A woman’s guide to getting out of a car on formal occasions especially when being watched, filmed and photographed
There is a technique for getting out of a car on these occasions, in which our head of state was clearly not trained at any point in her life.
However, now that she is head of state, somebody should have taught her the way to do it, to avoid precisely this kind of awkwardness, though the length of her gown saves her (and us) from a much more embarrassing spectacle.
As the car approaches the stopping-point, you pull yourself as close to the door as possible, though not so close that you tumble out when it is opened for you.
Then, as soon as the door is opened, and depending on the design and height of the seat/door and your own litheness and length of leg, you turn your body at an angle towards the open door to enable you to:
1. swing both legs out of the car and onto the ground at once, while still seated, keeping your ankles together at all times, moving immediately to standing position (practice makes perfect);
or
2. regardless of whether you are ‘left-footed’ or ‘right-footed’, and while still seated with your body angled towards the door, place first on the ground the foot nearest the door, following it swiftly with the other one, and only when both feet are firmly on the ground raise yourself swiftly from your seat.
Both 1. and 2. should be a seamless movement from placing both feet on the ground outside the car (while still seated in the car) to standing. If you are not naturally graceful, this takes a bit of practice using different skirt lengths and heel heights with the car parked in a quiet spot and somebody trained to check progress.
This is actually something all women should know, even those of us who drive ourselves around, but with the head of state – as we can see quite clearly – it is absolutely essential.
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Exactly where is her other leg?
At 90 degrees to her body, pointing backwards.
I wonder if she gets back into that car the same way she comes out of it, in reverse. Can you imagine that?
Before I read the text I thought it was: On your marks, get set, BANG!
It looks like it got caught up in the seat belt.
What in God’s name is she wearing?
At least she’s sitting at the back.
I expected her to come out of the driving seat.
Forget the heel height, she should be used to them by now, they look like the same good ol’ pumps to me. Black does go with everything ‘non’?
U tahseb inti li Marie Antoinette Louise toqghod tosserva dawn is-sinefiteti kollha?
U iva mhux xorta. L-aqwa li ma rawlha xejn ‘specjali’.
L-aqwa li ma jigriliex bhal Laura Pausini.
You’re right! However, you do need a good pair of legs to do all this! Believe me, I have tried this several times, but being a five-footer does not help at all!
Should be even more straightforward with five feet. Put the first three out of the car and down on the ground, getting you good and steady, follow up with the other two, then straighten up and scuttle away.
Heq il-patruna tal-prekarjat din kellha tkun. Tant thenn li l-haddiema taghha qalbitom bix-xift u flok overtime mhallas jiehduh time off in lieu.
I like the way the driver’s placed the car so that it’s him that uses the red carpet.
Ara veru sirna ‘Turd world cuntry’
Run, rabbit, run.
The problem with scowling was dire indeed. That seems to have been addressed at the expense of other graces.
And let us not forget that we are talking about somebody who doesn’t believe that her presence lends legitimacy:
Confronted at a press conference yesterday, Ms Coleiro Preca said: “I don’t think that the President of the Republic should get involved in these types of issues. In reality, where we are going is covered with a regular licence. If there was an illegality, we would have known about it.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140724/local/President-says-Montekristo-venue-has-necessary-permits.528988
If the August full moon is this coming Sunday, then, pray, why has the Ball of the August Moon already been held?
True, is it not usually held on the full moon?
Dear Madame President, when you get the hang of walking, perhaps you could try your hand at reading:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140803/local/more-illegal-development-at-montekristo.530452
Daphne it impossible to move like you said because she is overweight and can’t manage her legs.
Holding one’s handbag in one’s right hand when exiting from the right hand side of a car is neater.
Handbag goes out first, then legs, leaving the left hand free to steady one’s self against the car door panel if need be, and to surreptitiously smooth out one’s skirt while still concealed by the partially open car door.
When exiting from left hand side of the car, handbag is held in left hand.
Now having been in office for some months, it is also time for Marie Louise to drop the giggly schoolgirl grin and to adopt a facial expression more appropriate to official functions.
Even a cow would have got out more gracefully.
Uff kemm hi bla grazzja
On Xarabank she had said that the BMW 7 series was too expensive to maintain and she bought a brand new Citroen as her official car. Now she’s using the BMW too. Typical Taghna Lkoll mentality.
Is she even able to see the difference between a Citroen and a BMW?
And if not, what does it show?
Ma nistax nifhem kif dik il-persuna li xi żmien kienet direttur tal-protokoll, għal xi żmien mal-President Abela , issa reġa’ qiegħed il-Ministeru tal-Affarijiet Barranin u jgħallem il-protokoll f’istituzzjoni privata, ma sabx ħin biex ta xi ftit lezzjonijiet ta’ x’għandha tagħmel f’diversi okkażjonijiet. U mhux lilha biss imma lill-kabinett u l-MPs kollha tan-naħa tal-gvern.
Facli tider bla grazzja meta tkun naqra goffa miskiena. M’hemmx taghmel, it’s too late ghal course go xi Swiss Finishing School.
She is on the wrong side anyway. Since our cars are right-hand drive, the Head of State should sit on the left-hand side on the rear seat, that is not behind the driver but on the other side, the side where the Maltese flag flies.
In order for the President to get out of the car nearest to the entrance, the driver should have found a way to turn the car round and, if I am not mistaken, there is a way to do so at this particular spot at Verdala.
If H.E. was sitting, according to protocol, on the ‘flag’ side, then it seems she has had to move sideways on the rear seat in order to get out at the side nearest to the entrance.
If the driver could not possibly turn the car round, it would have been better, though this is not quite right, for her to leave the car from her side, out the left passenger door.
I do hope she has been advised as to which side the Head of State should occupy in the presidential car. Her ADC knows what should be done, I presume. The organizers should have planned a way for cars to turn round as there may have been other personalities with the same problem e.g. ambassadors.
Taħseb li dawn in-nies jafu xi ħaġa? Għalihom kollox jgħaddi. Basta qegħdin hemm. Int taħseb li d-driver jaf kif suppost imorru l-affarijiet? U jekk ma jafux ma jindenjawx ruħhom jitgħallmu, jistaqsu kif ,le jagħmlu kif jiftlilhom. U wara jgħidulek….” l-August Moon Ball mhux xorta sar.. Kemm tgħaġġbuha intom”. Mur merihom.
Don’t waste your time, these bunch of social climbers couldn’t care less about proper comportment and protocol. They enjoy ridiculing those who do care, and the institutions themselves. Muscat is simply another Mintoff with (slightly) better clothes, less aggressiveness, more cunning and hiding behind a fake smile.
What with the posture and the Cheshire cat smirk, would one be forgiven for asking “And what were you doing on the back seat ML?”?
Goodness gracious.
What is she wearing?
What is she doing?
Isn’t that posture one reminiscent of a dog marking its territory?
All these tips usually come at a price, Daphne. The price of discipline. No use giving them what should end up being the final set of conditions when the ones they should be preceded by are totally missing.
Gabillott.
Madame President should watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8yhQalODME