US car thieves floored by manual gearbox
Discussion
Ho Ho!!
The Register said:
wo US would-be car thieves failed dismally to make off with a Honda Accord after discovering it had a mysterious manual gearbox, RTÉ reports.
Having menaced the owner with a gun outside a pizza restaurant in Georgia, and relieved him of his wallet and car keys, the pair of teen master criminals prepared to make good their escape. However, according to an employee of the pizza outlet, "they could not start it because it had stick shift".
The eyewitness recounted: "The kid was just sitting in the car trying to start it but he had no idea what to do. He looked dumbfounded. The only thing he had going was the radio."
While dumb and dumber wrestled with the problem of how to drive a car with four on the floor, restaurant staff called the cops who cuffed them as they tried to leg it into nearby woods.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/21/stick_shift_dummies/Having menaced the owner with a gun outside a pizza restaurant in Georgia, and relieved him of his wallet and car keys, the pair of teen master criminals prepared to make good their escape. However, according to an employee of the pizza outlet, "they could not start it because it had stick shift".
The eyewitness recounted: "The kid was just sitting in the car trying to start it but he had no idea what to do. He looked dumbfounded. The only thing he had going was the radio."
While dumb and dumber wrestled with the problem of how to drive a car with four on the floor, restaurant staff called the cops who cuffed them as they tried to leg it into nearby woods.
pikey said:
Ho Ho!!
The Register said:
wo US would-be car thieves failed dismally to make off with a Honda Accord after discovering it had a mysterious manual gearbox, RTÉ reports.
Having menaced the owner with a gun outside a pizza restaurant in Georgia, and relieved him of his wallet and car keys, the pair of teen master criminals prepared to make good their escape. However, according to an employee of the pizza outlet, "they could not start it because it had stick shift".
The eyewitness recounted: "The kid was just sitting in the car trying to start it but he had no idea what to do. He looked dumbfounded. The only thing he had going was the radio."
While dumb and dumber wrestled with the problem of how to drive a car with four on the floor, restaurant staff called the cops who cuffed them as they tried to leg it into nearby woods.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/21/stick_shift_dummies/Having menaced the owner with a gun outside a pizza restaurant in Georgia, and relieved him of his wallet and car keys, the pair of teen master criminals prepared to make good their escape. However, according to an employee of the pizza outlet, "they could not start it because it had stick shift".
The eyewitness recounted: "The kid was just sitting in the car trying to start it but he had no idea what to do. He looked dumbfounded. The only thing he had going was the radio."
While dumb and dumber wrestled with the problem of how to drive a car with four on the floor, restaurant staff called the cops who cuffed them as they tried to leg it into nearby woods.
A friend of mine was hijacked by two armed lads years ago in Boston. He had to drive the dirtballs to his apartment and was tied up whilst they went about ransacking the place and helping themselves to his earthly possessions, which they carefully packed into his car.
Finally both of them went downstairs at the same time, he untied himself and let himself out of the closet where he had been held, locked his door and started calling for help from his balcony.
The dirtballs attempted to flee, but were thwarted by...you guessed it, the manual gearbox. They then hijacked a couple in a passing car only to be apprehended shortly after.
Finally both of them went downstairs at the same time, he untied himself and let himself out of the closet where he had been held, locked his door and started calling for help from his balcony.
The dirtballs attempted to flee, but were thwarted by...you guessed it, the manual gearbox. They then hijacked a couple in a passing car only to be apprehended shortly after.
Anyone remember the Starsky and Hutch bloke on top gear? I felt the pain of that gearbox.
In all sincerity, the idea of driving a stiffly sprung, high revving, manual car at 80 or 90mph on the road everyday on your way to work, must be quite alien to a lot of our American cousins. I know the US does have it's fair share of real cars and real drivers, but the usual comfort spec saloon (and driver!) must be quite different to life in europe.
In all sincerity, the idea of driving a stiffly sprung, high revving, manual car at 80 or 90mph on the road everyday on your way to work, must be quite alien to a lot of our American cousins. I know the US does have it's fair share of real cars and real drivers, but the usual comfort spec saloon (and driver!) must be quite different to life in europe.
I had a mate who worked at a car rental place. He once had a client come back after five minutes telling him the car didn't work. Turns out matey (American tourist) was turning the car on and slamming it into first without touching the clutch. My friend explained the intricacies of the clutch pedal and sent him on his merry way... Tourist was back inside of five minutes asking why his car was so slow. Turns out it hadn't occurred to him to shift out of first into higher gears. Needless to say an automatic hire car was immediately found for said muppet...
runnersp said:
And to think that BMW is making a special version of the M5 with a manual gearbox especially for the States... Anti-theft considerations perhaps?
I'm going with Sniff Petrol theory - they're marketing it over there, because it doesn't actually exist and that's the only market where they can be sure of not having to prove otherwise.pikey said:
Ho Ho!!
The Register said:
wo US would-be car thieves failed dismally to make off with a Honda Accord after discovering it had a mysterious manual gearbox, RTÉ reports.
Having menaced the owner with a gun outside a pizza restaurant in Georgia, and relieved him of his wallet and car keys, the pair of teen master criminals prepared to make good their escape. However, according to an employee of the pizza outlet, "they could not start it because it had stick shift".
The eyewitness recounted: "The kid was just sitting in the car trying to start it but he had no idea what to do. He looked dumbfounded. The only thing he had going was the radio."
While dumb and dumber wrestled with the problem of how to drive a car with four on the floor, restaurant staff called the cops who cuffed them as they tried to leg it into nearby woods.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/21/stick_shift_dummies/Having menaced the owner with a gun outside a pizza restaurant in Georgia, and relieved him of his wallet and car keys, the pair of teen master criminals prepared to make good their escape. However, according to an employee of the pizza outlet, "they could not start it because it had stick shift".
The eyewitness recounted: "The kid was just sitting in the car trying to start it but he had no idea what to do. He looked dumbfounded. The only thing he had going was the radio."
While dumb and dumber wrestled with the problem of how to drive a car with four on the floor, restaurant staff called the cops who cuffed them as they tried to leg it into nearby woods.
Negative Creep said:
A mate of mine just went over there, apparently they were dumbfounded when he told the locals show everyone here uses a 'stick shift'. Personally I can't see why, aside from a long traffic jam, you'd ever wnat a manual
Performance?Fuel Economy?
Fun?
Safety (reduced time for overtake)?
chris_tivver said:
Negative Creep said:
A mate of mine just went over there, apparently they were dumbfounded when he told the locals show everyone here uses a 'stick shift'. Personally I can't see why, aside from a long traffic jam, you'd ever wnat a manual
Performance?Fuel Economy?
Fun?
Safety (reduced time for overtake)?
ASBO said:
Only in America 
No, just thank God for stupid thieves. Those Ghetto children probably never drove any type of car!
Edited to say: No offences taken; anyone with a 12 month membership or better has passed the minimum bar for piss-giving!
No offence Jimbeaux
No, just thank God for stupid thieves. Those Ghetto children probably never drove any type of car!
Edited to say: No offences taken; anyone with a 12 month membership or better has passed the minimum bar for piss-giving!
No offence Jimbeaux
Edited by Jimbeaux on Thursday 21st June 22:16
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