Ok ladies this is one for us...I ran across this article in our local newspaper, and thought it was so enjoyable, to see "another guy thing." What is wrong with you guys? Why can't you ask for directions or fill up when your low on gas? What do you think ladies, is your hubby doing the same as in this article?
July 09, 2008 Mary K. NolanThe Hamilton Spectator(Jul 9, 2008)
You know those people who don't ask for directions?
Seems they don't fill their gas tanks, either.
Yes, gentlemen, we mean you.
Police and tow-truck operators are reporting increasing numbers of calls from motorists who've run out of gas.
Drivers are trying to beat high gas prices by squeezing the last drop out of their tanks in hopes that the price will go down before they run out. Some buy $10 at a time, which evaporates quickly when they get caught unexpectedly in traffic for an hour with the A/C running.
Or they run on empty as they drive around looking for gas that's a fraction of a cent cheaper. In an effort to save a couple of bucks on gas, they burn out their fuel pump and have to spend $800 on a new one.
And most of them are men.
"It's an increasing problem," says OPP Sergeant Cam Woolley.
"Men tend to be more risk- takers. They think they know their car," he says, pointing out that 84 per cent of drivers clocked at 50 kilometres or more over the speed limit are men. "Women are more conscientious."
Woolley notes that it's not just an inconvenience to run out of gas. On certain roadways, it can be life-threatening to the driver, police and emergency roadside service crews.
"I'm sure there are adventurous women," says Dundas mechanic Bruce Eccles, "but it's mostly men who would do that kind of foolish manoeuvre.
"Women have enough sense to know they don't want to be stranded on the side of the highway. My lady customers are far more tuned in to the importance of maintenance. They don't want to have problems with their cars."
Jody Ceasor, afternoon dispatcher with Peninsula Towing, agrees there's been an increase in callers with empty tanks, and there are more men than women on the other end of the phone.
"I think they're not filling up. They're only putting in $5 or $10 and that doesn't go very far.
"Overall, I don't think men are as conscientious as women about filling their tanks, especially women who have children in the car."
And if men are less likely to use a map or keep the tank topped up, "they're also the ones who don't know where they are when they call in," Ceasor says with a laugh.
mnolan@thespec.com
3 comments:
My hubby doesn't have a problem asking directions, but he will let that gas tank get a lot lower than I do before adding gas to it. I don't like it to get below 1/4 tank. I always figure there could be an emergency and the last thing I want to do is have to hunt down a gas station in the middle of an emergency.
Hee hee, I always knew it was true!
This is a great article. I think it has a lot of truth to it. First time reader, great blog.
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