That brings me to this strange fact – driving as female is a different skill. Not to be sexist but females seem to have a tougher time parallel parking but I’ve also seen many men struggle at it as well. When I am in female mode, I seem to not only lose my parking “gift” but just getting into my car can be an adventure. Instead of just plopping myself into a seat in one easy move like male me tends to do, I’ve noticed female me must be aware when performing this rather simple movement. Once I’ve opened the door I need to plan to turn half way around with my back toward the interior and lower myself down to the seat with the help of the steering wheel and then, with legs pressed together, slide them gently around and in. If I’m wearing something short and/or tight I need to be even more careful that the hem doesn’t ride up too high. Exiting is just as tricky.
Women also have a totally different posture and style while driving. They/we seem to sit much more upright and much closer to the steering wheel while keeping both hands at the prescribed “10 and 2” position. I find myself just doing this automatically.
Men, on the other hand, slouch, lean back and steer with one arm. Men also adjust the rear view mirror and, once it’s set, may never move it again whereas some women will often need to adjust the rear view mirror not just because of the change in seating position but also to apply makeup or check their lipstick. I know I do.
Finding a parking space while en femme is usually easier because, more often than not, I will be headed for a mall with its acres of head-in parking, but if I am faced with parallel parking, I find I’ve suddenly lost my maneuvering skill. I hate it when I bump into the curb with my rear wheel or realizing I didn’t turn in sharp enough and I’m a foot or two away from the curb. Either way, I have to pull out and try again. It would seem I shouldn’t be having this problem but perhaps some female part of my brain is doing the parking. I find it both frustrating and comical.
Something else I do, but I don’t know if other women do, is to bring a pair of flats because driving in heels does not work for me. I find it dangerous as my ankle and foot are now at an angle to the pedals which seems unsafe to me. Once I’ve safely parked I can then slip on my heels and check my makeup before exiting my car and then click, click, clicking my heels on my way. I’m pretty certain that a man would never think of changing his shoes just to drive his car.
I do worry that I may someday be pulled over by a policeman for some infraction or fender-bender or perhaps have car trouble. It’s always on my mind anyway but I’m extra cautious whenever driving en femme. Male me could possibly have to face similar problems but not with all the female fears.
Although it’s more complicated to drive as Mary, I am proud to be a woman driver. I think I drive much safer and definitely slower plus I get to see myself in the mirror! Win, win, win!
- Have you been out driving in a vehicle in total girl mode and if so, how did it feel and go?
- Do you worry about someone checking you out while stopped at a traffic light while out driving in all girl mode?
- Have you gone through a fast food drive through while in total girl mode and how did that experience go?
Thank you girls for taking the time to read my article and feel free to offer up your comments to the article or provide an answer to one or more of the questions I’ve posed to you above!
And have a super 2022 girls!
With much love, Mary
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Hi Mary and thanks for the article. Yes I’ve been out driving in fem mode with heels but they were kitten heels so it wasn’t too much of a problem. At stop lights I just looked straight ahead like most females do and had no problems. I do think I drive safer when dressed because of the fear of being caught by a policeman or having a fender bender which either would be a terrible ordeal. I gave up on parallel parking long ago but I see there are vehicles that can do parallel parking for you now. When we… Read more »
Hi Michelle, kitten heels are a good choice. For sure the fear of getting stopped, for any reason, is always a possibility. Self-parking cars are a good invention, for sure, but I’m not in favor of the self-driving ones.
All my best, Mary
I live in the UK and was always under the assumption that Americans didn’t parallel park and since the roads were so wide you just drove straight in. Parallel parking is part of the UK test and as a result most Brits are good at it. “I’m pretty certain that a man would never think of changing his shoes just to drive his car.". Not true. I was told a tip when learning to drive and still do it – have a yourself a pair of driving shoes with smooth leather soles. They prevent the pedals from sticking and give… Read more »
Hello Juan, As you can tell I have no idea about driving in the UK except we drive on the opposite side. I think we still teach parallel parking in Driver’s Education before we are allowed driver’s licenses but real-life parking can often be quite a bit different than learning in an empty lot. The laws can vary quite a bit from state to state. A friend lives in rural Iowa and he says he hardly ever parallel parks, he just turns his engine off wherever he stops. As for shoes I doubt you could even purchase “driving shoes" here… Read more »
K-turns are standards for US driving training in most states. Parallel parking was something the driving school I used trained us on. Not all did and the states don’t normally test on that point.
Mary, I do go out driving en femme fairly often, and have not ever had any issues, but one or two kind of close calls. I have two cars, a Jeep, and a small fuel efficient car which I was driving on this one winter’s day. I’d pulled over to answer an important email and got bogged down in snow which was slightly deeper than it looked. After some rocking back and forth I was nearly in tears and ready to give up when the front wheels found a bit of grip and I was able to move forward a… Read more »
Amy, I know how easy it is to just take one’s eyes off the road! I guess that’s why I now make it a point to not speed anymore. It just isn’t worth the extra few seconds.
I doubt any of us would want to get “sir"ed but it happens to most of us. I found it’s no use in trying to get an apology, just smile and go on with life.
Mary
That is such a scary feeling when you push on the gas with your dress boot and the tires just spin. That knot in your tummy as you try to get out
Hi Cindi, yes I hate that spinning sound and then not getting anywhere!
Great article! I was drawn to it because I saw that your article on driving was immediately followed by “Why Passing is Important" and thought there might be a connection! I have many exciting tales pertaining to driving en femme. Just to name a few: My GPS indicated I was in a 45 zone when actually in 35. I got pulled over on my way to church in St. Pete, FL on Palm Sunday. To make matters worse, I forgot my license and paperwork on the rental car I was driving… gave my chess ID number when asked for my… Read more »
Hi Rhonda, I must say you have had more than your share of incidents while driving enfemme! The time you ran over a blown tire reminds me of the time we were on a busy freeway, me at the wheel, wife in the passenger seat, and the car to her right lost it’s left front tire. That car skidded to a stop and the tire just kept on going, of course. I slowed down but that tire just kept on rolling, bouncing it’s way through traffic. It must have rolled at least a quarter mile and I don’t think it… Read more »
I once was driving from FL to NC when, about 2 AM in the middle of nowhere near Gaffney, SC, 150 miles from my destination, my rear axle broke. I of course could not brake if I’d wanted to… thought my best course was to keep the car headed straight, hoping the tires would stay on. Sparks were flying as the axle scraped the road and I feared the gas tank would erupt into a ball of fire. It seemed like an endless journey before the car came to a stop. 4 of us in the car raced away as… Read more »
Wow, you were both unlucky and fortunate!
Hi Mary, To answer your questions: 1) I often drive while dressed. My wife worries that someone, we know, will recognize my car & wonder who that woman is. But never any issues except one fender-bender. I was at a traffic light, about to go to a party & running late. I tried to change into my heels & threw the car into “Park"– or, at least, I thought so. It was in “Reverse". I drifted into the car behind me. No damage, but the guy wanted to exchange information. Obviously, with my driver’s license I had to admit that… Read more »
Hi Dawn, I often get checked out by guys when I’m just waiting for a stoplight as well as when I’m getting out of my car. A motorcycle rider almost lost control while he stared at my legs. It sure can be a dangerous world out there in so many ways!
I go out driving en femme when I have enough time to go somewhere nice (preferably a park or garden or by the sea). I always wear flats while driving.
I don’t seem to have a different driving style at all; however I am a little bit more cautious with traffic – don’t want a mishap while out en femme.
I have difficulties in man-mode getting in/out a car; so when en femme doing so in a lady-like fashion is a challenge for me – I think I manage it sometimes 🙂
Hi Alicen, The first time I tried to drive enfemme I was wearing heels. I didn’t go very far when I realized the heels, while lovely on my feet, were a danger on my gas pedal. I thought of going back to my hose to get a pair of flats but just slipped my heels off instead and kept driving. Not the best answer for me as that felt pretty weird as well but I never made that mistake again!
Love this article. Without bragging, I am a good driver as a man. I have to concentrate extra hard as a woman. I think I’m usually just so excited to be dressed up and out and about, that I think less about my driving. I was at the grocery store one day en femme and everything was fine. But, the place I had parked was one of the few parking areas in the lot with the concrete bumpers. I didn’t have anyone in front of me so I decided to go straight out as going forward is usually safer than… Read more »
Hi Sarah, for sure there are many men and women who are very good drivers but every so often I find a driver who doesn’t appreciate me going the speed limit and insists on getting too close. Neither speeding up or slowing down will make things any better so I just keep at the speed limit. That’s when I wish a cop car was watching!
Oh yes, tail-gaiters are the worst.
I’m curious what GG stands for. Looking it up on Wikipedia we have: Good Game – can’t be that, an album by Gary Glitter – can’t be that, … and a bra size – umm, maybe?
GG is an abbreviation of “genetic girl".
I’ve seen the acronym GM for genetic male, and so assumed GF (genetic female) would be used. Maybe we could introduce GB for genetic boy!
Hi there Sweetie. My observations confirm that women DO NOT HAVE the gene required for backing up a vehicle. Who knows why. As a 6 footer myself I often bend myself into a pretzel to get into a car especially true when I shoehorn myself into my Corvette Coupe. Heels verboten for sure. Have not been driving en femme yet but I will be doing that this year. Your observations are all very adroit.
Hi BriannaLeah, thank you for confirming my observations. Perhaps one of the reasons females can have difficulties with parking might be physical. Maybe it’s the same reason females throw a ball differently. I doubt any studies have been done to confirm this observation of shoulder motion, though.
I live in the Netherlands and drive regularly as Helene. I’m not really worried about getting pulled over because I’m ‘en femme’ I dont think the police here would bat an eyelid but I do on the otherhand drive more carefully for some reason or another, maybe because I drive a van as my daily car and our other car is VW cabrio with a lot less alround vision. If you cant parallel park here you wouldnt ever be able to park at all, everything so small, the streets the parking spaces…it drives me nuts. I do always make sure… Read more »
Hi Helene, while visiting an American friend who lived in the Netherlands she said “If you stand on a chair you can see the whole country!" I couldn’t imagine driving a car around there but I do wish we had the bicycle culture that the Dutch have.
Hi Mary, Jane home Hobart Tasmania. I recently drove enfemme, with my wife in the car to a Christmas party. Staying at a motel, getting to the car, with some men watching was interesting.
Driving was fine, but parking and walking to the venue was interesting. Christmas time, drinking happening, a few whistles.
This is part of a femme life for me. I just took it all in and am waiting for the next event.
Best wishes
Jane Stewart
Hi Jane, Congratulations, it sounds like you had a fine time! I agree parking and walking certainly adds interest when being out enfemme. Being out in public can be such a joy!