According to James Vaughan in yesterday’s Weekend Telegraph men love their garden sheds because they don’t have the same need for social networks as women but they do need somewhere of their own to let off steam and express themselves.
I’d say that this could explain why men like male environments like garages too and, by and large, more than women. And why men are loathe to alter the characteristics of sheds and garages to please women because these are ‘their’ environments.
It might be stretching this thought process a tad too far to suggest that herein lies yet another difference between men and women drivers but I believe that women want female friendly garage services and there is something about all this that encourages women to feminise their environment (generalising here of course) whereas men want their own place to order as they see fit but not necessarily how women might like it to be.
And whilst a shed or garage at home may escape the feminine touch (by mutual agreement) it isn’t the same logic when the garage is a business concern and needs to wear a female friendly hat to appeal to women driver customers.
So a compromise is needed here – after many years of the men having garage and workshop environments all to themselves.
Now it’s time to feminise the UK garage and aftersales industry; fortunately an increasing number of female business owners are doing exactly that.
Vive la difference (funny how the gender of difference is female in French…).
FOXY Steph
