Just tried to stand the wifes car on it's nose.
Discussion
My daily drive is a Transit van, my wife has a Yeti.
Mine is manual, hers is auto, I'm sure many can see what is coming.
I went for the clutch, and mashed the brakes at 60, damn thing felt like it wanted to do a front roll.
Why do autos have to have such a big brake pedal.
I know I'm not the first to do this, so lets have some funny tales about the same?
Mine is manual, hers is auto, I'm sure many can see what is coming.
I went for the clutch, and mashed the brakes at 60, damn thing felt like it wanted to do a front roll.
Why do autos have to have such a big brake pedal.
I know I'm not the first to do this, so lets have some funny tales about the same?
I managed to mash the brake in a manual, crawling along in traffic, I notice my right lace is undone... As I'm barely on tick over in first I cover the brake with my left foot and do my lace up. Now I need to brake, but my left foot is used to taking to clutch pedal to the floor, I think I headbutted the steering wheel for good measure!
I did this more recently in an auto too, came to a stop and instinctively put the clutch down...
I did this more recently in an auto too, came to a stop and instinctively put the clutch down...
I've only ever done that once!
My Brother and I had been on a trip down to Lincolnshire, to visit the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We chose to travel in his car (a MB automatic diesel estate) to save fuel costs, and we could share the driving duties.
We'd set off at about 05:00, had a full day at Connigsby, and then left for home at about 17:00. It was a long day, and I'd got the short straw to drive home.
About halfway home, approaching a road-about on an almost empty dual carriageway, stuck my foot down on the clutch, and came to a very sudden halt. There was a horrific screech of brakes from behind, and I braced for the crash... which very luckily didn't happen. The car behind had hit the brakes, and when he realised he wasn't going to stop, steered to the left, and into a very handily placed layby. He actually ended up parked alongside us.
I wound the window down, and apologised to the bloke(a lot).
Several years later, I am still incredibly embarrassed about it, and cringe every time I remember how close I came to causing an accident!
My Brother and I had been on a trip down to Lincolnshire, to visit the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We chose to travel in his car (a MB automatic diesel estate) to save fuel costs, and we could share the driving duties.
We'd set off at about 05:00, had a full day at Connigsby, and then left for home at about 17:00. It was a long day, and I'd got the short straw to drive home.
About halfway home, approaching a road-about on an almost empty dual carriageway, stuck my foot down on the clutch, and came to a very sudden halt. There was a horrific screech of brakes from behind, and I braced for the crash... which very luckily didn't happen. The car behind had hit the brakes, and when he realised he wasn't going to stop, steered to the left, and into a very handily placed layby. He actually ended up parked alongside us.
I wound the window down, and apologised to the bloke(a lot).
Several years later, I am still incredibly embarrassed about it, and cringe every time I remember how close I came to causing an accident!
My wife managed similar a couple of weeks back in my car - hers is manual, mine's auto. She was rolling up to a junction and moved the gear lever forwards, expecting to get from 2nd to 1st. Instead she got from drive to park. The tyres sqeaked. (And yes, I also sqeaked inside. Serves me right for drinking and expecting her to drive home!)
First time I drove an auto I did this. For a few months after I would every so often do it. Usually when I was about to stop at the driveway to reverse up it. I was already braking a little with my right foot and then I went into auto pilot and tried to slam the clutch down. When I sold the car I asked the guy test driving it if he had driven an auto before. He said no. I warned him about slamming the brake thinking it was the clutch. He pulled away, went around a corner at 20 mph and proceeded to pull an emergency stop. He was a bit embarrassed but I expected it to happen!
After switching from an auto 540 to a manual golf, I recall arriving at a roundabout coming to a halt and thenwonderig why f
k all happened when I pressed the accelerator, rookie me a second or two to realise I'd just arrived at the roundabout in 5th and slowed to a stop without dipping the clutch and stalled.
What was worse was driving anything RHD after running around in my LHD Barchettas.
Thwarting my knuckles into the door as I went to change gear on the wrong side was a common mistake, not to mention attempting to reverse and turning my head round the wrong way to and seeing nothing but b pillar.
k all happened when I pressed the accelerator, rookie me a second or two to realise I'd just arrived at the roundabout in 5th and slowed to a stop without dipping the clutch and stalled.What was worse was driving anything RHD after running around in my LHD Barchettas.
Thwarting my knuckles into the door as I went to change gear on the wrong side was a common mistake, not to mention attempting to reverse and turning my head round the wrong way to and seeing nothing but b pillar.
In the early 2000s I was instructing on an advanced car course & we were tonking along a long straight section the A470 between Trawsfynydd & Dolgellau in a Volvo 850 T5 auto at about 120 MPH.
Two things happened simultaneously. I looked down at my map to find somewhere to stop for lunch, and a couple of seconds later, the student who was driving made the decision (and I've still no idea why he thought it was a good idea at 120+) to change down a gear.
Of course, he went for the non-existant clutch with his insensitive left foot and found the brake pedal.
The first I knew of his decision was when I was thrown forward at 2G into my seatbelt, head thrown forward into my lap, arms, map & paperwork chucked violently into the footwell, followed by screams of terror from the two students in the back.
I looked at the driver to see an expression which perfectly combined utter terror with complete confusion. Shouting "GET OFF THE FU@#%NG BRAKES!!" had no effect whatsoever & we continued to plough furrows in the road. I made a quick readjustment to my professional & highly-trained instructing techniques & shouted "GET OFF THE FU@#%NG CLUTCH!!" & he finally lifted his lead diving boot from the brake pedal.
We were down to about 15MPH at this point.
We've all dibbed the brake pedal accidentally when getting used to autos, but full accidental threshold braking from 120 definitely gets your attention.
Guess who was buying cakes for the rest of the week?
Two things happened simultaneously. I looked down at my map to find somewhere to stop for lunch, and a couple of seconds later, the student who was driving made the decision (and I've still no idea why he thought it was a good idea at 120+) to change down a gear.
Of course, he went for the non-existant clutch with his insensitive left foot and found the brake pedal.
The first I knew of his decision was when I was thrown forward at 2G into my seatbelt, head thrown forward into my lap, arms, map & paperwork chucked violently into the footwell, followed by screams of terror from the two students in the back.
I looked at the driver to see an expression which perfectly combined utter terror with complete confusion. Shouting "GET OFF THE FU@#%NG BRAKES!!" had no effect whatsoever & we continued to plough furrows in the road. I made a quick readjustment to my professional & highly-trained instructing techniques & shouted "GET OFF THE FU@#%NG CLUTCH!!" & he finally lifted his lead diving boot from the brake pedal.
We were down to about 15MPH at this point.
We've all dibbed the brake pedal accidentally when getting used to autos, but full accidental threshold braking from 120 definitely gets your attention.
Guess who was buying cakes for the rest of the week?
Did this road testing my dad's Jag after fixing the engine. I was the man, piling down the A4 in a Jag (I was 19 at the time), approached a roundabout at a fair clip and thought "need 3rd now". Hit the clutch ...and left a perfect set of stripes on the road - this was a decade pre ABS. Thankfully no one was tailgating me. Looped round the roundabout, observed a perfect set of dead straight stripes and realised that I didn't need to test the brakes again.
As Reg observes above, We've all dibbed the [-]clutch[/] errr brakes a bit when getting used to autos. Not a problem today, when in autos I started training myself to left foot brske when close quarter manoeuvring, now lfb all the time. Left foot is now quite sensitive, though interestingly in the case of emergency braking, right foot is dominant.
Unfortunately if you left foot brake then there is the odd occasion first time back in a manual that approaching a junction there's a spot of failing to declutch.
I'm clearly not a driving God.
Unfortunately if you left foot brake then there is the odd occasion first time back in a manual that approaching a junction there's a spot of failing to declutch.
I'm clearly not a driving God.
A good few years back my mum's mate bought a new Pug 206 CC and was worried about turning it round in our driveway.
Women eh!
I of course volunteered to come to the rescue. Did a quick 3 point turn, and naturally I reversed straight through the garage as my flip flop got caught under the brake pedal and the momentum from the auto's creep saw me elegantly smash through the wooden doors.
It was a good 10 years ago, and sometimes I still think about it and blush. I've also never worn flip flops whilst driving again!
Autos though; love 'em. When I was around 19 I was determined to learn how to left foot brake; took about a week to get used to it and now I instinctively brake with my left foot.
Women eh!
I of course volunteered to come to the rescue. Did a quick 3 point turn, and naturally I reversed straight through the garage as my flip flop got caught under the brake pedal and the momentum from the auto's creep saw me elegantly smash through the wooden doors.
It was a good 10 years ago, and sometimes I still think about it and blush. I've also never worn flip flops whilst driving again!
Autos though; love 'em. When I was around 19 I was determined to learn how to left foot brake; took about a week to get used to it and now I instinctively brake with my left foot.
It doesn't help that Skoda (and indeed VAG in general) fit such ridiculously powerful servos to their brakes. Swapping from my (unassisted) Elise into the wife's Octavia, I tend to do something like that, even when just attempting to brake quite normally; I dread to think what it's like it you stamp on it with your clutch-foot.
The reverse also happens
All our buses bar one are autos, even the gear lever is in the same position
Full up with old grannies and a wheelchair one day, glide smoothly to a halt, genttly pressing the brake
5 ton buses do not like 3mph in top gear and the look on the faces of the pax as they were shook up and down as though they were in a sauce bottle was not one i wish to repeat!!
All our buses bar one are autos, even the gear lever is in the same position
Full up with old grannies and a wheelchair one day, glide smoothly to a halt, genttly pressing the brake
5 ton buses do not like 3mph in top gear and the look on the faces of the pax as they were shook up and down as though they were in a sauce bottle was not one i wish to repeat!!
I've switched between many types of gearbox from a young age working with farm machinery so so far have managed to avoid wrong foot in cars. The first time I drove an auto anything was a big volvo loading shovel (around 13yo) I did then use the brake as a clutch and almost put my brother through the window! It rocked like a boat for a few seconds after.
Have also got into my car after driving a tractor with power shuttle all day (lever on steering column to select forward reverse and buttons for gears) and put on the indicator to reverse
Have also got into my car after driving a tractor with power shuttle all day (lever on steering column to select forward reverse and buttons for gears) and put on the indicator to reverse
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