Why are you upset that more men than women can change a tire? First, because it mostly isn't true. I don't know any women of my generation who have waited hel

Why are you upset that more men than women can change a tire? First, because it mostly isn't true. I don't know any women of my generation who have waited helplessly for someone to stop and help them; that's an absurd thing to even imagine. I do know women who changed their first tire by following the owner's manual in the glove box -- women aren't helpless in the face of technology (except when they decide to be.) Second, because when it is true, it's an abominable thing. Being able to change a tire, via instructions or otherwise, is an important skill for anybody who drives. Any woman who accepts this limitation for herself (or anyone who encourages it in a wife or daughter) shows a blatant disregard for her safety. It just isn't safe for a woman to hang out on the side of the road waiting for a man to notice her helplessness. Let's set aside the indignity of a woman needing to solicit help from a strange man for a job she could physically do herself, simply because a flat tire falls under mens' purview. Let's not consider the absurdity of a woman standing beside her car for an hour waiting for a tow truck driver to come do a job she could handle herself in ten minutes. Forget about all that. It just isn't safe not to be able to change a tire. What if the guy who stops to "help" her is attracted to her helplessness for the wrong reason? (It's always dangerous to act like a potential victim. A woman who can't change a tire screams, "I can't take care of myself; take advantage of me.") What if you get a flat tire on a busy highway where you can't pull very far off the road? (The faster you get the tire fixed, the less time you spend on the shoulder waiting for an inattentive driver to drift over and hit you.) What if you get a flat tire in a remote area? I don't object to women being different from men; I don't even object to them valuing the difference and actively cultivating their femininity. Sacrificing safety (not to mention independence) for the sake of gender roles is an entirely different thing.