Help a woman change a tire

Zombrex

Irish Independent wrote:

Despite 92pc of them claiming they would stop to help a woman changing a wheel, only two male car drivers did so when they had the opportunity.
..
In the recent Semperit survey, 93pc of male drivers said they were able to change a wheel, compared to 59pc of females.

Saw in the Indo today a report about how 92% of Irish males claim they would stop to help a woman change a tire, but when they did tests they found that only 6 out of 800 male drivers actually did.

It also stated that 93% of males claimed they could change a tire with "only" 59% of women can actually change a tire.

Would you stop for a woman on the side of the road? Would you stop because they needed help or because they were a woman?

Personally I wouldn't stop unless they looked in real trouble (dodge area, late at night) but I would stop because they needed help, not because I assumed they needed help because they were a woman. I would stop for a fella as well if he needed it.

Changing a tire is not something that needs a great deal of strength, it is something that an average woman should be able to do no problem. My mother (small woman, in early 50s) can change a tire in under 5 minutes. It seems to me that it is more that the 40% of women havn't learned, not that they aren't capable.

Also the women out there, would you be thankful if a man stopped to help you change a tire, or would you find it insulting or embarrashing.

Gaz

How large are said womans boobies ?

Zombrex

Darth Homer wrote:

How large are said womans boobies ?

Now that is the question!

Yer one in the Indo who was doing the fake break down to see who would stop seemed nice enough, from the photo. Maybe should have put in a 4th option "I would stop to help a woman if she looked like a porn star"

Zulu

The need has only arisen once, and I helped a guy change his tyre. He stank of drink - and I regretted it afterwards. I would help someone regardless of sex.

That being said, I believe: You shouldn't be allowed on the road if you can't change a tyre. It isn't a strength thing; it's a lazy/ignorance thing. If you drive and you can't change a tyre - learn, now. It's actually despicable that 41% of women can't change a tyre, and I use "can't" loosely here, because lets be honest, it's really more like "won't".

Sleepy

Is this not something they're bringing in on the new "know your car" part of the test?

amp

Darth Homer wrote:

How large are said womans boobies ?

Hilarious but shut up.

Shabadu

Zulu wrote:

That being said, I believe: You shouldn't be allowed on the road if you can't change a tyre. It isn't a strength thing; it's a lazy/ignorance thing. If you drive and you can't change a tyre - learn, now. It's actually despicable that 41% of women can't change a tyre, and I use "can't" loosely here, because lets be honest, it's really more like "won't".

I agree that you should know how to change a tyre before being on a public road, but seriously, how can you assert that 41% of women 'won't' change a tyre rather than 'can't'?

If we're using spurious proof-free arguments like yours, that means I can assert that these women don't in fact know how to change a tyre because most women are taught to drive by their dads, and daddy didn't want princess to get her hands dirty.

What about the 7% of men? Is it despicable that they can't or won't change a tyre? What's your whitewash catch-all reason for these 7% not knowing how to do it? "Maybe they're gay."?

pickarooney

On the few occasions I've helped strangers change a tyre it was because they were physically incapable of removing the wheel-nuts. One time was a pair of old men with an ancient jalopy whose nuts were almost fused with the wheel with rust and the two others were women, one of whom had her arm in a sling (I know, that sounds like the classic set-up job, but nothing happened) and the other just seemed not to have the first notion of where to begin - it was also dark and drizzling and she had no torch. The last woman tried to pay me 20 quid for the 5 minutes work, which I naturally refused, but when I asked her if she wouldn't mind dropping me in Ranelagh, about 2km up the road in the direction her car was facing she refused, which I could kind of understand but still found really sad.

DonkeyStyle \o/

I'd probably pull up to say "need a hand mate? ... then join the AA" like they do in that add... but only if I had enough drink on me.

Zulu

Jr.Shabadu wrote:

how can you assert that 41% of women 'won't' change a tyre rather than 'can't'?

I say 'won't' rather than 'can't' because I'm crediting these people with intellegence. Changing tyres isn't a complicated process.

If we're using spurious proof-free arguments like yours, that means I can assert that these women don't in fact know how to change a tyre because most women are taught to drive by their dads, and daddy didn't want princess to get her hands dirty.

You can assert whatever you like.

What about the 7% of men? Is it despicable that they can't or won't change a tyre?

Yes, yes it is. Everyone who drives should be able to change a tyre, unless they're injured/handicapped. If you are 'able' you should be able.

What's your whitewash catch-all reason for these 7% not knowing how to do it? "Maybe they're gay."?

You seem to have taken my comment and run with it. Keep running.

BrianD3

In fairness, it is sometimes pretty difficult to loosen wheelbolts using the standard (short) wheelbrace supplied with cars. Alloy wheels seem to be worse for this than steel wheels. There is no way either of my elderly parents would be able to loosen wheel bolts on their car using the standard brace. Even if they did manage to loosen the bolts, they would have major difficulty lifting the spare out of the boot. So it's not right to say that people "won't" rather than "can't" change a wheel there would be a good proportion of elderly people and women out ther who genuinely "can't" change a wheel.

BrianD3

Zulu

BrianD3 wrote:

there would be a good proportion of elderly people and women out ther who genuinely "can't" change a wheel.
BrianD3

Fiar enough a silver top can't lift a wheel out of the boot, but I don't think this applies to all involved (48% according to stats given).

Look, according to the stats - almost every second driver "can't" change a wheel - that to me is rubbish. Certainly I accept that some people can't lift a tyre, or some people can't put their body weight on a brace in order to shift a nut, but lets be honest here - most drivers can. These people won't learn how to - or worse, know how to be can't be bothered.

BrianD3

I do agree that some people "won't" change a wheel. I might get flamed for this but I find some women don't make an effort when it comes to anything related to driving. They have no interest in driving well, looking after their car, mechanical sympathy, learning how to park properly etc. Changing wheels would come into it too. They are well capable of doing all of this, but they just can't be bothered.

Then again I bet that some of that 93% of men who claim to be able to change a wheel are in fact incapable

BrianD3

Zulu

BrianD3 wrote:

I do agree that some people "won't" change a wheel. I might get flamed for this but I find some women don't make an effort when it comes to anything related to driving. They have no interest in driving well, looking after their car, mechanical sympathy, learning how to park properly etc. Changing wheels would come into it too. They are well capable of doing all of this, but they just can't be bothered.

Then again I bet that some of that 93% of men who claim to be able to change a wheel are in fact incapable

BrianD3

Well I can agree with that!
One of the worst offenders was an ex of mine. She bought a car from her brother and had it for a good few years. She never once checked the oil. Never once changed the oil. One day when I suggested it, the look I got. Priceless. The face of a bewildered child. :rolleyes:

Ahh you gotta love it.

Tobias Greeshman

If I was out walking and I came across them in town, then yeah Id help either a man or a woman change the tyre, if I was driving then I probably wouldn't stop (though maybe for a good looking woman I might be tempted).

themole

Women are generally strong enough to open the wheel nuts, the problem i have seen is that they don't think of standing on the wheel brace, that loosens most wheel nuts.

the other common prob is lifting the wheel, most would be able to lift it but would most likely get muck on themselves, it takes more strength to lift the wheel out than it does to drag it out.

so not knowing how is inexcusable, not be able is somewhat acceptable

as far a oil goes, a friend of mine knows a girl who had two engines cease on her because she never checked the oil. once is bad enough, but twice !!!

Megatron

I've helped people change tyers, ti has been about 50 - 50 for man - woman.

and non have been "Silver tops".

One woman was all done up to the 9's asked me would i change the tyre for her as she had to get some where quick and didn't have to head home to change, now that is fair enough. But then again i've had people who i've helped and they simple got in the car and drove away , no thank you no nothing.


I treat people the way i'd like to be treated, becasue you never know when you will need someones help.

Blitzkrieger

There was a similar thread ages ago. (I hate being old) A lot of guys said they wouldn't stop because they'd be worried about how it would look, i.e. the girl might think he was a psyco. Tbh I wouldn't bother me arse unless it was a bright sunny day, I was in no hurry, actively bored and she was really good looking. How likely is that?

Wibbs

I agree with BrianD3 on his point. There are a lot of women out there who don't want to know about their cars beyond driving them. Now I can understand why changing a tyre could be hard on someone(male or female) with a smaller build. Seized wheel nuts and crap jacks, etc. Where some car makers put the spare can be bloody irritating too.

The thing is, I've experienced the women who never check the oil, water or tyre pressure on their cars. I myself know too many like this and then they wonder why they get ripped of by mechanics.

To be fair, I know a small minority of men that are the same. In fact a girlfriend of one bloke I know changed his oil for him. Fair play for her, dopey status for him. Generally though, it's more a female issue.

Has anyone had a woman ask them to fill her car up at a garage? I've had that one once or twice, as have my friends. If they're under 50 and fit, a short percussive answer on my part usually settles the matter.

To illustrate the extreme; a mate of mine works in a garage and one day a woman in her 40's comes in and says that her car has stopped. The mate goes down and finds it bone dry petrol wise. Her explanation? Her husband (and daddy before) always looked after the cars in the family, so she never learned about such things. The same thing(with different women all under 50) happened to him twice in the two years he worked there. It boggles the mind.

I'm sorry, if you can't put petrol in your car you're an idiot. Full stop. End of story.

Victor

Hmmm, I knew how to change wheels (I still don't know how they change the tyres) from about age 10 (actually doing it all myself was another matter).

Of course I never put petrol in a car until I was about 27 (I don't drive).

What is it about people that they don't:

(a) rotate their wheels (between hubs, not around the bub)
(b) de-cack the nuts every one-in-awhile.
(c) carry an old blanket / sheet of cardboard in the boot?

Personnally, I might try to help someone if they looked like they needed help. I would be unlikely to help the driver of a metallic silver car.

impr0v

i asked this question before, without a poll, in motors, after i drove past a nun seemingly in need of assistance.

thread here.

bizmark

I would only help another man