Women and Directions

At psychology lecture we were told that there seems to be a gender difference in spatial and directional cognitive ability. An example of this is how men tend to just look at a map and go, while women would need to orientate the map to face the direction they are going.


Last night dad was driving down to pick me up from Eunos station. It was during peak hour so I needed to be at the right place at the right time to get picked up. It was 2 minutes to the pickup and mom was giving me directions over the phone to get to the pickup point. Dad told her a line in the background, and mom somehow managed to translate that into a whole long list of ambiguous instructions instead.

"You know the bus stop we always pick you at?"
Er... there are 2 bus stops, but yes.

"At the road next to your auntie's old house?"
There are 2 roads mom. And neither are close to the usual bus stop.

I got frustrated and asked her to just repeat what dad said.

"Opposite side of the road of the bus stop which bus 13 stops at."

Like couldn't she just say that from the start? I got there and told her I was in front of the traffic light. But she thought that meant I was behind it. Huh?


Anyhow, but the grace of God today, the tester wrote off 18 points and I passed my driving test. Dad took me for a spin, trying out parallel parking with cars instead of kerbs and taking on highways at 90kmph. Exciting. Then it was time to head off to a dinner and mom got into the car. Zjhur zjhur zjhur...

Just getting out of the carpark made me realise I was in great danger. Dad and mom were giving conflicting instructions as to how to drive. I quickly pointed that out to them so dad said he'll only give me directions.

We were in a merging lane into a highway and mom asked me to watch my left. I did and entered the main road cutting into someone's lane dangerously. After I overcame the shock of what just happened mom said, "Sorry, I meant right, not left."

Huh?!?


Anyway, I've stopped driving till we can get insurance to cover me (or is it the car?). It's freaking scary lah. In one instance, the thick frame on our car blocked my view and I didn't see a pedestrian crossing the zebra crossing. Thank God it was raised and I slowed down and dad pointed him out to me.

I pray a lot when I'm in the car of a new driver. I'll make it a habit for myself too.


So why did I label this post "Women and Directions" when this whole post seems to be about only one specific example? Because... I'm one who needs to orientate the map to the direction which I am going in.