The Daily Peeve / Rant

[iris lilies]

People who drive manual transmissions and then let their car slowly roll back when stopped at a light. Guy this morning let his keep rolling back. I was originally probably 10ft behind him. He nearly hit my front bumper. I was hitting my horn and his car just kept rolling back. Finally stopped. I saw him do that to other cars on the rest of the commute. I hate people

I reeeeeeally debated long and hard with myself about getting a manual transmission for my zippy red car because it is not a true sports car with an automatic transmission. But then, I thought about all of the hills in Hermann. I would often be parking on a hill. Decided against it.

And now that our Herman garage and driveway has been built, there’s a little hill and a dip, that I constantly have to back out of. With automatic transmissions I don’t have to worry about the rollback problem.

[Tradd]

I reeeeeeally debated long and hard with myself about getting a manual transmission for my zippy red car because it is not a true sports car with an automatic transmission. But then, I thought about all of the hills in Hermann. I would often be parking on a hill. Decided against it.

And now that our Herman garage and driveway has been built, there’s a little hill and a dip, that I constantly have to back out of. With automatic transmissions I don’t have to worry about the rollback problem.

The rolling back I saw was on flat pavement. No hill. Guy was being an asshole.

[rosarugosa]

I just realized that I owe you guys a mockingbird update. The squirt gun thing got old really fast, and it wasn't all that effective, because the bird could always just fly out of my range. It did provide my husband with much amusement to watch me in action though, so that's something, lol. I ended up buying another feeder and setting it up on the other side of my house. The mockingbird either realized he could not defend both feeders effectively, or did not feel the need since resources were more plentiful, but he is acting like just another backyard bird again.

[early morning]

The rolling back I saw was on flat pavement. No hill. Guy was being an asshole.

If car was rolling, there was an incline. I've driven a manual trans for 50 years. They don't roll back on a flat w/o a push... That said, I can't imagine why anyone would WANT to roll back into someone. The way bumpers are constructed, he's just as apt to get a dent as you are, I'd think. Hills - that's a different story, lol. IL, I think you made a good call with having a Hermann-friendly zippy car!

[JaneV2.0]

If car was rolling, there was an incline. I've driven a manual trans for 50 years. They don't roll back on a flat w/o a push... That said, I can't imagine why anyone would WANT to roll back into someone. The way bumpers are constructed, he's just as apt to get a dent as you are, I'd think. Hills - that's a different story, lol. IL, I think you made a good call with having a Hermann-friendly zippy car!

In the years I drove a VW bug, I developed "hillphobia" after a few rollback experiences, to the extent that I gradually came to avoid anything resembling one. As my father noted "manual transmissions seem like a step backwards at this point." Father knows best

[Alan]

In the years I drove a VW bug, I developed "hillphobia" after a few rollback experiences, to the extent that I gradually came to avoid anything resembling one. As my father noted "manual transmissions seem like a step backwards at this point." Father knows best

We've been a manual transmission family for most of our adult lives, well our prior adult lives anyway. My wife is a new Beetle fanatic, currently on her 4th one and disappointed that they've now been discontinued. We've both struggled with smoothly starting again after stopping on an incline and its especially frustrating on a motorcycle. That's one of the reasons we both have automatics now, we're getting too old to coordinate both legs at the same time.

[ToomuchStuff]

Manuals are fun, and if I could ever get enough time off to do it, I'd like to get my old VW up and going. I view them as a more fun for a little drive around town, errands car and the automatics, more of a long distance/highway vehicle.

[JaneV2.0]

People used to tell me how much fun they were to drive, and I looked at them as if they had two heads. Cars have always been only transportation to me.

[happystuff]

First car I ever owned was a VW beetle. Loved it!

[nswef]

Our 20 year old truck is manual transmission. Our 2007 Focus is our first automatic transmission car. I will never go back to manual. Having learned to drive in Pittsburgh with a stick shift...before gears were synchronized...I was GOOD at not rolling back, but I never liked it. We kept manuals while we were working as getting up hills in snow in an automatic wasn't as reliable. But, once retired and planning to NEVER drive in snow again if I can avoid it, we bumped up to an automatic with front wheel drive. HUGE comfort!