Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: FLAME! Only a Manual!
From: derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne)
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 21:10:05 GMT
Organization: Fujitsu New Zealand

In article <1dck4tINNqj3@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> aas7@po.CWRU.Edu (Andrew A. Spencer) writes:
>
>In a previous article, atovorni@engr.UVic.CA (Andreas  Tovornik) says:
>[repeated stuff deleted]
>
>>And driving TRABANTS!
>
>haha..nicelyput!!!
>
>*****WARNING: REAL LIFE EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW!! STOP NOW IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT!!
>(you gotta make sure to put this stuff on these to protect these peeple!! ;-)
>
>>Yeah...My mother's not willing to try either. When her car was in the shop,
>>I said that she was welcome to use mine. I had to drive her all over town
>>because she never could be bothered to learn how to REALLY drive(ARRRGH!)
>>
>
>this is a real life example of what i have been stressing.  EVERYONE should
>LEARN on a stick, as they can then drive EITHER!!..at their WHIM...but, 

Yeah right, EVERYONE should learn EVERYTHING.  Lets not leave out any 
of those driving skills.  We might be stuck in the middle of nowhere and 
the only vehicle available is an ARTICULATED LORRY,  or one of those TRACKED
CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES,  or a TRACTOR or a MOTORBIKE (yes I know we aren't
supposed to discuss motorbikes in this newsgroup). We might have had an 
accident in the middle of the Sahara and the only transport is a CAMEL - we 
should learn to ride one of those too!  EVERYONE should know how to put 
any 4X4 into 4 wheel drive IN THE DARK.  EVERYONE should also be able to fix 
ANY part of their vehicle on matter where they are.  EVERYONE should know
how to DOUBLE DE-CLUTCH in case their synchro's fail,  ditto CLUTCHLESS
SHIFT.

Look this is all a load of *#$%.  If someone is stuck in the middle of 
nowhere and there was a reasonably novel vehicle around they would learn to
drive it or die.  Most people learn to double de-clutch _after_ their vehicle
fails not before.  If you really need to you will 'Jury rig your car or die'
or wait for the next vehicle and get a lift.  Think of it as evolution in 
action.

>those who never learn on a stick, are relegated to the (monotonouosIMHO)
>life of driving an auto only

Hey it's their choice!  For most people it is just a method of transport.  
Thats why they sell so many boring cars.   

>, and, whenever circumstances call, are left
>looking like idiots because they have to  be either taught, or they have
>to beg someone to take the time to drag them around, or they claim to be
>able to, and screw up the equipment!....

Sounds to me like in the good ole' US of A the automatic is the norm.  If 
the car breaks down most of the neighbours will also have automatics.  The
chances of having to borrow a manual are pretty small.  Tales of 3 speed blue 
Mustangs notwithstanding.

>if everyone were required to learn
>to drive a manual, then they would have the choice, 

If everyone was _required_ to learn use a manual you would just have _removed_
their freedom of choice.

>but as it is now, have
>NONE!!...geez..how can anybody be so blind???

I can't ride a motorbike.  I don't apologise for that.  I don't see why I 
should learn to ride one just in case I have to borrow one someday.  It is
the same for a lot of people and manual gearboxes.  


-- 
Derek Tearne.   --   derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz   --    Fujitsu New Zealand   -- 
Some of the more aware dinosaurs were worried about the environmental
consequences of an accident with the new Iridium enriched fusion reactor.  
"If it goes off only the cockroaches and mammals will survive..." they said.
Newsgroups: rec.autos