August 13th, 2010

Nicole Kidman’s New York Pad Has a Sky Garage

Nicole Kidman and hubby Keith Urban just bought a new apartment in New York for a reported $10 mil (a deal considering the asking price was $12.5). Their neighbors include Dolce & Gabbana who live in the penthouse, reportedly bought for $29.5 mil.

The piece de resistance is the first ever “en-suite sky garage” TM (yup, it’s trademarked). Yes, that’s right, they have a 300 sq ft parking space/private elevator that you can drive into from the street that brings you right into your apartment. Oh, why haven’t they invented this sooner?

The New York Times just printed a story about a new parking garage that “adds glamour to South Beach.”

The story quotes Cathy Leff, director of the Wolfsonian-F.I.U., the design, culture and history museum as saying that “developer Robert Wennett and the architects have demonstrated that a traditionally banal building type — the parking garage — can be elevated to an art form.” The garage is a rather expensive piece of art with a price tag $65 million.

We at DriveLikeAWoman.com believe that parking spaces for too long have been utilitarian and predictable. It’s about time cars and the spaces that house them earn their proper place in the architectural world. We predict that parking spaces will become the new “it” structure of the architecture/design world. You heard it here first!

August 12th, 2010

Dario Franchitti’s Quote About Fellow Female Drivers

“I think that’s one of the things that’s been very impressive about the women drivers in motorsport. In other forms of sport, there’s ladies’ golf and basketball, whereas in our sport they’re competing with the men on equal footing.  I think that in the series right now, three of the four women drivers competing absolutely deserve to be there and they’ve worked very hard, and you don’t even notice whether it’s Simona, Danica or one of the guys driving the car, it makes no difference at all.”

-Dario Franchitti

August 11th, 2010

Top Female Execs Gather at the Women’s Automotive Forum

The Southern Automotive Women’s Forum’s conference begins tomorrow in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group is led by Susan Brennan, the VP for Manufacturing for Nissan. Over 120 women are set to attend. Speakers include: iconic driver Lyn St. James and Ford’s Land Development Corp’s Chairman and CEO Donna Inch.

The forum is looking to promote the advancement of women in the automotive field, will provide support including college scholarships to women and to develop outreach programs to younger students.

According to the article by the Associated Press, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of about 690,000 automotive and parts manufacturing workers nationwide in June, about 178,000, or about 26 percent, were women.”

Let’s hope these ladies can help increase statistics like these.

August 09th, 2010

Dispatch from the road: Rally London-Mongolia, Part 13

Thursday

At 8:00 am we get our wake up call. We want to be at Land Rover right when it opens. Mikhail and I decide to go and Parag stays behind to do some work.

Dmitry greets us and it’s comforting to see a face we recognize. We also meet Vladimir who is head of the dealership. He doesn’t speak English but looks at me, nods and smiles kindly.

I ask Mikhail to translate. “Please convey to him how thankful we are that they are working on our car, that they’ve taken us in so quickly and that everyone has just been so incredibly nice.”

Mikhail translates back from Vladimir. “I can imagine what it would be like to be in a strange place and to have crashed and not know anyone. We will do everything we can to get you back on the road so you can make it to Mongolia.” I am taken aback by his kindness and empathy.

They take our car in right away and begin looking through it. Their initial reaction is that the engine looks ok. Our main obstacle is that we need to order a new windshield from Moscow (that’s if they actually carry the correct one for a military ambulance from 1991) and that the metal frame around the windshield is severed and needs to be welded back together. If we are not on the road by mid-day Saturday (two and a half days) we will have to end the rally.

Our Land Rover mechanic in Moscow says he has the windshield in stock; first problem solved. DHL says they can overnight it and have it to us tomorrow; second problem solved. The mechanics say that they’ve never had to weld anything quite like this but were able to order a special welding kit, third problem solved.

We come back to the hotel and Parag and Mikhail head out to go hunt for a new computer for Parag. I promptly sleep for most of the day. Although mostly we feel fine, just some sore necks, the crash has left us strangely exhausted.

“Yes, guys our luck has finally changed!”

Mikhail informs us that the windshield will be here the next day and it will only take 3 hours to fix and we can be on the road the next afternoon!

After a quick dinner we head back to the room. Parag continues to work and Mikhail decides to head out to go see a movie. Although Parag is working with the lights on, talking on the phone and chatting with Mikhail when he returns I am so exhausted I sleep soundly through all of it.

Friday

We get our same wake up call at 8:00 am and Mikhail and I head back to Land Rover to check up on the car’s progress. After sleeping most of the previous day, I feel great. The mechanics have determined the car is fine and now it’s just a matter of replacing the windshield.

“No, no, no!” I look at Mikhail and brace for the bad news he’s about to give me.

“The airport is closed for now and I don’t know if DHL will be able to get in.”

“What do you mean it’s closed for now?”

“Putin just flew in and they shut it for his arrival.”

“What? How many times a year would he come to a small city like this?” I inquire.

“Maybe once a year…if that.” Just our luck.

“Well, on the bright side maybe we can all do some shirtless horseback riding together.” Mikhail is not in the mood for my jokes.

The most powerful man in Russia has just single-handedly dashed our chances of leaving on Saturday.

We all have our priorities. Parag decides to stay in and get some work done. Mikhail hunts for a new BlackBerry battery as his was destroyed in the crash. I determine this is an opportune moment to go shopping for fur hats.

The team comes back together for a late lunch around 4:00 at a restaurant outside the hotel that could only be described as a Ukrainian dude-ranch.

“Guys, great news—the windshield arrived!” This means that now we will be able to leave on Saturday!

The boys are working on their computers and I’m napping once again when Mikhail gets another call.

“Oh no, you’ve got to be kidding me!” We all look up. “Guys, we have a problem.”

It turns out the windshield has a huge crack down the middle. Land Rover says they can glue it and it should get us to Ulaan Baatar. It’s also taking longer than expected and we won’t be able to leave until mid-afternoon the next day; our absolute cut-off time.

We’ve now used up all our spare time and if we are lucky will only have a half day to spend at Lake Baikal.
Over dinner we discuss our new plan of action. Buy food at the grocery store, not stop for lunch, wake up early, drive late, make up time, hopefully get some time to rest at Lake Baikal.

Our cut-off time to cross the border into Mongolia is August 1st because that’s when Parag’s Russian visa expires. Now, because of the crash, we are cutting it very close. We all pack and prepare out things to leave the next day. After a few days being static we’re all looking forward to getting back on the road.

Saturday

We allow ourselves the luxury of sleeping in; we’ve got nowhere to go.  Back to the breakfast buffet. Then we sit in the lobby each waiting for “the call.” Parag works, Mikhail reads and I begin the dreaded task of re-creating the rally posts that were lost on Parag’s computer.

Mikhail receives a text from Allen, the other rallier who was stuck in Chelyabinsk. He was able to leave the previous day and he said that the roads ahead look good save for one stretch with some construction. Good news for us as we now have to make up a significant amount of ground.

At about 2 PM Mikhail’s phone rings. He speaks in Russian and Parag and I await the news.

Would the team make it back on the road? Click Read more to find out…

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August 08th, 2010

Danica Patrick Will Guest Star on The Simpsons

Fox announced that Danica Patrick will be one of the celebrities starring on The Simpsons this season.

Patrick will join Martha Stewart, Lea Michele, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as this year’s guest stars on the show.

Fox did not announce the air date of her episode, so stay tuned.

Personally, we’d like to see Marge get behind the wheel. We’re certain she’d drive like a woman!

August 06th, 2010

Dispatch from the road: Rally London-Mongolia, Part 12

Miass-Chelyabinsk: The Crash
-Written by Michele Shapiro

We awake early to check our fluid levels. “Oh no, we left the lights on!” Another complication we didn’t need.

“Now we have to hunt for someone to jumpstart the car.” Parag gets in and turns the key. Suddenly we hear the melodious sound of the car purring to life.

“Lights on all night and she still starts!” Our (not so) little vehicle is a miracle on wheels.

We wave goodbye to our little oasis feeling relaxed and at peace. Our state of mind would soon be overturned in a rather unfortunate literal interpretation.

We begin the day by stopping off at an auto shop. The choke had become stuck and black smoke was pouring out from the tailpipe, not good. The mechanics notice the line to the choke had been caught underneath the hood that had been dented. One of the guys takes a block of wood, holds it up to the hood and smashes the hammer hard against the block knocking out the dent.

“This is how you fix a car, Russian style!” I note.

Parag starts out at the wheel with Mikahil co-driving and I am in the back typing out the previous day’s journal entry. Our plan is to drive our longest distance yet, nearly 800 kilometers. Spirits are high, momentum is strong, we’re ready to go.

After about 250 kilometers we decide to stop at a roadside café for lunch. The boys order beef stroganoff but I can’t seem to find anything on the menu and simply settle for an ice cream bar.

After lunch Parag is in a food coma and I prepare to take over the wheel.

“You know, I think I’m ready to take a go at it,” Mikhail says. He has been recovering from a fractured bone in this right foot, and the doctor finally let him drive two days ago.  Also, he has only driven a manual car for 3 one-hour lessons and the injury had prevented him from practicing during the rally’s first days.

“You sure? I’m happy to drive.” But he insists he was going to have to take the wheel sooner or later. He drives it around the parking lot a few times while I explain how to smoothly transfer from letting off the clutch and pressing on the throttle.

“More gas, more gas!” Parag screams from the back. It is a bit rough but he pretty much has the hang of it. We don’t have any time to spare; we need to get on the road.

“Whoa, this thing keeps sliding.” Unlike a modern car our vehicle liked to surf a bit. You need to move with the wheel, your hands moving like you’re pretending you’re driving in some old time movie. It’s virtually impossible to drive without having two hands on the wheel.

This was not a nice relaxing day drive, you need to be alert and control the car at all times. To make matters worse the roads were in terrible condition with bumps, grooves, holes, livestock, and the like littering the lanes.

Mikhail tries some passes and I hold my breath, but they go smoothly. I sit back in the co-drivers seat, hang my left arm out the window to feel the cooler air, and think about getting some miles past us so we can enjoy Lake Baikal. Baikal is supposed to be one of the most beautiful natural spaces in the world and we had budgeted extra days to spend on its shores relaxing.

Mikhail decides to pass a huge semi-truck and although it’s a bit on the close side, we have enough room. He hits the accelerator and we begin to pass the truck with the car in the left lane heading straight for us.

The car hits a bump that throws it to the left and suddenly our left tires go off the pavement and hit gravel. Immediately when the tires touch the gravel they lose all grip and the car begins swerving left and right out of control.

Mikhail tries to recover the car but it isn’t working and our options are limited. The semi truck is travelling next to us on the right side and we are driving, now out of control, in the left lane with a car heading straight for us.

The car is still swerving right and left and suddenly I feel it lean slightly to the left. In all my training with cars there are a few rules that drivers, no matter how seasoned, mention over and over again. I now realize they mention it over and over because in these moments you have a fraction of a second to make a decision.

Cross arms! Cross arms! I take my left arm from out the window and fold both arms like I’m hugging myself.

When you roll a car the force will cause your hands to fly every which way so you’re supposed to cross your arms to keep them from moving around. It was a decision I’m likely never to forget.

What happens to the team after the crash? Click Read More to find out…

Read More

August 03rd, 2010

India Initiating Cleaner Fuel Cabs Driven by Women

According to the Times of India, the public transportation system is initiating more Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) taxis in cities and certain cabs will be driven by women specifically for female passengers. This is a great initiative on several levels.

First, it is using cleaner fuel. LPG is a a low-carbon-emitting, low-polluting fossil fuel, hydrocarbon fuel.

Second, it will provide jobs for both women and youth. The program provides profit-sharing with profits equally divided between the companies and the drivers. The program also provides greater safety for female passengers. In addition to female drivers the cabs are equipped with GPS devices and two-way communication so the cabs can be tracked and passengers can talk directly. to the control room. There was also talk of installing cameras in the taxis.

We’ve written about other female owned and run taxi companies in India, like Forsche in Mumbai, and we’re happy to see India is continuing this exciting trend!