Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-16
WOMEN AT WHEEL
CAUSES VETERAN
MOT0R|ST SEE RED

cpd rather see a drunken man
driving a car toward me than see a
woman driving it." Such was the
statement of veteran Augusta mo-
torist to a barber shop audience the
other day.
Its a fact" he continued, and
thereupon launched into monolosue
upon the vagaries of women drivers.
"I've driven few hundred thousand
miles and in that time I've come to
the conclusion that its best for me
to keep to the far side of the road
when ] see a woman driving car in
my direction. A fellow is bound to
learn a few things by experience and
that's one of the things I've tucked
under my hat. Oh, no! I'm not a
woman hater by any means. and |
voted to give the ladies the vote, but
If my vote could top some Of them
from driving cars l sure would en-
deavor to be a repeater.
How many times have you seen a
car erraticafly zig Tagging toward
you, and someone in the party re-
mark "I'll bet its a woman driving
that car" Haven't you heard it?
That expression is born of knowledge.
Some woman can drive. I'll admit it,
but it's just such exceptions that
prove the rule.
Have you ever noticed a woman
driver in a tight place? Err instance,
right at the heavy traffic corner in
our own city? Did you ever see, dur
ing particularly busy moments, how,
the traffic cops hand rises sharply to
stop a line of cars in the middle.
Suppose it's a woman driver to whom
he raises his palm. What does he
do? Well, in the first place, she's gen.
orally fiustered at being in the jamb.
nervously watches the dials, afraid
she's going to stall the car and be
embarrassed, and is tensely set for
anything to happen. 1t does happen.
The stop palm of the cop suddenly
swings into her realm Of vision, and
'whm!-her foot slams the service
brake, stopping the car in two feet,
maybe stalling the engine, while pas
sengers who might be in the car
have their necks nearly snapped off.
No, amt exaggerating. tn happen
two times out of three.
"On the road its much the same
depending on circumstances. News
paper stories of accidents and sma sh-
ups appearing in papers every day
continually suggest to the woman
driver the possibility of an accident
Women are more susceptible to such
suggestion than men, their feminine
sensibilities are more on the nervous
order, making them inclined to be
more or less panicky il something
Unexpectedly crops up, and as a re-
suit they haven't the sureness or
steadiness of male drivers. A wo-
mans imagination. too. may have
something to do with IT. She can
picture possibilities that an ordinary
man wouldn't think of. A woman
driver is always expecting the I'M
expected, and when 1t comes, the
suddenness OF the fact that her fears
are about to be realized brings a ner-
vousness that causes accidents in it.
self.
sight Of q roadside accident up
sets a woman driver more than a
man. II you've ever noticed 1t. A
chicken or bird killed by some pre-
vious motorist will always cause a
feminine heart to fiutter and her
grip on the wheel to become more
rigid. Women don't drive free and
easy like men. There's always a
suppressed tenseness about them.
as II they expected something to
happen. Such attitude doeSn't pro-
mote enjoyment in driving.
If a car passes rather close to a
woman driver she will Invariably
give the wheel a quick yank in the
opposite direction. If she gets out
to the side of the road a bit too far
the wheel is yanked back again