“Oh, it must be a woman driver.” Nothing annoys me more than these words. Being a woman who drives a car differently than a man might doesn’t make me less qualified behind the wheel, nor should I automatically become the victim of every driving joke. The struggles I face as a female driver may seem insignificant compared to more serious forms of “harassment,” but it is still a form of sexism.
It isn’t fair that women get branded as being a “bad driver” because they might not be able to parallel park or overtake a bus on a tiny road, or whose engine might suddenly go off at a stop sign when the green light comes on. In reality, this happens to everyone. Both men and women. So why is our gender attached to this negative connotation?
I don’t take my car out much—And it’s not because of traffic. It’s actually the men who casually line up as spectators while I park that make me less confident or excited to sit behind the wheel. Every morning at around 7:00 AM I get back from my workout class, only to have the taxi drivers and watchmen outside my gate grin and watch while sipping their morning tea as I attempt to park my car into a small space. It’s as if they all wait with glee to watch me struggle.
I may not be the best at parking nor do I need to be, but the fact that my watchmen, the people who are supposed to protect me and the other members in my building, are the ones who have the power to make me feel so insignificant. Also, no one needs to take that sh*t first thing in the morning.
With a heavy and disappointed heart, I hope we can change this ridiculous mindset. We’re all humans, all creations from the same creator. So, why is it necessary to show who’s more superior just because you can parallel park faster?
