Automatics bashing thread

[Aleksander Mierzwa <alex@matrix.pl>]

Hi List,

I've read several messages containing statements like "automatics are
unsafe","automatics cause accidents","automatics cause traffic jams" etc.
Well, guys, don't you think you sound a little bit like the people who
started the unintended acceleration hysteria? Blaming the cars for what is
really caused by the drivers? Even if majority of automatics are driven by
bad drivers, it's not the fault of the cars, but rather of authorities who
allow people who can't shift and steer at the same time to get driving
licences. I believe these are the same people who later can't tell the
brake from the gas pedal and cause UA incidents. I made my licence driving
4sp air cooled Fiat, hence I feel comfortable driving both automatic and
manual. I choose automatic as my daily driver simply because 80% of my
driving is done in city during rush hours - having to repeat the
declutch-1st-declutch-2nd-declutch-neutral sequence while moving slowly in
a traffic jam wouldn't be any safer nor more exciting and in fact would
only put more fatigue on both me and the car. I wish I could keep the 5KT
as a city beater and get a 6sp S6+ Avant for occasional long trips,
unfortunately, I'd need to win a lottery (or better yet two) to afford
that, so I had to choose a car which is a good compromise between my needs
and the 5KT automatic is. As to the "automatics cause traffic jams"
argument, do you know how many people over here engage 1st already after
the green light has been on for a second or two? Now, _that's_ pi**ing off!

Aleksander Mierzwa
Warsaw, Poland
mailto:alex@matrix.com.pl
87 Audi 5000CS turbo (mine)
88 Renault Medallion wagon (mom's)
91 mountain bike (just in case both cars broke at the same time :-)