Just another woman driver?


16 Dec 2008. It was my day off. Thought I would take the car to run some errands, have a haircut or bring Zach around somewhere...

But when I reached the car that very morning, I simply couldn't start the car! The ignition is locked. Oh, this has happened before I thought. It's the safety feature. Just shake the steering wheel a little and it will be released. But no, the steering wheel is not locked this time, it is the ignition key that is locked. So why doesn't the car start?

Ah ha! How could I not have guessed. It's flat battery! What luck! It just has to happen on the day when I am on leave. Now all my plans will have to be shelved.

So I called my mechanic. Told him the battery is flat. He said maybe it's about time.

But I thought it could last 3 years? I don't think it has been that long since the last change. Well, perhaps I had left the car with interior light on for a long time in a carpark before, or perhaps I use a lot of horn. Well... he could be right. So come right here as soon as possible, would you? I will try my best, he said.

After hours he is still not here. I grew impatient. Kept SMSing him and when there was no reply, I called him again. Coming coming... very busy at the workshop today. Ya, but I need my car to work as I have a whole lot of plans today.

When the mechanic is finally here with a new battery, I was relieved but running out of patience as he had wasted so many hours of my leave. He checked the battery and said there is nothing wrong with the battery. Then what's wrong?? He rechecked the bonnet... seems alright. Came into the driver seat. Tried to start the car... Can't.

Then he looked at the gear.

And guess what??!?!??!!



The gear is engaged at "D" (Drive). I didn't put back the gear into "P" (Park) after I used the car yesterday. And the safety feature of the car is such that it won't start unless the gear is back at "P" so as to prevent the car from lurching forward suddenly.

Mechanic shifted the gear back to "P" and the car started effortlessly.

I was embarrassed beyond words. Sorries started pouring out... I bet the mechanic wanted to kill me right there and then! Please allow me to pay you for all the effort you have taken, I told him. Okay, just pay me $20 for my patrol here. OK, no problem I said. Can I write you a cheque? What??? You want to pay me $20 with cheque? Well... I thought a new battery would cost more than a hundred, so I came down with just a piece of cheque in hand.

If you can wait, I can run up, get the $20 and pass it to you. Mechanic was probably going to tear his hair out or MY hair out by then. He said, in that case, forget it, it's ok, just send your car for servicing at my workshop to support me. SURE SURE I said.

...now how can I blame people when they make fun of women driver!