I felt the same way in a manual car when I stated to drive. I’ll never forget how I’d drive out of the way to avoid hills and having trouble rolling while shifting. Stuff nightmares are made of.
Ha! Decades ago, My dad unleashed me in New Delhi with one additional sentence - "everyone on the road is trying to kill you, all you have to do is survive "
Had he known about video games, he might have just said -go, Frogger
I recall my embarrassment when, as a 14-year-old, I sat in the back seat as my 16-year-old sister drove our family home from church in our 1964 Chevelle, the family car equipped with a six-cylinder engine and a three-speed manual transmission. The stop sign before turning onto Main Street! I thought we would never get started, after stalling multiple times. But soon she learned.
All of my cars from age 16-27 were manual transmission. I loved that instant of perfect balance between the clutch and accelerator. I was also a gymnast. Driving a manual transmission is like doing a flip on a balance beam and then smugly throwing your arms up in a pose of superiority at the other drivers on the road.
LOL! I had a Kharmann Ghia in my later college years and early 20s that had a mash-up of automatic and manual – i.e., I had to shift gears, but there was no clutch. I loved it! My next car was an automatic, but the one after that was fully manual, and we bought it one week before my husband left for two weeks of his reserves active duty. I had to learn to manage that clutch fast! I avoided hills for those two weeks – and several more after that. Thanks for the memory, Tracy!
First car- VW Bug. And we lived on a steep hill! Survival meant learning fast. And yes, I felt like a great driver, just as you described. Fun read!
I don’t know how we did it with those steep hills. We are survivors!
I felt the same way in a manual car when I stated to drive. I’ll never forget how I’d drive out of the way to avoid hills and having trouble rolling while shifting. Stuff nightmares are made of.
Facts! We are trauma survivors! ;)
Ha! Decades ago, My dad unleashed me in New Delhi with one additional sentence - "everyone on the road is trying to kill you, all you have to do is survive "
Had he known about video games, he might have just said -go, Frogger
yes! We survived the real life Frogger!
I recall my embarrassment when, as a 14-year-old, I sat in the back seat as my 16-year-old sister drove our family home from church in our 1964 Chevelle, the family car equipped with a six-cylinder engine and a three-speed manual transmission. The stop sign before turning onto Main Street! I thought we would never get started, after stalling multiple times. But soon she learned.
I love these stories. At least I know I wasn’t alone with the embarrassment and trauma lol
All of my cars from age 16-27 were manual transmission. I loved that instant of perfect balance between the clutch and accelerator. I was also a gymnast. Driving a manual transmission is like doing a flip on a balance beam and then smugly throwing your arms up in a pose of superiority at the other drivers on the road.
Couldn’t agree more! We are an elite group of drivers, my friend!
LOL! I had a Kharmann Ghia in my later college years and early 20s that had a mash-up of automatic and manual – i.e., I had to shift gears, but there was no clutch. I loved it! My next car was an automatic, but the one after that was fully manual, and we bought it one week before my husband left for two weeks of his reserves active duty. I had to learn to manage that clutch fast! I avoided hills for those two weeks – and several more after that. Thanks for the memory, Tracy!