Manual transmission challenged

[piisfish 140]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-06-20/news/sfl-flduh-stick-shift-20130619_1_stick-shift-carjacker-suspect

Quote

This carjacker didn't know jack about driving.

Antoren "Chief Keef" Bell, 19, tried to carjack a woman but his plan was foiled by his inability to drive a stick shift, according to the Escambia County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

Witnesses said Bell ordered the woman out of her car at gunpoint, but then abandoned the car shortly afterward because he couldn't drive a stick shift, the report stated.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[BikerBabe 0]

One of the best things my dad ever taught me. He insisted I learn to drive in our 1979 Chevy Malibu station wagon with a 4 on the floor and the stiffest damned clutch you'll ever find.

Came in handy in college when the freshmen wanted to borrow my car. I'd hand them the keys and they'd start to leave...and then i'd casually say, "oh, you can drive a stick shift, right?"

So many sad faces as they handed the keys right back.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

BikerBabe

One of the best things my dad ever taught me. He insisted I learn to drive in our 1979 Chevy Malibu station wagon with a 4 on the floor and the stiffest damned clutch you'll ever find.

Came in handy in college when the freshmen wanted to borrow my car. I'd hand them the keys and they'd start to leave...and then i'd casually say, "oh, you can drive a stick shift, right?"

So many sad faces as they handed the keys right back.

Apparently my sister and her kids can't, which is odd because I thought she drove the stick-shift Camry I learned on for years. Both my main and beater snow car are stick shift, so I'll either have to teach them or drive them around everywhere if they come out to visit again.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi Babe,

Quote

One of the best things my dad ever taught me.

I taught both of my kids to drive in a broken down old pickup with '4 on the floor.' We had a local company that was closed on Sundays, with a very large parking lot where they learned to drive & park. One thing they did learn was how to stall an engine.

I'm sure that to this day they have a place in their hearts where they simply hate me.

But they can drive a stick,

JerryBaumchen

[Nataly 38]

I don't get why North Americans make such a big fuss about driving stick shift... It's just not a big deal - anyone can learn. Proof is that most people in Europe have never seen, let alone driven an automatic, and they all cope with it just fine.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Nataly

I don't get why North Americans make such a big fuss about driving stick shift... It's just not a big deal - anyone can learn. Proof is that most people in Europe have never seen, let alone driven an automatic, and they all cope with it just fine.

I prefer it over an automatic. I hate driving cars with automatic transmissions. The Nismo I'm driving now has this "S-Rev" feature that bumps the throttle when you shift to make your shifting smoother. I drive with it disabled and can't tell a difference from when I'm driving with it on. Except that when I pop it into neutral without using the clutch, I'm usually getting ready to coast to a stop but it thinks I'm going to shift into a gear and bumps the throttle then too.

Plus, you can't bump start an automatic. Something's draining the beater Honda's battery when it's off and I'm trying to isolate the cause. I think the alternator might be on the way out, but it ought not to be a problem when the vehicle's been sitting. If I come back and it doesn't want to start, I just recruit a couple of passers-by to give it a push and bump start it.

A while back I drove my room mate to a movie and left my lights on (It had been raining.) When we came out, the battery was dead. I asked her if she'd ever bump started a car before. She didn't know what I was talking about so I gave her a quick run down and had her pop the clutch while I was pushing. She didn't even know you could do that. Kids these days (Except she's older than I am...)

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[tan 0]

What's '4 on the floor'?

I'm curious, does the US or the EU differentiate between a "manual license" and an "automatic license"? Or is it as long as you can work it, you can drive it?

[normiss 800]

4 forward gears, stick shift on the floor. As opposed to "three on the tree".


Yes, so long as you can operate the clutch, a normal operator license is fine.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

tan

What's '4 on the floor'?

I'm curious, does the US or the EU differentiate between a "manual license" and an "automatic license"? Or is it as long as you can work it, you can drive it?

There's no difference in the license in the USA -- if you can work it you can drive it. You do need a motorcycle endorsement in the license in all the states I've checked in order to legally drive a motorcycle, though. There's also a commercial license for 18 wheelers.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

prefer it over an automatic. I hate driving cars with automatic transmissions.

That might change over time, depending on age and commute. When I was younger, I had 4 cars in succession that were manual. I definitely preferred the control, especially with cars with smaller engines. I fell out of love with them as a result of many years of spending a couple or more hours a day driving in heavy, often stop-n-go traffic. In those conditions, working the clutch gets to be a bitch. By my late 30s, my left leg was often sore by the end of such a day. Now in my middle-ageitude, my left knee definitely feels more of life's wear & tear than my right knee does. I attribute that in no small part to 20+ years of clutch-shifting. Now I just want the car to do all the work, so it's all auto trans for me.

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi Andy,

You took the words right out of my mouth.

JerryBaumchen

PS) Anyone who prefers a stick to an autobox only needs to grow old to change their preferences.



JerryBaumchen

PS) And I agree with Nataly; sticks are somewhat more difficult to learn to drive but once you learn, they are easy to drive; even on hills.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Well I'm 43 now and still going strong on stick. I've gotten pretty good at inching along in first or second in stop and go traffic and use engine compression at least as much as brakes for slowing down and stopping. Nothing quite like riding in 3rd down the switchbacks while the flatlander in the mini-van in front of you burns his brakes up...

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[oldwomanc6 52]

FlyingRhenquest

Well I'm 43 now and still going strong on stick. I've gotten pretty good at inching along in first or second in stop and go traffic and use engine compression at least as much as brakes for slowing down and stopping. Nothing quite like riding in 3rd down the switchbacks while the flatlander in the mini-van in front of you burns his brakes up...

That's because most drivers of automatics don't realise that 's possible to gear down in automatic. . Driver's Ed ain't what it used to be, and this is just one of a thousand points where it falls short, now.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[jakee 1,489]

Nataly

I don't get why North Americans make such a big fuss about driving stick shift...

Mad, isn't it.

Anyone who says they can't drive a manual must think they live in a world without synchromesh.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[BigMark 1]

No way in hell could I drive a manual in a right hand drivers seat car. Kinda like patting your head and rubbing your belly.

[ryoder 1,590]

jakee

***I don't get why North Americans make such a big fuss about driving stick shift...

Mad, isn't it.

Anyone who says they can't drive a manual must think they live in a world without synchromesh.

Merkuns can't drive a manual because the shifting interferes with their texting.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[oldwomanc6 52]

BigMark

No way in hell could I drive a manual in a right hand drivers seat car. Kinda like patting your head and rubbing your belly.

I thought the same thing until I moved to Japan.

What I found out was that the worst part was the first week until I got my Japanese license. Believe me, there are few scarier things than sitting on the left side with no way to control anything!

Once I started driving, it was amazingly simple to mirror-image everything in my brain. Seamless, except for U-turns, which I had to think out the entire time I lived there!

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[BigMark 1]

Did you enjoy Japan?

[oldwomanc6 52]

BigMark

Did you enjoy Japan?

Well, it was Okinawa, so only sort of Japan (you'd be surprised at what is acceptable, there) but, YES, immensely.

Everyone, especially Us Yanks should spend time actually living in a different country. It probably doesn't matter which one. We are very fortunate, here, and most of us don't even have a clue.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[billvon 2,991]

>No way in hell could I drive a manual in a right hand drivers seat car.

Spent a few weeks driving through Ireland with a manual shift right-driver car. Man was it stressful. I talked friends of mine into driving a few times just so I could look around.

[IJskonijn 45]

tan

What's '4 on the floor'?

I'm curious, does the US or the EU differentiate between a "manual license" and an "automatic license"? Or is it as long as you can work it, you can drive it?

Here in the Netherlands, there is a difference between a normal license (i.e. you learned to drive a manual transmission) and an automatic transmission license. With the latter, you are only allowed to drive automatic. It's the exception rather than the norm though, and I've only seen it with people who had a good reason not to be able to use their left leg (or legs, in that case both throttle and brake are hand-controlled).

The only time I've ever driven an automatic are a few short parts during my drivers education (my instructor wanted me to experience it), and when I rented a car in Canada.

[piisfish 140]

Well it seams the original fun was missed. The guy tried to steal a luxury car and abandoned it a couple of hundred yards later because he was stuck in 1st gear

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Zep 0]

"you can't bump start an automatic"

Ohh yes you can, Stick it in drive and tow it above 30mph

Gone fishing

[Nataly 38]

BigMark

No way in hell could I drive a manual in a right hand drivers seat car. Kinda like patting your head and rubbing your belly.

Again, not a big deal. I learned to drive in Canada, and sure, switching over to the "wrong side" of the road when I moved to the UK took a little getting used to... But after just a few minutes it was fine. Took roughly about a week to feel "natural" to drive that way. Some things become so totally automatic you think you won't be able to do anything different... Then you do it and realise your biggest obstacle was your fear of trying. Like when I learned to ride a motorcycle... It was a total disaster until I learned not to be so tense - then all my wobbling and uncoordedness magically disappeared. From my experience, just about anything that you teach your body is so much more achievable once your mind has decided to stop over-analysing everything.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[PPL 0]

FlyingRhenquest

***I don't get why North Americans make such a big fuss about driving stick shift... It's just not a big deal - anyone can learn. Proof is that most people in Europe have never seen, let alone driven an automatic, and they all cope with it just fine.

I prefer it over an automatic. I hate driving cars with automatic transmissions. The Nismo I'm driving now has this "S-Rev" feature that bumps the throttle when you shift to make your shifting smoother. I drive with it disabled and can't tell a difference from when I'm driving with it on. Except that when I pop it into neutral without using the clutch, I'm usually getting ready to coast to a stop but it thinks I'm going to shift into a gear and bumps the throttle then too.

Plus, you can't bump start an automatic. Something's draining the beater Honda's battery when it's off and I'm trying to isolate the cause. I think the alternator might be on the way out, but it ought not to be a problem when the vehicle's been sitting. If I come back and it doesn't want to start, I just recruit a couple of passers-by to give it a push and bump start it.

A while back I drove my room mate to a movie and left my lights on (It had been raining.) When we came out, the battery was dead. I asked her if she'd ever bump started a car before. She didn't know what I was talking about so I gave her a quick run down and had her pop the clutch while I was pushing. She didn't even know you could do that. Kids these days (Except she's older than I am...)

Back in high school, I drove an '82 Ford Mustang. Manual. For some reason, there was something wrong with it that made the starter keep going out. I'd put one in, it would work for about a week, and then go out. After going through 3 or 4 starters, i eventually just said "fuck it." I learned where every hill within 50 miles of my house was and whenever I went somewhere, I'd just park on top of one of them and then roll start that bitch. I had designated parking spots at school, work, everywhere. I graduated in '95 so this wasn't that long ago. Surely there are still kids going through similar ordeals.