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2011 SNES Champ Joined: Dec 04 2006 Posts: 1929

I suck at driving. I had to buy a second apprentice driver license because I had got the other one 18 months ago, so it expired (this means I still haven't passed the practical test yet). I'm too nervous.

Fortunately, my mother's car has an automatic transmission. My father had a manual transmission, and I often stalled the car or put it on neutral. I'm never gonna drive that in a city.

How much time did it take you to get your license? Did you have any accident? What's the point of having manual transmission?

Posted: Mar 15 2007 02:34 pm

Economy driving is over rated. Driving fast is fun. My dad has a Ford McLaren he takes autocrossing, doing solo timed runs, I always go along with him when he does so I can get a few runs in myself. I'm not effective at timed runs, but it's nice to not be limited to 60MPH. I'd go myself, but I drive a '92 Taurus, which, if I were to drive aggressively, would fall apart.

I'd like to get a car which I could take autocrossing, but man, it's not worth it. Not worth having a $5,000+ vehicle just to take it for a spin once a month for six months in a year.

This doesn't answer your question. It took me about two weeks to get the driving part down, then I had to wait six months to get my license. Lame. I can't afford an accident, so I drive like a fucking old lady on the road, and manual transmissions are there so you can shift to the next gear sooner than an automatic transmission would let you.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 03:10 pm

I still don't have my license. I got my permit x amount of years ago, took the required 5-hour course, but never took my driver's test because no one would take me driving. I have about 4-5 hours experience on the road, half of which include driving my drunk friend back from parties. My permit expired on my birthday this year, so I'm going to have to start from square one when I can find someone to take me out to the ball game... I mean driving.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 04:06 pm

I am 23 years old, and I have never had so much as my permit... even after my dad attempted to bribe be when I was 16 years old by buying me a car... I didn't cave... I have absolutely ZERO desire to drive.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 04:10 pm

I'm prepping to get a driver's license myself...

Posted: Mar 15 2007 04:34 pm

I got my license back in 98. Back before you needed 6 months on your permit. So I got it on my 16th. I've had two accidents. One everyone here knows about, the other was a very tough road battle with ice and and asshole telephone poll. Thats what you get for sleeping in on a school day. I love driving. Especially while blast my Mortal Kombat Soundtrack...definitly makes me want to go faster...

As far as manual transmissions go, they are typically going to go faster quicker as was stated earlier, but they are also cheaper when purchasing due to the inconvience of having to shift.

I'm currently looking into buying a Dalorean from a guy in the area. Then i'm going to go back in time and punch my dad in the face. The Dalorean is awesome.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 04:39 pm

I have a permit, and my 16th is in May.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 05:16 pm

I miss having a car. But now I just walk everywhere, or take the bus, which costs too damn much. My advice for driving practice? Just put on a blindfold, drink a bunch of rubbing alcohol, and drive around downtown until you get the hang of it.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 05:43 pm

I've had my driver's license for almost 4 years now, and have enjoyed every minute. While the part before the comma in the previous sentence was true, the part afterwards was a bold-faced lie, but not in bold.

I hate driving. A majority of the people around here cannot drive, and whenever I am out driving, I treat it as if everyone is out to collide with my car. I haven't had an accident yet, and I attribute it to my "everyone is a douchebag incapable of driving" mentality.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 06:57 pm

I had my learner's permit for about 6 months, before I got my licence way back in 95. I did very limited driving when I first got my permit, but then my parents enrolled me in Driver Ed, and that class was great, because you learn by studying and then by doing. I highly recommend it to anyone who does not have a licence yet.

Also, you get a price break on insurance if you take Driver's Ed.

As for the manual transmission question. There are two exact opposite reasons that it still exists.

1. Economy. A manual transmission, when used properly, can improve gas milage considerably. The manual transmission 1.0 Liter Geo Metro could get over 50 MPG.

2. Performance. Rather then trusting mechanical parts, or a computer chip, by manually shifting you can stay in the powerband while racing. For drag, or just high accelleration, you can redline the car before shifting, which makes sure you acheive maximum power while accellerating through gears. Also, it comes in handy while braking and cornering, as say after a long straight you have a hairpin turn (A very sharp 180 degree+ turn.) You can manually downshift from 6th gear straight to 2nd gear, so you can slingshot yourself out of the corner while still maintaining maximum Horsepower.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 07:25 pm

I've had my license for about 2 and a half years now, and I must say that being able to drive is awesome.

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

I've had my '96 T-Bird for nine years now, and later this year I'll probably get one of those new Dodge Chargers. When I get it, I am seriously considering getting the American Flag painted on the roof, with the words "General Grant" written above and below it. It would be the antithesis of the Dukes of Hazzard.

Posted: Mar 15 2007 09:26 pm

Put the Union Jack on it, and write King George.

Then it's the same as the General Lee, yet different.

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

Tishwitch wrote:

I am 23 years old, and I have never had so much as my permit... even after my dad attempted to bribe be when I was 16 years old by buying me a car... I didn't cave... I have absolutely ZERO desire to drive.

that's embarassing.

I learned how to drive in like two days, then spent the next two weeks practicing. I got the liscense on my first try. after that I smashed up my roomate's car really nice.

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

Knyte wrote:

1. Economy. A manual transmission, when used properly, can improve gas milage considerably. The manual transmission 1.0 Liter Geo Metro could get over 50 MPG.

2. Performance. Rather then trusting mechanical parts, or a computer chip, by manually shifting you can stay in the powerband while racing. For drag, or just high accelleration, you can redline the car before shifting, which makes sure you acheive maximum power while accellerating through gears. Also, it comes in handy while braking and cornering, as say after a long straight you have a hairpin turn (A very sharp 180 degree+ turn.) You can manually downshift from 6th gear straight to 2nd gear, so you can slingshot yourself out of the corner while still maintaining maximum Horsepower.

maybe I suck at games like gran turismo because I use an automatic transmission.

Posted: Mar 16 2007 06:24 am

JEW wrote:

maybe I suck at games like gran turismo because I use an automatic transmission.

Ugh, never use auto in racing games. Come on, man.

Posted: Mar 16 2007 08:36 am

I just picked up on the fact that in racing games you could achieve a higher top speed with a manual transmission. I really do know jack shit about cars, though.

Posted: Mar 16 2007 10:10 am

As a Ninja, Rooftops are definitely the best way to get around.

Of course, being a ninja who has a non-ninja family, I was forced to acquire my license.

When I had first gotten my license, I had slipped through some cracks and loopholes as they were changing the system at the time.

So I had gotten my Permit, drove around for 3-6 months in my parents ride, and I could swear that they were clinging onto the handles for their life. (but my driving is always safe ^_^)
After that, I went for my test and had my license which I had absolutely no need to use for about 3 and a half years.

I would be pretty safe to say that most of your fear and apprehension is not due to your inability to drive, but your inability to control what others are doing. From my experience, there are a lot of people out there that really suck at driving and make this fact known by running red lights and t-boning cars all in the name of 'Idiocy and Retard'.

So yeah... Don't be an Idiot when you drive.... ^__^

2011 SNES Champ Joined: Dec 04 2006 Posts: 1929

Yeah, I'm nervous because of the others. Most importantly, I fear I might push the gas instead of the brake if some idiot cuts me (like I did the second day I started driving. I didn't check behind Embarrassed

)

Posted: Mar 16 2007 02:00 pm

JEW wrote:

that's embarassing.

I learned how to drive in like two days, then spent the next two weeks practicing. I got the liscense on my first try. after that I smashed up my roomate's car really nice.

I never said that I can't drive, I just don't have my license. I'm not at all bothered by the fact that you find it "embarassing" Embarrassing is that you can't spell embarrassing, license, or roommate.

Posted: Mar 16 2007 02:50 pm

Not being able to spell is different from not typing accurately (and not giving a shit about your typing mistakes), I'm just saying.

Posted: Mar 16 2007 07:06 pm

I used to be super afraid of coming to a four way stop. I envisioned two people stopping, then slowly creeping towards each other while nervously sweating, frozen in fear, then finally banging into each other and it causing an explosion that blew up the whole world.

Posted: Mar 16 2007 08:48 pm

I have my license, but the worst drivers I've run into (or been run into by) were not while I was driving. Like the time I was biking downtown and someone cut me off, causing to go flying a good 15-20 feet, over their trunk, bike and all.

Posted: Mar 16 2007 11:42 pm

Just look out for the massive ammount of people who talk on their cell phones while driving.

I really wish there were laws banning the practice in more places. I don't know how many times I have been following someone, and wondering if they were drunk, only to pull up to them later when they turn or something, to see that they are yapping on their phone.

Not too long ago there was a study done, that proved that talking on a cell phone while driving, impared your reaction time just as badly as having a .08 blood alcohol level. So why hasn't it been outlawed yet?

I mean come on people! I think you can live without yapping on the phone while driving from point A to point B! The average person as only been able to afford a cell phone for the last 10 years or so. And, we all survived just fine driving around not talking on a phone, and if we needed to make a call, we found a payphone! [/rant]

Posted: Mar 17 2007 01:54 am

It's banned in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada... and since that province could be called the Amish part of Canada (lacking in the way of modernity) I'm sure the rest of Canada will soon follow.