Who is at the wheel of your car or motorhome? According to an article on Bortabra.se, it is usually the man who drives the car on holiday. In 96 per cent (!) of cars, the man drives all or almost all the time. We are no exception. I (Helena) don't even have a driving licence ...
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ShareDriving and gender roles
Sometimes people are provoked by the fact that, as a woman, I don't have a driving licence and think that I am perpetuates stereotypical gender roles. It has happened more than once that women go off and almost get angry with me for not having a driving licence.
I understand their idea that you should not be dependent on a man, but I have never felt that I was because I don't have a driving licence. I live close to the metro, buses and commuter trains and can easily get where I want to go on my own. Now we have bought a motorhome, but travelling by motorhome is not something I am "dependent on", but rather a fun pleasure.
I tried to get a driving licence at the age of 18, but I think it just wasn't my thing. I didn't like driving and felt like a dangerous driver. I believe definitely that women and men should have the same rights and opportunities, but that also includes being able to say no to things sometimes.
What is your situation - who is at the wheel?
What is it like in your cars? Who drives? Is there a difference between the car and the motorhome, if you have both? And what do you think about it?
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the camper van says:
With us, it's probably mostly the husband who drives on holiday, usually only switching off when he gets too tired. Since I sometimes have a little trouble concentrating, I don't usually drive abroad. Here at home, I usually drive myself when the car needs service but I don't go into the city centre or try to park in some small and narrow car park/ Monica
03 June 2010 - 19:51
Alexandra says:
I don't have a driving licence either. And it bothers others more than me. 🙂
But I'm getting quite keen to take it. Gives me a little more freedom then, it feels like.
03 June 2010 - 20:31
Tina says:
I actually do not have a driving licence either! So, the husband drives so happily!!!
03 June 2010 - 20:53
Anders and Birgitta says:
In our case, it is mostly Anders who drives when we are abroad. I have a bus and lorry licence but not the same routine as Anders, so I rarely drive. However, I have driven the motorhome myself, and stayed overnight, when I have been on a few work visits during the time I worked. It's good that you can drive the motorhome if your partner gets sick when you're out and about.
03 June 2010 - 21:15
admin says:
Alexandra, yes, it's funny that it seems to bother others more? But of course there can be advantages to having a driving licence!
Anders and Birgitta, tough with bus and lorry cards! Then you must be a bit more used to BIG cars! I have sometimes thought that it would be good to have a driver's licence, if one of us gets sick etc. But now it feels like a big step... First the whole process of getting a driver's licence... then getting used to a HOUSE CAR. And then Peter will probably drive the next one all the time...
04 June 2010 - 7:18
Leena says:
I have a driving licence but have never driven a motorhome and probably won't in the future either. The husband likes to drive, I would not dare to go abroad.
I don't think "we" are perpetuating gender stereotypes just because we don't drive a motorhome....I do what I want without thinking about a gender role....
Now summer has really come, wonderful, only three nights left until my holiday, beautiful. Not bad to get together comp time so you can save on holiday days.
04 June 2010 - 10:17
The wood grouse says:
Here the husband drives especially now that we live in France, I refuse to drive in the centre of Lyon, but I drive to my daughter's school and to the shop, that's enough for me. have whiplash and know that my concentration fails sometimes and then to drive in a hysterical city, NO thanks.
We have driven home to Norrland a few times and the husband drives through Europe while I can drive about 10 miles at a time in Sweden so he gets some rest, otherwise we put up the trip after the driver. Sometimes, however, we wish we had a motorhome they would have facilitated our travel in recent years both here in France and when we are going home to Sweden, but they are a dream we have to fix in time for retirement instead.
04 June 2010 - 17:50
Jennifer - Lola May says:
I find it so annoying when people blame things on gender roles. If I want to stand at the stove, I do it, and if my boyfriend wants to drive the car, he gets it. Free will is called it.. hehe
05 June 2010 - 16:04
Maggan says:
Of course I have a driving licence and of course I could drive the camper van but.... it never happens. And I enjoy sitting next to it, and I'm the one who reads the map better if we're in unfamiliar places. But one day I might drive too.
06 June 2010 - 9:24
Millan says:
We don't have a motorhome, so I can't answer for that. But when it comes to the car, I drive all week and the man gets to drive at the weekend. During the holidays it will probably be pretty even with who gets to drive. Or... the man is a lousy map reader so it will probably be him who drives the most when we go to strange places and that I read the map 🙂.
08 June 2010 - 10:05
Vicky (the expat mum) says:
We probably drive about the same amount when we're on the road by car. When we went with a motorhome, I didn't want to drive in cities and on small roads, mostly because I felt I needed more time to get used to the size of the motorhome.
Many times I myself have gone on longer trips with the children. Both in Sweden and here in Italy.
08 June 2010 - 14:24
Ama de casa says:
I have a driving licence but have not driven for many years. The licence is mostly an expensive piece of...
But it doesn't matter - I drive just as well from the passenger side 😉.
08 June 2010 - 17:48
admin says:
Really interesting to read your comments on this post! It is true that men drive more often and more! But if everyone feels best with that distribution, it's excellent, isn't it? However, there may be times when it is an advantage that both actually have a driving licence...!
Once when Billie was little and Peter couldn't drive because he had a fever, Billie asked if I could drive. When I said I didn't have a licence, he thought: "But you can borrow Dad's?" Unfortunately, it's not that simple...
09 June 2010 - 7:27
Johanna S says:
Doesn't matter who is driving. I think it's great that someone else is driving, takes the opportunity to rest and sleep.
09 June 2010 - 10:31
Lennart says:
We like to travel around Europe in the off-season, and we take turns driving, about 50/50. It does not matter if we drive on small roads, motorways or cities, WE TAKE TURNS.
By the way, we are planning this year's trip to Brittany
12 June 2010 - 13:16