machinery to even those differences I hardly think this topic should be relevant much less have garnered these types of responses.
> 
> I am, at this moment, deeply ashamed to be part of this forum.



Well, I'm a woman and deeply proud to be here. If you need to write an essay on why women are allowed to drive, this is America here. It's a thing called freedom.

You may need to join a political forum and ask your question there. This is not a political forum and we don't deal with issues like that. The only reason to be ashamed after asking a queston like that is....well, think about it. Maybe you were put in your place?

Just saying......don't go to a writer's forum with political issues. Go to a political forum. See the difference? Google political forums and pick one. I wish you all the best.


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## LeeC (Nov 20, 2015)

TKent said:


> You forgot . . . AND put on mascara..


Umm, yes TK. Many years ago commuting down to Boston, a party passed me in a swoosh and glimpsing said party doing the mascara thing in their rearview mirror scared me to the point I spilled coffee in my lap, almost having an accident myself as you might imagine ;-) 

There was also a coworker once that drove with complete disregard. Once when I said something he replied, "I've never had an accident that was my fault." ;-)


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## Deleted member 56686 (Nov 20, 2015)

I think you are all missing the point. the OP wrote this as a writing question. Maybe she should have worded it better but that was her intent.

So, I want to give you all a hand. Right now, she is probably crying that you are all making fun of her. Good job all.

Perhaps, next time you come across a writing question that seems odd to you, you can show sensitivity?


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## Hairball (Nov 20, 2015)

No. I believe that was a political question. 

Believe me, I belong to a political forum, and questions like that are asked.

That kind of question here would be like my asking, "Are you Republican or Democrat?" in here. Not only that, but I'm offended at the question. It shouldn't be a question brought up here. I'm a woman and I drive. Geez, I'm trying to hone my writing skills and the LAST thing I need is someone questioning my right to drive a car.

Sorry if she's offended but_* so am I.*_ Politics don't belong here and this was wrong.


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## Ariel (Nov 20, 2015)

Hairball said:


> Well, I'm a woman and deeply proud to be here. If you need to write an essay on why women are allowed to drive, this is America here. It's a thing called freedom.
> 
> You may need to join a political forum and ask your question there. This is not a political forum and we don't deal with issues like that. The only reason to be ashamed after asking a queston like that is....well, think about it. Maybe you were put in your place?
> 
> Just saying......don't go to a writer's forum with political issues. Go to a political forum. See the difference? Google political forums and pick one. I wish you all the best.



I am not the original poster, Hairball.


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## InstituteMan (Nov 20, 2015)

*A final warning*

What Mustard said.

Let's keep this to the topic at hand. I, for one, have never thought of how to argue _against_ allowing women to drive, and for that reason had never considered how to argue in _favor_ of allowing women to drive, but it's a topic of some relevance elsewhere in the world. It's a legitimate topic of discussion for WRITING purposes.


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## Hairball (Nov 20, 2015)

amsawtell said:


> I am not the original poster, Hairball.



I know, honey. I'm speaking my mind. None of us in a writing forum should be put on the spot like that. 

I'm a woman, and I drive. I shouldn't have to defend that.

This question belongs in a political forum. That's all I'm saying.

Now if she wants some help, I would say this:

Women drive in most countries. However, in some Middle East countries, they are not allowed to drive. This is because they aren't considered as the same status as men. In my opinion, this is wrong, but it has to do with religious and cultural beliefs. In some Middle East countries, a woman has to keep her head covered. She cannot venture outside to a grocery store without being in the company of a male relative.

In some cultures, women don't care to drive. I've been to Iraq and Saudi Arabia. If women don't want to drive, I don't blame them. Maybe they're a hell of lot smarter than we are. Good heavens, Middle East drivers are crazy! I thought for sure I was going to die in traffic.

Should women be allowed to drive?

Yes and no. In a free country, yes, if she can pass the tests and prove she's worthy of her license, yes. In some countries, no. Women driving in some cultures are not acceptable. This isn't to say women don't enjoy some freedoms; it's to say that the culture and traditions prohibit them from driving. Yet in those countries, you will see women are praised and honored by men. In some countries, women and girls are not educated very well. But no matter their education, women and girls are precious and highly praised.

Only the radical ones hurt women and children. I must make that VERY plain. So the answer to your question is... yes and no.

I hope I made this clear and I hope everyone understands this.

I'm going out on a limb here.....

Hairball


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## Phil Istine (Nov 21, 2015)

mrmustard615 said:


> I think you are all missing the point. the OP wrote this as a writing question. Maybe she should have worded it better but that was her intent.
> 
> So, I want to give you all a hand. Right now, she is probably crying that you are all making fun of her. Good job all.
> 
> Perhaps, next time you come across a writing question that seems odd to you, you can show sensitivity?




Indeed, though it would have been helpful if the original post made it clearer that the question involved a writing assignment.
I re-iterate my earlier response that the only valid reason against some women driving is the possibility that peripheral vision may be hampered by religious garments - maybe causing a safety issue.  In all other instances, I see women as being as competent as men in driving.
There is a school of thought that the average man's sense of perception regarding speed and distance is marginally more accurate than the average woman's.  I don't think it's ever been proven but the thinking behind this was that, much earlier in our evolution, men had to do the hunting - without long distance weapons.  Therefore, the ability to assess the correct timing to catch prey was needed for the survival of the species.  The logic behind it is that the slightly enhanced ability to judge speed and distance has carried over to the modern era, even though most men no longer need it.  If this is true at all, any difference would be very slight, only compares average with average and would certainly not be a justification to ban women from driving.
Furthermore, the acceptance of the above theory (not promulgated by myself - I'm just paraphrasing stuff that I read a while ago) would also depend upon an acceptance that humans did actually evolve and weren't put here the way they currently are.
That might not be regarded as acceptable essay content in some cultures where women are banned from driving - indeed, that may not be acceptable in some parts of the supposedly more tolerant Western societies.

Well, I've tried to offer something constructive to the OP.  Like some on here though, when I saw the original post as a question rather than a request for essay content, I did mistake it for misplaced humour.  Hopefully I have redeemed myself.


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## Sam (Nov 21, 2015)

For the record, nobody has the _right _to drive a car. 

Driving is a _privilege _that you earn by demonstrating the required competence in both a theoretical and practical environment. 

It is not a right. A right is something that you have regardless of gender, station, or agency.


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## Schrody (Nov 21, 2015)

Bishop said:


> This thread...



More like 





Bloggsworth said:


> We would often drive 450 miles or so and only reluctantly stopped for fuel; while my late wife drove I read a book or newspaper. Both of us also did the drive solo, never finding it tiring. My wife never even had a parking tick and, always, cruised faster than me - She once said to my boss, after he had lent her his car for a week in Scotland: "It's very stable at *120*...



Mph or kph? 

Okay, okay. Amelhope, first thing you gotta do is to ask yourself: do you think women should or shouldn't be allowed to drive? I can offer you only my take on the subject. 

- Women in the past weren't always free, they were tied to the house, children, working on land, taking care of the animals. Any thoughts of independence were suppressed from the start. 
- Society dictated the rules, and society, i.e. group of individuals, grounded guidelines for what's a normal, and what's immoral, abnormal, and what won't be tolerated. Women individuality and independence were not considered as normal.
- Revolution first showed its face when the first woman got a paying job. It was a small victory, albeit, bitter sweet as women usually worked long shifts for little money, and still had to take care of the house, children, and husband. Few decades passed, and the first woman was admitted to college. The first female doctor. Society, made of conservative males, looked at those things with hard thoughts of patriarchy - woman's place was in the kitchen. Few years passed, and the first woman driver was born. Yes, it was unusual to see a woman driving, but they finally got a piece of freedom which no one could take away - they could go wherever they wanted, independent of a man. Now we're coming to a very important part in the history of women's independence : birth control pill. For the first time, women could say enough! They could control what and when happened in their bodies, not having to give birth more than two children if they didn't feel like to. Of course, once again, it was seen as a big no-no since society believed it will lead women into promiscuity. God forgive if women wanted to be the masters of their own destinies. Last, but not least, women got a right to vote. A peak of democracy, equality, call it whatever you want. Age of patriarchy was over.

Why am I saying all this? Because it's too easy to compare female driving with their other rights. You take away a basic right, like driving, and you're not too far from taking their right to speak their minds, vote, or even decide about processes in their bodies. You're bringing them down to the level they were over the century ago: worthless, replaceable, and good only for cooking and having sex, leaving them with no integrity or humanity.


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## Kyle R (Nov 21, 2015)

Three reasons why women should *NOT *be allowed to drive:

— If a song comes on the radio that the woman likes, she'll proceed to change into a werewolf. I don't know about you, but I don't want werewolves on my roads.

— If her cellphone rings, a woman will, without fail, conduct a magical spell that opens a sinkhole in the middle of the highway, swallowing every car behind hers. Stupid magical sinkholes.

— When changing lanes, women always lob hungry velociraptors at the cars beside them. I hate that they do this. At least when men change lanes, they only lob sleeping monkeys.

There are other reasons, but these are the _most_ important ones, in my opinion. :encouragement:


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## Plasticweld (Nov 21, 2015)

I figure that if the Amish will let a woman drive a buggy all by herself that it is tough to come up with a logical or even traditional reason to prevent someone from driving.  I think at some point there would have to be a division of when a tradition which prompts being helpless "not being able to drive" verses the ability to be mobile.  The ability to come and go is related to what measure of freedom you are allowing and maybe the question should have more to do over what degree does society have control over a segment of it's population. I agree the original post should have provided more info. 


On personal note if woman can't drive who is going to get the beer on Sunday when you run out and the game is on?


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## Kevin (Nov 21, 2015)

> So, I want to give you all a hand. Right now, she is probably crying that you are all making fun of her. Good job all.


We're not making fun of her. amel, this thread is an example of our culture. It's difficult for us to imagine or understand that which we have not experienced. I hope some of these comments offer you something you may use. 

Women not being allowed to drive is a normal practice in some places; therefore the question is not an absurdity.


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## Aquilo (Nov 21, 2015)

I grew up off-roading with Land Rovers, hit a fair few tress and rolled the 110 a few times too, but I've seen more dangerous and lethal crashes on the road. Maybe the question be: should every driver be rested every five years to see if they're still capable to drive? Stupidity isn't defined with what's between your legs.


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