# Give an idiot a soapbox and he begins to think he's no longer an idiot



## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorials/1101237418/



> Heaven help the chicken that decides to cross the road in front of a driver using a manual transmission.


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## Plaz (Dec 19, 2001)




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## BlackChrome (Nov 16, 2003)

:thumbdwn:


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

What a [email protected]  :tsk:


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Wow, to think that 2 of the 3 vehicles I own are a menace to society and inherently dangerous, that I lose all concentration when having to use the manual transmission. To continue his logic, my 4th vehicle, my moto, is completely dangerous and should never be driven at all since it has a manual transmission and only TWO WHEELS! Spassiba, Commissar.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Well, having spent time on the track with SMG, he does have one point. It DOES take some concentration and brain power to shift well. No matter how experienced you are.

But it is MINIMAL compared to all the other junk people do while "driving."

Funny thing is, ABS has been shown to NOT reduce the number of collisions. In fact several manufacturers are thinking of taking it OFF the standard equipment list. It seems that people believe that ABS is magic, and will stop them in time, no matter how little distance is available, no matter what type of road conditions, even in the wet or on snow. So they still smack into the back of other cars.

WRT gas mileage, with the current lock up torque converters for cruising, the gas mileage benefit is a good bit less than it used to be. But my experience is that autos get less gas mileage than the exact same car with a manual.

What does throttle by wire have to do with anything?

And air bags are redundant if peole would just wear their 3 point harness. Especially since wiht air bags you stil need to wear your harness, if nothing else to prevent injury from the air bag itself.

All wheel drive? To me it allows idiots to think that they somehow can repeal the laws of physics in adverse conditions. The numbnuts haven't ever figured out that while all wheel drive allows to to get moving in low traction situations, ALL cars use 4 wheels to stop and 2 wheels to turn, therefore you cannot stop or turn any better than the two wheel drive car that is going slower since it has a harder time getting going.

Wahat do variable valve timing and electronic engein controls ahve to do with safety?

Speed variable power sterring? Just because the average person can't turn the wheel to park due to the sedantary life style. Fun people wan tthe car easy to aprk so they don't wear themselves out parking at the gym. 

And do you listen to your engine SO closely that you can't hear emergency vehicles? If that can be a problem, how about multi speaker, high wattage sound systems that can actually prevent hearing outside sonds, as well as destroy the occupants hearing?

And I guess this guy is such an idiot he has to stare at the tach while driving. And obviously cannot walk and chew gum at the same time.

Hmm, chicken or pedestrian in front of you. What kind of idiot downshifts? How about both feet in, of course this guy would probably hit the gas nad clutch and blow the engine, so he NEEDS the electronic engine management.

And manually shifted auto? 1) It still takes one hand off the wheel (BTW how many drivers do YOU see on the road with both hands on the wheel?), 2) With paddle shifters you still have to THINK about shifting (although it does sort of force you to put both hands on the wheel), 3) Why not SMG? 

And funny thing is, he never mentions that while in a manual you have to use one foot on brake and accelerator, 99.99% of drivers do the SAME THING IN AN AUTO. So the third pedal isn't a big deal since you have a whole unused foot to deal with it.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

FUNNY, from another part of the SAME site:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/truthaboutcars.html


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

That is a load of BS. 

What makes this guy such a expert... whoooa he has a website I'm impressed?  

When I drive a auto I tend to get lazy while driving, that ain't gonna happen driving a stick.


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Your first post was very nicely put Terry



Pinecone said:


> FUNNY, from another part of the SAME site:
> 
> http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/truthaboutcars.html


Looks like a rebuttal - a different person wrote this one.

--pete (a future "doddering vintage car aficionado")


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2004)

Pinecone said:


> FUNNY, from another part of the SAME site:
> 
> http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/truthaboutcars.html


 Not THAT rant was excellent. Dead on.

In contrast, I couldn't even force myself to read through the entire rant linked in the original post. It was just too inane.


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

·clyde· said:


> http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorials/1101237418/


Wow, this guy is a tool. Looking at the tach? Shifting _while_ turning a corner? Over-revved engines?

Totally inane.


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## apar330i (Aug 19, 2002)

What a tah rah rah goon deeyaa. Until reading that article I never, ever considered that driving a car with a manual was a safety hazard. I still don't. I would venture to say that for most of us shifting gears is second nature. In normal driving I rarely look at the tach before I shift. I just shift when it seems natural. I think that cat went to the Ralph Nader school of comsumer advocacy.


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## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

·clyde· said:


> http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorials/1101237418/


Ah, my good friend Robert Farago and "The Truth About Cars". :tsk:

Sad part is, he doesn't know the first thing about cars. What a guy he really is...


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## TeamM3 (Dec 24, 2002)

he should join a forum or two   :rofl: 

ahh, the great internet divide ... :angel:


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## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

They'll have to pry my 6-speed shifter out of my cold, dead hands.


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## Desertnate (Mar 11, 2002)

JPinTO said:


> They'll have to pry my 6-speed shifter out of my cold, dead hands.


Ditto...except I only have 5 speeds 

The author of the first article made it sound like shifting was a physically challenging task that required Olympic athlete class abilities. He must have a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time if he finds rowing his own gears that difficult 

What is he doing shifting while turning anyway?

Unbelievable. :thumbdwn: Sad part is some people will take that load of crap seriously.


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Desertnate said:


> Sad part is some people will take that load of crap seriously.


Probably to be quoted by some NHTSA person when they try to mandate automatic transmissions for safety reasons in all cars... :thumbdwn:


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## Mike 325xi (Dec 19, 2001)

What a complete maroon. :tsk:


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## MR325iT (Feb 21, 2002)

Pinecone said:


> And I guess this guy is such an idiot he has to stare at the tach while driving. And obviously cannot walk and chew gum at the same time.


By his argument, walking and chewing gum would be "inherently dangerous".

With every car I've ever purchased, an automatic would have added weight, complexity, and repair costs, and would have taken away acceleration, fun, and mileage (regardless of the author's assertions).

As for the driver attention argument, isn't there a case to be made that manuals force greater driver concentration?


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## FenPhen (Jan 13, 2004)

Pinecone said:


> And manually shifted auto? 1) It still takes one hand off the wheel (BTW how many drivers do YOU see on the road with both hands on the wheel?)


When I'm driving my car, I cannot hold a phone to my ear with one hand and drive with the other, so I either ignore the call or make sure I have the headset plugged in before I get going. If I am on the phone while driving, I often find myself asking the other person to repeat themselves cause I'm concentrating on my driving and not them. 

This just adds to the argument that stick drivers have to be more attentive (and I'd bet all are).

One thing he didn't mention was that an automatic is always pushing the car foward when in drive, even with your foot off the accelerator, and also upshifts at times when you really want to slow down, making it more likely for running into the car in front of you in traffic. (Steptronics in Sport Mode don't do this premature upshift like other automatics.) And duh, an automatic driver is never supposed to use the left foot to do anything.


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