Just tried to stand the wifes car on it's nose.

[MitchT]

cjs racing. said:

Why do autos have to have such a big brake pedal.

I was wondering the same recently. Cars with paddle shifts tend to have a normal size brake pedal, so why do autos have a huge one?

[Bradley1500]

Hoofy said:

I've jumped between autos and manuals but never ever done this. I am clearly a driving god.

Me too.

stewjohnst said:

What was worse was driving anything RHD after running around in my LHD Barchettas.

I often go to get into the passenger’s side of my LHD Trans Am. Each time I do, I pretend to rummage through the glovebox for something before getting into the correct side – very embarrassing.

[jan8p]

Moist_Van_Lipwig said:

Several years later, I am still incredibly embarrassed about it, and cringe every time I remember how close I came to causing an accident!

The accident would have been his fault, not yours

[robinessex]

Haven't managed any manual/auto disasters so far, but have stalled the manual a few times.

[MFR_TT]

I've always wanted to have a car capable of doing stoppies. Maybe a proper mini with some serious tyre grip and monster tyres!

But I do remember the first time I tried left foot braking. I tried to gently caress the brake, but my foot just kept going and the brake pedal had never been so mashed. Needless to say I locked up fully, absolutely st my pants and have never attempted it since.

[Chapppers]

Don't suppose your wife drives a Jeep Renegade, does she?



The first time I drove an auto was my dad's company car, I was doing very well until we got to a car park and as I pulled into the space I pressed the "clutch". My dad's glasses flew off his face and hit the windscreen. He wasn't happy.

[DonkeyApple]

cobra kid said:

Having had an Allegro (first car in '91) that used to cut out when stationery, I mastered the art of left foot braking so I could keep the revs up with my right foot and come to a standstill whilst braking with my left.

You never lose it!

I wonder how many of us past Leyland product victims have this inate skill? In the early 90s I bought a Griff and due to extensive Leylandosis found it a doddle to come to a halt and keep tickover up. Never even gave it a second thought.

I suspect Leylandosis is also the reason why some of us can seamlessly and instantly diagnose, adapt, improvise and overcome when something on a car catastrophically fails while driving along.

[cjs racing.]

I feel far much less of a plumb, knowing I'm far from the only one to do this.

[HappyMidget]

cjs racing. said:

I feel far much less of a plumb, knowing I'm far from the only one to do this.

I wouldn't worry too much, I have never driven an auto and managed to stand on the brake the other day instead of changing gears whilst booting it onto the M25

The one that usually gets me though is indicators. The stalk on the VXR8 is on the right hand side whereas on my Wife's Adam it is on the left meaning lots of wiping windows instead of indicating and vice versa

[99dndd]

I was driving in my work's car park at 15 mph and thought "left foot braking, how hard can it be?"

"Lightly" touched the brake with my left foot and near flew through the front windscreen.

[*Al*]

My job includes starting and driving brand new cars off a production line, they can be manual, auto, left hand drive, right hand drive and numerous specs and models. I've occasionally jumped in the wrong side to drive.

[hyphen]

Moist_Van_Lipwig said:

I've only ever done that once!

...There was a horrific screech of brakes from behind, and I braced for the crash... which veryunluckily didn't happen

Edited for my situation. He wasn't very happy, but was following too close and was a non-fault incident for me.

[CABC]

kambites said:

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.

test drove a new Golf GTi last week, i knew vag over-servo their brakes but was still shocked just getting out the car park how brutal they were. horrible.

Probably means dealers can sell more pads and disks though.

[wack]

To save on the taxi fare, when I was 18 I drove my dad's automatic Volvo 245 estate back from Cambridge airport, he drove it there,I'd never even sat in the drivers seat before

I waved them off and set off home, as I was leaving the airport I slowed for the junction , went for the clutch at about 20mph and it stopped dead, no skid apart from the bloke behind me who needed a change of underwear

[SpudLink]

Done this once, almost with tragic consequences.
Many years ago (late ‘90s) a group of us were out and about on motorbikes, but for some reason had to get a car from A to B. It was agreed I would drive, and my mate would follow on his bike, and give me a lift back to my bike after.
Now I have never owned an automatic car, and at this point in time had only driven a car with an auto-box on a single occasion, many years previously.
So of course I go for the clutch, and instead stamp my SIDI racing boot on the brake. Fortunately it was at less than 30pmh, but the chap following me on the motorbike came very close to slamming into the back of the car.

[Benni]

MFR_TT said:

I've always wanted to have a car capable of doing stoppies.

Easily done : Buy ancient Polo, implant VR6 turbo drivetrain, add serious semi slicks, remove lots of useless weight,

do a nice burnout, and apply brakes before the startline.



Then do a low 11 on the quartermile.

[FiF]

Off topic somewhat but while we're on foot/pedal error confessions here's one from my past.

Rushing to get to work, long time ago on earlies, just stuck my feet into my boots and didn't do the laces up.

Set off, on approach to the junction at the end of the road, moved right foot across to brake, oops, bootlace caught in door shut. Handbrake on, out of gear, left foot brake!

[Shaw Tarse]

Did the foot on "clutch" in an auto once, days after passing my test.
Many years later it seemed unnatural to come to a stop without using left foot.


Are brake pedals still as wide these days as they were in old autos like Granadas?

[PositronicRay]

cjs racing. said:

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?

Coming to a stop yes, never heard of anyone doing this @ 60!!

[bmw320ci]

PositronicRay said:

Coming to a stop yes, never heard of anyone doing this @ 60!!

Your not that guy who parks over someones drive from another thread in here are you, he drives and white transit.

Cant see why you would even start to move your left foot to the centre of the pedals when driving an auto.

did you still have your big work boots on or something?