| Re: Whoever is not fit to drive stick, should ride a bike
Bill Baka <bbaka@comcast.net> wrote:
> dgk wrote:
>> On 9 Feb 2007 08:33:46 -0800, "donquijote1954"
>> <nolionnoproblem@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Feb 6, 12:36 am, "Fred G. Mackey" <nos...@dont.spam> wrote:
>>>> Bill Baka wrote:
>>>>> The automotive engineers know this but they are paid to shut up
>>>>> and design cars that sell. Joe Consumer does not want to have to
>>>>> downshift to pass someone. That gives the somewhat slow Joe a
>>>>> sense of power under the hood, which in turn sells cars.
>>>> I'm no expert on cars, engines, or transmissions, but I do miss my
>>>> old car with the 5-speed manual transmission.
>>>>
>>>> I saw nothing wrong with downshifting to get a little more
>>>> acceleration - make that a LOT more. The car I drive now is similar in many
>>>> respects - better in quite a few, but the fact that it's automatic offers
>>>> me few advantages beyond being able to drink coffee while in stop
>>>> and go traffic. That wasn't a problem when I had a manual transmission - I learned
>>>> to drink my coffee between shifts.
>>> Ban automatic cars (except for the handicap) and the stupid and
>>> dangerous will go the way of the dinosaur. Whoever is not fit to
>>> drive stick, should ride a bike --or ride the bus. One-speed bikes
>>> should be all right though.
>>
>> I've always preferred manual but they really are impractical in the
>> big city. Plus, I managed to break an ankle in 1997 while at a big
>> getaway with about 50 people (I landed very awkwardly from my
>> mountain bike). Only one person out of those 50 could drive my car
>> home. My next car was automatic.
>
> Impractical is a stick in San Francisco. They put stop signs at the
> top of a hill and unless you have a hand operated emergency brake you
> can roll back and get the car behind you. That's the one place where
> I don't want to have a stick.
Your gross incompetance is your problem, as always.
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