Evening star., 1931-12-27
Milady's Motoring
BY FREDERICK c. RUSSELL

Maybe these feminine derbies are
merely milady's way of getting even
with the boy friends who 60 motoring
topped with a girlish tam
Whenever a woman declares she
WouIdns care to learn to drive a car
suspect some man has diSillusioned her
regarding the job AS ruler of the king
dom of motors Emperor Man hasn't
always given good account of him
self
One woman talked with based her
rear on the possibility of having the
car coast backward downhill. Her hus-
oand Is one of those people who never
use the emergency brake and who
boast of the fact. Recently his engine
stalled on an upgrade and by the time
ne remembered about the hand brake
the car had bumped into the machine
behind. No driving for that woman!
Another woman tells me that in the
tlrst 1000 miles of running the 1881
family car has had three blovouts. A
left front tire blew while the car idled
through the city and forced il TO
SWerve into the curb for the collapse
OF the right front tire. Later a rear
shoe blew out on a trip. Investigation
revealed all four shoes as having old
io'Veu HlleI CuDeS. some mans decep-
tion or carelessness again trying to
shatter woman's belief in the possibil-
lty OF her being able to drive her own
car in peace and comfort.
Add to your 1882 resolutions the fol-
lowing:
I will consider service, not as q
necessary evil, but as the basis Of real
security from safe equipment
Will use my car more and make it
pay its way
l will drive in such a way that no
man can say, There's a woman driver
for YOU
I will be especially considerate of
those newcomers, both men and wom-
en-. who need my cooperation on the
road
l will not stop making resolutions
just because New Year day has passed
Here are three questions asked by
woman who is trying to make some
thing Of her motoring See If you can
answer them before glancing at the
replies below.
1. Why does steam come from
frozen radiator when the owner tries
to run the car?
2. What is the most common cause
OF stalling with modern motors?
3. What do they mean by compress
sion ratio?
Mark this down as the safety sug-
gestion Of the week: Make trial tests
of the brakes whenever taking the car
out at this season of the year, owing to
the great variations in traction. Some
kinds OF snow are more slippery than
others. A trial Of traction may pre-
vent an accident.
She has been motoring for years, but
now plans for the first time to take
the wheel. I have been surprised at the
number of things which she must un-
learn because of the changes that have
taken place during the years she has
been an interested observer from the
back seat.
There is. for example, her query as
to why the driver must pump some
thing" on the dash. She Is thinking
of the days when some of the best cars
carried pressure fuel systems necessitat-
ing pumping up pressure by hand before
cranking the motor She also religiously
asks her instructor about retarding the
spark-another act that is part Of the
ritual of the past in driving.
Before she gets down to the business
Of learning what the new cars require
she will need to forget many things
she has seen the men folk do, in
Guiding juggling the spark control up
and down. reaching for the hand brake
every time quick stop is needed and
hesitating in neutral when shifting