Driving A Manual Car Again.

[icyfroth]

Panelbeater rings me up this morning, asks me if I can drive a manual gear shift.

I says yeah but I haven't driven one in years.

He says well I can't get an auto courtesy car til tomorrow but if you want to take the manual you can bring your car in today.

I say ok.

I managed to drive it out of the yard without bunny-hopping it lol. Stalled it a cpl times at the lights. Paranoid about any hill starts, scared of rolling back.

But I got used to it by the time I drove home. 🙂 Some things you never forget. Like riding a bike.

[softail-joanie]

LOL - over here we call the steering wheel 'the big circle'

What do you call the wheels?, tire/rim, Bigger circles? Ya know what?, Start calling cars, "horse-less carrage"

Where is your horse-less carrage parked? ,,

If you drive a light blue Toyota horse-less carrage with such n such tag numbers, , you left your lights on.

[softail-joanie]

Oh 4 crying out loud, don't slip the clutch or use the handbrake. Hold the brake pedal with your heel until light changes and ease up off it while using your toe on the same foot to apply alittle gas to keep it from stalling while your left foot comes off the clutch.

[lloydslights]

I learnt with a column-shift' (EH Holden van) Learnt hill starts at Amaroo Hill Climb gravel section (handbrake / clutch / accelerator symphony)

But soon after learnt the 4-on-the-floor (with billiard ball). (Mini -  with blue battery sticker)

Been driving an auto for 40ish years.  Driving a couple of weeks ago in the owned-since-new  (VR Commodore), with the cassette music going.  Went to change gears ???????

DEB

[2106greencat]

[icyfroth]

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@ten*teeny*tiny*toes wrote:

I hadn't driven a manual for 20 years, then I had to take my daughter for driving lessons.

You're right, you just do it but boy I was nervous. Especially when she bailed at the roundabout.

Tests any relationship, the stop, no no no go, delayed reaction STOP!

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omg scary.

[icyfroth]

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@nicnacs_4u wrote:
Icy no luck on a bike but can still drive a manual car. .

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I taught my granddaughter to ride a bike a cpl years ago Nics while I was on hols there. 9 yo old and she still hadn't mastered it. All her friends were making fun of her. She was scared of falling off.

Took a few days and a fair bit of patience but she finally did it.

She was so proud. Couldn't wait for her Mum & Dad to come home from work so she could show them, lol.

[katymatey*]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@ten*teeny*tiny*toes wrote:

I hadn't driven a manual for 20 years, then I had to take my daughter for driving lessons.

You're right, you just do it but boy I was nervous. Especially when she bailed at the roundabout.

Tests any relationship, the stop, no no no go, delayed reaction STOP!

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omg scary.

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Well that brought back memories. My dd bailed out at a major roundabout. How embarrassing to have to get out and change drivers with traffic waiting behind. 🙂

[icyfroth]

Chucked a coupla wheelies this morning at the lights. Still haven't got the gas to clutch ratio down pat yet. It's a rainy day and the roads are quite wet, so there was a bit of fishtailing as well.

Very conscious of my fellow motorists looking in at the window as they pass and thinking: "yep - blonde woman driving" 😄

I just kept looking straight ahead.

[dwilke33]

I learned to drive with a stick shift (manual), but the last one I personally owned was back in the late 80's.  Although during that time and since I worked for a state transportation department and all of our pickups were 4 on the floor or 3 on the column.

My poor kids had to learn how to drive with a stick also...all I had at the time.  They have no regrets.

I love my current Honda Accord which is automatic, but sometimes when stopped on a hill I reminisce about keeping the gas and clutch in that perfect position to hold the car in place.  🙂

[lloydslights]

I learnt to parallel park with 4 cardboard boxes as guides.  2 lenthwise pretending to be a vehicle and 2 widthwise as the front of another car.   Often been clapped for my prowess at parking.

I would class manual driving as a "skill".  And like a lot of my skills, now obsolete.

DEB