Role of French women motorhomers (1 Viewer)

[sylvester1954]

One can't help but notice that the female half of French motorhomers appear to have somewhat closeted roles when out and about with their male counterparts.
As they rarely appear to drive they are often dispatched from the cab of the motorhome when it arrives at the aire to wave the driver in. This is the start of a delightful waving process akin to the paddle man guiding in a taxiing Jumbo jet in a small airport. With lots of waving and flapping as well as a rendition of 'Noooo noooo' or 'stop' she often coaxes the driver to a halt after an exhausting 10 minutes of extensive flapping.
Quite often one often sees the very tired male driver slump into the sun lounger that has been swiftly disembarked from the van by madam leaving her to then wipe away the build up of the flies from the body(of the van not driver l hasten to ad)
Or maybe. recently you may witness the arrival of the van with said woman in the passenger seat for the first and last time for as soon as monsieur settled in his chair she is never seen again from dawn till dusk and till they drive away again.

 

[BobtheBass]

Just got back from three weeks touring the lovely France and we both agreed that it was always the French lady co-pilots job to guide the scruffy hippy driving the van into the smallest space available on the aire whilst carrying ze leetle doggy in her arms. Then she has to disappear from view so that Powerful Pierre looks like he did everything on his own. No racial stereotyping intended as that's what really happens many times a day.

Sorry I forgot. The lady also sweeps the carpet of the van and fetches the baguettes, sometimes three or four baguettes for just the two of them as they must like bread pudding made with the stale two and a half loaves left over each day.

 

[Paddyfrog]

As we live in France and now own our very own MH we will have plenty of opportunity to observe whether the above behavioral traits are common or not. We bought our MH from a French couple and I know she did as much driving as him, unfortunately I didn't get to observe any flapping, neither male nor female. But our Parisian neighbours here (it is a holiday home for them) fit the bill. He drives here, she unloads. He goes mad in the garden, mowing and strimming, outdoors all day. She is nowhere to be seen. Once the sun starts to set, out she comes, sits in the cool of the patio, only to disappear indoors all day the following day. No flapping behavior by her, just frenzied knitting.

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[Devon Sue]

Watch out for the guillotine

 

[iandsm]

One can't help but notice that the female half of French motorhomers appear to have somewhat closeted roles when out and about with their male counterparts.
As they rarely appear to drive they are often dispatched from the cab of the motorhome when it arrives at the aire to wave the driver in. This is the start of a delightful waving process akin to the paddle man guiding in a taxiing Jumbo jet in a small airport. With lots of waving and flapping as well as a rendition of 'Noooo noooo' or 'stop' she often coaxes the driver to a halt after an exhausting 10 minutes of extensive flapping.
Quite often one often sees the very tired male driver slump into the sun lounger that has been swiftly disembarked from the van by madam leaving her to then wipe away the build up of the flies from the body(of the van not driver l hasten to ad)
Or maybe. recently you may witness the arrival of the van with said woman in the passenger seat for the first and last time for as soon as monsieur settled in his chair she is never seen again from dawn till dusk and till they drive away again.

From my observations this is a very accurate description of the French female co pilots activities but I wonder whether the flapping and directing is because they think their male driver isn't to good at driving and looking at the number of vehicles with lumps out of them, they may well right. Having said that I am sitting looking at the exit of German stellplatz at the moment and the last two Motorhomes that went through it managed to hit the cones placed either side some 15 feet apart.

Yesterday at a supermarket a male German motorhome driver went straight up and over a very high kerb in the car park much to the amusement of some lads standing nearby.

Just a moment, as I write this another motorhome has left, again driving into the cone so I doubt poor driving is restricted to the French

 

[KeithChesterfield]

It might be a silly question - but who watches and directs you into a parking space - especially if you're reversing?

Think overhanging trees, high kerbs, wooden and metal bollards, pedestrians wandering about and children riding on bikes - all of which I've recently seen on Aires.

Better safe than sorry.

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[apm101]

I tend to do most of the driving, as I really enjoy piloting Sophie! We're both advanced drivers, so no machismo available...

When we arrive, I reverse the 'van into a rough approximation of where it should be, and the wife sticks her head out of the back window to let me know when to stop, or left a bit, right a bit etc.

We then put up the windbreak, get the chairs out, and game on!

 

[scotzsue]

Well when I am on my own, nobody. What annoys me is people, usually dutch out shouting mind the tree you are too close etc when the situation has been weighed up. They seem to think of skill and judgement as a near miss.

 

[BobtheBass]

We use a cheap (£17) pair of walky talkies so at least we appear professional....... They really are excellent it has to be said if only Sue could get her lefts and rights sorted out!

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[Clarky]

This is the start of a delightful waving process akin to the paddle man guiding in a taxiing Jumbo jet in a small airport. With lots of waving and flapping as well as a rendition of 'Noooo noooo' or 'stop' she often coaxes the driver to a halt after an exhausting 10 minutes of extensive flapping.

If only some of them used the aircraft marshalling method there would be less shouting and complaints from the cab.
We are always amused by the little flapping hand or even just a finger or two. No chance of being able to see what is required when using mirrors.
Having spent loads of time around aircraft and the ground crews my parking marshal, Kate, uses big, bold gestures that could indeed be seen by the pilot of a jumbo.
At least I can see them in the mirrors.

Richard.

 

[frogijock]

I always ask my co-pilot where she wants me to park, after she has weighed up all the things that matter i.e.; where sun will rise and set, slope of the ground, direction on breeze, view, she then directs me into the spot with very precise directions,

 

[Badknee]

It might be a silly question - but who watches and directs you into a parking space - especially if you're reversing?

Think overhanging trees, high kerbs, wooden and metal bollards, pedestrians wandering about and children riding on bikes - all of which I've recently seen on Aires.

Better safe than sorry.

I check for obstructions before I do anything from the cab then use my two reversing cameras when reversing, I then judge the danger or severity of any problem by the volume of in rushing air through my dearly beloveds clenched teeth.

This has been a how to post by the ever helpful and browbeaten Badknee.

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[magicsurfbus]

On a long haul, other half usually does a couple of hours' motorway driving - I tend to do the twiddly bits at the start and finish. I imagine it's the same for quite a few French couples too? Now we've got a reversing camera we don't need to do much airport taxiing, and I reckon all solo reversing practice is good in case a quick manouevre is needed in a place where one of us can't get out of the vehicle, or only one of us is in it.

More recently however we've seen more kids on aires, including one tiny item pootling around on his bike with no parental supervision whilst MHs were manouevring all over the place. Then I'm grateful for an extra pair of eyes outside.

 

[wasp]

I do all the driving she does all the shouting, waving and critisising my driving, I love her really ha ha

 

[Manic]

Saw one the other week guiding driver in, but she was in the middle of the back of van so driver couldn't see her. I had to shout stop as the driver was squashing her against some armco.

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[The Wino]

Do you think the nationalities vary I think it seems the norm whwerever you go!

 

[Huwmari]

I, too, think the French ladies seem to have a raw deal and suspect that very many of them are indeed non-drivers, judging by some of the idiotic hand-flapping episodes which we have witnessed. I think they must do a lot of fancy food preparation and there seems to be no end of messing about with tablecloths, napkins etc. All this seems to keep madame busy until after dinner and then, just when you think they might both come outside and be sociable, down come the blinds, up goes the satellite dish and you don't see either of them until morning! Not my idea of enjoying a holiday but it takes all sorts.

 

[Dorwyn]

It's not just the French wifies. Mine has no clue, stands where I can't see her, and just flaps her hands in no discernible order. When I berate her (kindly, of course) and explain how to do it (kindly, ditto), she just says "well I don't know" and now refuses to even get out the cab until parked. Nor does she drive. But she is good company for a long drive. When she's awake. Oh, and now she's going deaf in her right ear. No conversation other than "what did you say?" But I do quite like her. After 53 years!

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[KeithChesterfield]

And then, of course, we come to - who reads and understands the MAP.

 

[denisejoe]

It's not just the French wifies. Mine has no clue, stands where I can't see her, and just flaps her hands in no discernible order. When I berate her (kindly, of course) and explain how to do it (kindly, ditto), she just says "well I don't know" and now refuses to even get out the cab until parked. Nor does she drive. But she is good company for a long drive. When she's awake. Oh, and now she's going deaf in her right ear. No conversation other than "what did you say?" But I do quite like her. After 53 years!

Denise was the same but after getting her to sit in the drivers seat and try to see me an epic moment, she now looks for the mirrors and she's going a bit deafer in her right ear as well and as you say it's some interesting conversions when driving or laying in bed facing each other 'cos I'm deaf in my left ear, LOL!

Joe

 

[Dorwyn]

And then, of course, we come to - who reads and understands the MAP.

Well she does, and very well too. She often disagrees with Jane, our sat nav conductor. "what's she doing now", etc, and at crucial moments gives up saying again, I don't know!!! So I say, I can't do don't know, I need to know now! All good humouredly of course. NOT!

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[appydaze]

Do you think the nationalities vary I think it seems the norm whwerever you go!

I think the French have quite a different way of looking at things......I went out with a French woman once.............. actually she was only half French........................ only shaved under one arm........ ........

 

[Shrimp]

I've noticed that yes the la madame waves the driver into the said spot and disappears but the other day Madame was standing behind the van-Monsieur was reversing-and in front of fence of 'armco'.
Monsieur reversing-Madame waving then my hubby shouting and Madame shouting but not moving away from the rear of the MH that was about to pin her between it and the 'armco'!
Yes he did stop, just in time, but it took a lot of shouting!
Phew!!!!!

 

[makems]

I dont drive due to dodgy eyesight so Gwen pilots our 5 tonne 9m 6 wheeler everywhere. When it comed to reversing i get out out and we use walkie talkies and have even had a round of applause a couple of times for reversing into a tight berth first time.

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[Anthea M]

We've seen that happen when French lady is in the van preparing lovely food and he is outside polishing a bottle or two of vino.
One evening all was quiet on site and from a van could easily be heard depeche toi depeche toi from madame then after a while they both came out for a cigarette!!

 

[DL42846]

My wife is French. When we bought our MH from a dealer I inquired about a reversing camera. The sales guy replied " what for, you have your wife"
I do the driving. She would be happy to do the motorway bits but is quiet happy to just let me get on with it.
She will argue with the GPS saying the GPS doesn't know the road. My wife will then give me directions which we then end up getting lost. She will then blame the GPS saying something like " See, I told you the GPS is useless" But it does get us back on track.
Anything to do with the mechanics or outside the van is my area, inside is the wife's domain. Food, menus, shopping etc. She loves cooking and would give a lot of top chefs a run for there money and having working in some of the top 5 star London west end hotels I do know something about the subject.
Planing the days events is also the wife's area.
As for me reversing into tight spots she does give very good guidance. I told her if she can't see my mirrors then I can't see her.

 

[Reallyretired]

And then, of course, we come to - who reads and understands the MAP.

What's a map?

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[Zigisla]

If we are just swinging into an area where precision is not required, Jane sees me back with a few waves and then the obligatory 5 secs to stop hand up. This gives me time to have looked in all mirrors and at the camera and back to her before banging into something. If I stop and don't move, she knows this means I have seen something she hasn't and has a look around and then waves back, or comes to the front to advise. If the gap needs some precision, she will just stand where the off side light assembly should go and I manoeuvre to that spot and then again the 5 sec hand stop signal. Now - Lets not talk about navigating