Lithuanian best driver O.Židovlenkova: “I will go more than once until stereotypes about women at the wheel are forgotten” | Lifetime



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There are truths in stereotypes about women who drive

Until then, O. Židovlenkova, who became a driving instructor five years ago, worked in a sports driving center, where she first studied herself and then began to train other people. The woman then got the idea to test herself and as a driving instructor.

“Five years of experience among driving instructors is a great indicator. Usually people run away after three months because it’s hard work. So, I think this period speaks volumes ”, Olga laughs, asking if she likes her job.

A frequent person who has heard of a driving instructor would think that it is not a very feminine profession. O. Židovlenkova admits that such a public attitude is still faced, as it is customary for us to draw the dividing line between men’s and women’s work.

“Although it is increasingly possible to meet a woman as a long-distance driver or to see a mechanic in auto repair shops, people still talk about it and are somewhat surprised,” says the instructor.

Photo from personal album / Olga Židovlenkova, Danas Rapšys

Photo from personal album / Olga Židovlenkova, Danas Rapšys

Olga laughs that her whole life consists of tests that women can drive; just look at yours. However, you agree that for all driving skills 100 percent. cannot guarantee.

“For example, the stereotype that a blonde at the wheel is death around the corner. Yes, I am blonde. But for now, I’m just trying to protect others. In the past, I vehemently reacted to such banal stereotypes: I denied, I tried to argue. Now I just smile and realize that I have to go more than once before people get used to it, ”says O. Židovlenkova.

Olga speculates that comments directed at women may have originated in ancient times, when women did not drive at all.

“Perhaps this attitude has been around since ancient times, when women came up with the idea of ​​trying to prove something, of learning to drive, and everyone was skeptical about it. They questioned whether women would be able to do that. It turns out that he is capable ”, considers the instructor.

While the prevailing stereotypes about women driving upset Olga, she says that not all of them are broken. According to the instructor, women behind the wheel are more prone to yawning, but this is because many problems and concerns are constantly turning on their heads.

Sometimes women do a little gruel behind the wheel you make those mistakes. Only they are not as painful as men.

“Sometimes women do a little gruel at the wheel you make those mistakes. They just aren’t as painful as men, who are usually hot and cause even bigger problems down the road.

The man manages to get the problems out of his head and just drive, while the women on the walk think about what they will need to prepare for dinner, remember to get the kids out of kindergarten, and they still have a thousand more jobs ahead of them. . This is what causes driving errors, ”explains O. Židovlenkova.

Women sometimes fear instructors

Olga admits that many girls who want to learn to drive turn to her because she is a woman. Students expect the instructor to interact with them. from them language, and there is truth in it.

Company photo / Olga Židovlenkova

Company photo / Olga Židovlenkova

“In the past, there have been situations where instructors called, some even led the student down the road. When such resentment occurs or women have heard rumors about the instructor’s behavior, they begin to fear that on a stick like that, that’s why it comes to me ”, thinks the driver.

Although she did not face harassment from instructors, O. Židovlenkova does not hide that she has heard such rumors, and the girls who are learning to drive do not hesitate to tell us what they have had to experience. However, these situations diminish over time.

“Usually girls who have been bullied by instructors take a break of 5-10 years and only after a long time decide to try driving again, turn to me or other instructors for help. When I ask what instructor did this, I usually say those names that I don’t know yet.

These are the ones who may have worked, but before I entered this realm. I wasn’t there and I can’t confirm that this is true, but when I kept the rights myself, those rumors floated too, only I lost the experience. Now we have less and less to hear such stories, “says the woman.

I always say that the car is a weapon of mass slaughter, so it is necessary to look at it more carefully, more seriously, says O. Židovlenkova.

Along the way, men feel too confident

While men are used to commenting on women’s driving, according to the instructor, their own performance on the road is certainly not ideal. According to Olga, it is because of overconfidence on the road that many emergencies and chaos cause.

“They think they passed the exam once, and that’s it, they don’t need any additional feedback or training, they are well versed and they know everything. Along the way, everyone pretends to be dumb, great drivers, don’t let loose because his ego would suffer.

The men may already be a little depressed to land on the ground. They are not so good anymore. In fact, when I had to work as an operator in a gas station during my studies, it was mainly men, not women, who chose those hoses, ”emphasizes O. Židovlenkova.

Photo from personal album / Olga Židovlenkova

Photo album from personal album / Olga Židovlenkova

When asked what to say to those men who think that a woman should not sit behind the wheel at all, Olga does not bother and quickly finds the answer: “Let him then go to the pots to stand, we will see how it goes.”

The instructor laughs that men also come to her, who “pay for everything and only take the rights soon.” Olga says that she is not trying to re-educate them, but is trying to get used to it.

“I’m trying to explain that a driver’s license is not another discount card in a wallet. Still, it is a document that proves independence, responsibility. I always say that a car is a weapon of mass murder, so it is necessary to look at it more carefully, more seriously ”, says O. Židovlenkova.

However, women note that men’s attitudes are slowly changing and those born after the 2000s have a completely different mindset. They are simpler, calmer and the driver’s license is not a reason for pride. Contrary to before.

“In the 1980s and 1990s, you may not have a car, but you did have to have a driver’s license. It was almost a certificate: schools may not finish school, but you must have a driver’s license when you turn 18 or you will be a loser. Today, young people see it more easily, not as boastful, “says a positive woman.

When I had to work as an operator at a gas station during my studies, it was mainly men who came out with those hoses, not women.

Women lack solidarity and friendship

Rumors are also circulating that it is much easier for men to pass the driving test than for women. According to the driving instructor, women are more likely to get excited about their legs and want to demonstrate their skills to others. However, it should be noted that the exam is not a key indicator of driving skills.

“A driving test is not an indicator or a benchmark by which a person should be judged on how they will drive on the road. The actual exam lasts for two years, when the student travels independently, trapped in a maple leaf. A good driver is not the one who did not cause the accident, but the one who managed to avoid it. It’s a question of how many controllers we have, ”says O. Židovlenkova.

According to the instructor, women tend to lag behind men in driving skills in only two ways: predicting the situation ahead and parking.

“Children play with cars more often as children, so they have a better idea of ​​how the car should enter the garage, they see that image from above, they understand what the driving path should be, making it easier to park. It’s a bit more difficult for girls to understand that because in childhood, they usually play with dolls. To be able to occupy the position of driver, they need a little more time and travel kilometers, ”says O. Židovlenkova, adding that there are exceptions in the education of children.

Photo from 123RF.com / Child playing with doll

Photo from 123RF.com / Child playing with doll

However, Olga also has complaints about the driving culture of the women themselves. The instructor does not like that most women on the road feel competition, so they lack more solidarity and sympathy.

“If a man smiles, whether he is traveling with his wife or alone, he will always stop and miss you. And women somehow compete with each other. They will hardly ever go through the pedestrian crossing, even on the road, if there is a traffic jam, the flow is hardly moving, it is difficult for you to enter, then women usually do not stop and do not let you enter, ”says O. Židovlenkova .

When asked about the likelihood that the constant comparison of driving skills between women and men will disappear in the future, Olga laughs that there is no glare: “Yes it will, nothing will change. But maybe it’s more fun to live when we have to work for something? “



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