Re: It's Okay for Drivers to be Shiftless

[Paul Wilson <pwilson@pop.ma.ultranet.com>]

At 07:03 PM 8/19/98 -0500, Pete Kraus wrote:
>As a life-long champion of manual shift who decries the fact that many
>otherwise wonderful cars are automatic-only (at least in the U.S.
>market), I respectfully disagree with Sarge about requiring manual
>training.  Most U.S. drivers are not enthusiasts.  Why burden them with
>a chore that modern technology has done an excellent job of
>superseding?    
>
>Mastering manual shift is an admirable but wholly unnecessary activity
>that doesn't make the average driver any safer or more attentive and
>may render the marginal driver even more of a menace.   I'll concede
>that the presence of manual transmission might force learners to take
>their lessons more seriously, but I doubt that it would make a
>poorly-taught driver (Sarge is right, most U.S. driver training programs
>are appalling) more competent on the road.  

I have a somewhat radical theory but it's one I've formulated during years
of commuting on RT. 128 in Mass(one of the busiest roads in the US for
those who aren't familiar with it).

My theory is that a lot of traffic congestion is caused by people driving
automatics.  How is this true?  If you look at traffic patterns, you'll
find many clumps of traffic, or outright traffic stoppages, that have no
real cause.  There's not even a cop pulled off in the break down lane
writing a ticket.  My theory contends that these are the result of people
tapping and/or riding their brakes.  This brake tapping causes the people
following to tap their brakes a little longer.  The net result is a big
accordian effect.  

The original brake tapper is, no doubt, driving an automatic.  They do this
because automatics are more difficult to drive at a constant speed due to a
lack of compression braking.

So I say ban automatics.  It won't happen, but I can hope.

BTW, I saw a d**khead talking on a cellphone and trying to write something
down.  He was doing this while trying to drive his Saab down the
aforementioned RT.128.  He was tapping his brakes a lot also.

Paul Wilson
'98 A4 1.8TQ 5-speed manual
'85 Honda Interceptor 5-speed manual
'94 Mazda Miata(one of these with an auto would be an offense to God)