Men's Parking Skills Impress Women

How male drivers park their cars in tight spaces impress women, a new survey has revealed.

Car accessories retailer Halfords carried the survey on the driving habits of the opposite sex.

Almost one in two women confessed the thing they most loved about male drivers was that they knew what to do if there was a flat tire or if the car broke down.

The second best thing about men behind the wheel was, ''how they park in tight spaces'', (41 per cent ) closely followed by their skill at maneuvering and reversing (39 per cent).

Meanwhile 46 per cent of men admitted what they loved about women drivers was their knack of always packing food and drink for a journey and organizing lunch and coffee stops.

The second most admired thing by more than one in four of those questioned, was their willingness to ask for directions when lost.

Halfords carried out the survey of 2,000 motorists to see if stereotypes still existed between men and men drivers especially as women are increasingly taking control of the family cars.

Over four out of ten (43 per cent) online transactions on Halfords.com are now made by women while 35 per cent of customers using Halfords Wi-Fit service to replace the likes of bulbs, batteries and wiper blades are women.

The study, also highlighted some of the rather less than attractive habits male and female drivers saw in each other.

Tailgating, where vehicles drive too close to the rear bumper of the car in front, was identified by two thirds of women (66 per cent as the thing they most hated about men drivers.

A close second was driving too fast, (5 per cent) while using a mobile phone behind the wheel and road rage, were not far behind in third and fourth place.

More than a third of women found men drivers refusal to ask for directions when lost a major bug bear (33 per cent) while just under a third claimed male drivers ''picking their noses while stopped at traffic lights or junctions'' was the thing they hated most.

There were also plenty of things men objected to about women drivers.

First was the time women take to maneuver in or out of a parking space, which was cited by four in ten men as the most annoying thing about female motorists.

Almost as many complained about women drivers ''putting on make-up and doing their hair'' at stop lights and junctions.

More than a third of men added that they hated the length of time women took to drive off from traffic lights and junctions.

"We have seen an increase in women coming into our stores for car parts so we were a little surprised at how many stereotypes still abound in the driving world," the Daily Mail quoted Paul McClenaghan, Halfords Commercial Director as saying.

"However, it was encouraging to note that despite a fair few annoying habits noted by both men and women behind the wheel, there were many things both sexes admired about the opposite gender's driving.

Both sides mentioned willingness or unwillingness to ask for directions as cause for praise and criticism so it is probably no coincidence that Sat Navs are one of our biggest sellers in the run up to Christmas," McClenaghan added.

At 35, Women Suffer Fertility Problems

Doctors have warned couples not to leave it too late to try for a baby as it can lead to fertility problems in women.

With more and more women pursuing careers, they and their partners are leaving parenthood to at least their late thirties.

But women aged 35 are six times more likely to have problems conceiving compared to those ten years younger, according to a major study from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The report said older parents are making it harder for themselves to have children – and increasing the likelihood of serious medical complications for both mother and baby.

By the age of 40, a woman is more likely to have a miscarriage than give birth.

Men's fertility also declines rapidly from the age of 25 and the doctors estimate that the average 40-year-old takes two years to get his partner pregnant – even if she is in her twenties.

Up to 30 per cent of 35-year-old take longer than a year to get pregnant, compared to only 5 per cent of 25-year-old, according to the figures in the report by the Royal College.

Expectant mothers in their late thirties and forties are far more likely to suffer complications such as pre-eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth and they are also more likely to need a Caesarean.

Babies born to them are more likely to be premature, smaller or have Down's Syndrome and other genetic disorders.

"Clear facts on fertility need to be made available to women of all ages to remind them that the most secure age for childbearing remains 20-35," the Daily Mail quoted David Utting, specialty registrar in obstetrics and gynecology at Kingston Hospital NHS Trust and co-author of the review, as saying.

The study has been published in the medical journal Obstetrician and Gynecologist.

HOW WE TREAT PEOPLE

Five lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.




1. First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello".

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.




2. Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11.30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached... It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."


3. Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies... You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.




4. Fourth Important Lesson - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.




5. Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts.

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,

"Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice,

"Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.