Wanted to share my day yesterday

[izstigspunks]

Some of you may remember that I bought a new car a couple of months ago ... a standard, specifically. Unless you count arcade and video games, I've never driven a standard before, nor been in the passenger seat other than a few times in my life. But I was always fascinated and wanted one since I got my licence.

After practicing successfully in the evenings in parking lots and driving from my parents' to my place a few times, which is about 40kms apart, I figured yesterday that I might as well try driving to work.

My bf and I carpool so he drove to his work then I took over. And low and behold guess what's just a few kms away, a huge arse hill! Screeched a couple of times and stalled a few times. After stalling one final time my left leg started shaking . It was in the middle of rush hour so I turned on the emergency lights so people can pass me. lol. I can't remember how I managed to get out of there but I did. Stopped at a coffee shop to calm my nerves. I was 1.5 hours late for work.

After work I took the main roads instead of the highway (freeway for you Americans :D) to pick up my bf. It was non-eventful until I reached the underground parking lot at his work. You know, the ones that have a 1-lane 30ft sharp incline to be able to exit. Yup, you guessed it. My car started shaking violently when I was more than half way up and stalled. I was so embarrassed. Good thing no one was behind me and I reversed all the way down and tried again. This time, in second gear. I blamed my bf for not letting me know that I have to gain momentum at the bottom of that incline to be able to make it. haha.

Needless to say, we took his oh-so-easy-to-drive automatic to work today. Hey, at least my car didn't smell of burnt tranny.

ps. Who's great idea is it to build roads on hills anyways!?

 

[Lucy-licious]

This is so funny to me, I'm guessing what you call Standard is what we call manual as in 5 gears and a clutch peddle?The majority of cars on the road in the UK are manual, I've never driven an automatic and would be just as scared as you were yesterday. Get momentum at the bottom of a hill and as you start to feel the engine struggle change down a gear to avoid stalling, don't be frightened of it you will soon get there and wonder why you ever drove an automatic which isn't half the fun. Try finding a quiet place on a hill and practice hill starts too, just incase it happens again. Then at least you won't have to go back down to start again it's scary stalling in traffic. But well done you for not giving up.

 

[cali baker]

I admire you for driving a standard ("manual" for us)! I've always driven an automatic car but once in awhile think about learning to drive stick shift. After reading your post tho, i think i'll stick with automatic!

 

[Libra926]

When I was 15, I bought my first car for 125.00. It was a manual VW rabbit. (some Americans refer to it as a 'stick shift') My father took me to neighborhood that had a steep hill. My father made me come to a complete stop right in the middle of it. We did it over and over and over until I could to it flawlessly. The day I turned 16, my dad let me skip school and took me to get my license. The very first automatic I ever owned was my truck. THAT was hard to get use to.

My suggestion....you have the parking lot down, now find a nice hill with no traffic. Practice. Stop and go, stop and go, stop and go. Up, Up, Up, Up. Learn how to jump start your car by rolling it down the hill. That way, you will be prepared. Good Luck!

 

[cali~jenn]

good advice [MENTION=572]Libra926[/MENTION]! I dont drive a stick and actually would feel almost as anxious as you. I have always had an automatic but I did use to drive Conways when we were young. He only had that truck for maybe 2 years tho so since then (around 19) I have only driven automatics. For towing a stick shift is the best but I drive while towing also and cannot image having to tow a trailer up a steep a$$ mountain. I may have to try that practicing idea, of course that would work.

 

[Telly03]

When I was 15, I bought my first car for 125.00. It was a manual VW rabbit. (some Americans refer to it as a 'stick shift') My father took me to neighborhood that had a steep hill. My father made me come to a complete stop right in the middle of it. We did it over and over and over until I could to it flawlessly. The day I turned 16, my dad let me skip school and took me to get my license. The very first automatic I ever owned was my truck. THAT was hard to get use to.

My suggestion....you have the parking lot down, now find a nice hill with no traffic. Practice. Stop and go, stop and go, stop and go. Up, Up, Up, Up. Learn how to jump start your car by rolling it down the hill. That way, you will be prepared. Good Luck!

That's funny, it's the same way I learned to drive stick.... it may take you longer to learn on a hill, but when you do, your golden

 

[izstigspunks]

Thanks guys. It's actually pretty fun, even when the traffic's bumper to bumper, so I'm looking forward to driving it again. I was really laughing in the inside when the parking lot fiasco happened. Was so lucky that no one was exiting that way at that time.

Thinking of a hill that I can practice on ... don't know if I should bring the bf cuz you know how guys get upset in the inside when they know us girls are doing things wrong. lol.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Awww! This brought back memories! of me learning to drive a VW and teaching my girls how to drive a stick! Omg! I finally had to let my hubby take over..or I would've killed my own daughters! By strangulation! I do remember my youngest deciding she REALLY needed to dress up her VW and drive it in the citys Christmas parade...ummm..uphill! She stalled for a few blocks and bout took out a few hundred brownie scouts behind her before she screamed for her dad to take over! soooo..there was my hubby..driving a Christmas decorated volkswagon...in a kiddy parade...surrounded by high school girls and very frightened 5 year old Brownies! Egads! how did we survive teenage daughters! to you and after all..you DID make it to work!!

 

[lexterwayne]

Growing up in te country I learned how to drive out in pastures when I was 6... When I turned 14 my parents let me start driving home from a certain point ( when we got to the county road, where there's hardly any traffic) and let me get the hang of driving. Also around 14 my dad taught me how to drive his 6 speed ford truck, and of course we headed down to the pastures! And we practiced practiced on all types on inclines, and to this day I still hate inclines especially when someone is right on ur booty and if u go back a foot you'll hit them! I would rather peel out than roll into someone haha...
Jeff has a 6 speed dodge diesel and love getting on it and black smoking slow poke people... Ya the country comes out in me at times ...
Once u get te hang of it you'll be like I can't believe I had a hard time learning! And of course the only way to get better is practice, everytime y'all go out somewhere take ur car and YOU drive!!!

 

[LariP]

When I was about 20 I thought I really wanted a Datsun. They were small, sporty yet economical. Problem was most of them were manual and I only knew how to drive an automatic. Well I went into the Datsun dealer just to look at what options they might have in automatics and the salesman said he would teach me to drive a stick. He did and I went home with a brand new DatsunB210GX the next day.

It looked exactly like this old ad I found. Even the same brown color.
"DatsunB210GX" Redirect Notice"

I had that car for 9 years until it finally developed leaks in the cooling system that didn't seem to be fixable. As much as I liked that car, I prefer driving an automatic. I do more town driving and it's a pain shifting all the time. Since I had it so long I did get to where I knew how to control it so much on a hill that after a time it was hard to make it roll back on an incline even just playing around. it was just so natural to hold it in one spot.

 

[Libra926]

That just made me remember. My husband and I bought a truck right after we were married for like $1000. I think it was a F250. It was a three on the tree. What guy wouldn't be impressed with a girl who can handle a truck like that?

 

[Lucy-licious]

I struggled with hill starts for a while but practice makes perfect. Try finding what we call the bite on your clutch. Its that point when you are releasing clutch and pressing the accelorator together...the nose of the car dips when you have the bite and this is the point where if you hold it the car sits still. Thats how my instructor taught me on a very quiet hill, he just had me sat till my legs ached keeping the car sat in one place, then from there slowly squeeze down the accelorator and let up the clutch and Bobs your Uncle your off up the hill....either that or you stalled like I did for the best part of an hour.

I hated learning to drive and didnt drive for 8 years after I passed my test, not until Chris said he wasnt taking me to the shops no more..I could go myself It took me 3 cars and another 6 years to decide drivings OK and now in my Mini I will drive anywhere because I know my car can handle anything

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

I struggled with hill starts for a while but practice makes perfect. Try finding what we call the bite on your clutch. Its that point when you are releasing clutch and pressing the accelorator together...the nose of the car dips when you have the bite and this is the point where if you hold it the car sits still. Thats how my instructor taught me on a very quiet hill, he just had me sat till my legs ached keeping the car sat in one place, then from there slowly squeeze down the accelorator and let up the clutch and Bobs your Uncle your off up the hill....either that or you stalled like I did for the best part of an hour. :roflI hated learning to drive and didnt drive for 8 years after I passed my test, not until Chris said he wasnt taking me to the shops no more..I could go myself It took me 3 cars and another 6 years to decide drivings OK and now in my Mini I will drive anywhere because I know my car can handle anything

Bob's NOT my uncle....but Max is!

 

[Chunksmama]

I learned the same as [MENTION=572]Libra926[/MENTION] and [MENTION=410]Telly03[/MENTION]. Dad wanted to be sure I could handle anything ... and to this day he's so glad he did because I still have the best driving record in the house!!! Every vehicle I've had was standard/manual except for my two SUVs ... I prefer it ANY DAY over automatic. So much more control. I also like [MENTION=1648]Lucy-licious![/MENTION]'s suggestion of finding the "bite" in your clutch. That's key to having control.

Once you have this under your belt, you'll feel great. My fav is when I get in my car in my stilettos and get comments like, "You are gonna drive stick in THOSE?!" Hell yeah buddy. And better than you any day. I can take my little sporty car ... or a 70s old Ford pickup in the mud. I'm a little bit of a motor head deep inside, too.