Posted on 07/19/2019 12:03:52 PM PDT by C19fan
A man was arrested in Florida after sheriff's deputies say he tried to steal a car from an elderly man in Orlando.
The reason he was unsuccessful? He didn't appear to know how to drive a stick shift, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
The incident occurred Tuesday when an elderly man left his car running with the keys in the ignition while he was putting his walker into the trunk.
According to the sheriff's office, a man, later identified as 25-year-old Jaylen Alexander, allegedly attacked the elderly man, slamming the hood of the trunk on his chest and his walker.
(Excerpt) Read more at myfox8.com ...
Sometimes thieves get angry.
In 1985 a thug pulled a gun on my wife as she was loading groceries into the hatch of our new 5sp Trans Am and demanded the keys. The punk ass didn’t know how to start, much less how to drive a Manual transmission. He ran off within a few seconds.
All my personal cars have been manuals.
I’d be okay with a manual, but only if I can get “three on the tree”.
We raised our daighter right.
Once she learned to drive her mom’s Tauris, I taught her to drive my manual transmission Civic.
When it was “first car time” she opted for a manual transmission one. Her male high school friends (most of whom went onto engineering schools) looked upon her as some mecahnical genius!!
A manual transmission saved one girl’s life in a carjacking around here.
The villains couldn’t drive a stick and made her. She was able to coast slow to a stop and bailed out. The car went on.
It seems no one knows how to drive a stick these days. I had the valet park my car. When I came back for it, he told me that the guy who drives the sticks had gone home and no one else knew how to do so but he could show me where it was. Luckily he did not expect a tip for that “service.” Or in any event he did not get one.
Back in high school, a guy had a 68 stepside C10 with three on a tree.
The bushings were worn out. He got very good at diving under the truck to work on it.
I’d be okay with a manual, but only if I can get “three on the tree”.
—
That’s what I learned to drive on. In fact, the particular car I learned on was a friend’s (I was only 14) and after I started driving for a few weeks 2nd gear went out (it was an old Dodge) and I had to learn to go from 1st to 3rd in city traffic without attracting any attention, as I was unlicensed.
My grandfather drove a 60s era Buick that had a three on the tree manual. I loved as a kid seeing grandpa shift it.
Had to be the best car thieves in the world.
Now, I could at one time manage to start and drive a manual-transmission in which the clutch engagement mechanism was broken.
Part of the linkage to the clutch had dropped off out on the road, and the pedal just went to the floor. I could stop the car by simply stepping on the brake until the motor conked out, then by shifting the transmission to low, start the car up using the starter, then by careful control of the throttle, shift the transmission into the next higher gear.
I crippled some fifty miles home using this procedure.
Today I would just call AAA. If I still had a manual transmission vehicle.
Florida Man strikes again! This time, thwarted by manual transmission. Shocking.
I took my VW Bug to get it inspected. ONE guy there knew how to drive a stick. The oldest guy there. He is about 60.
Imagine a millennial trying to figure out a manual trans with a hi/lo axle.
A cuople years ago, my wife and 17 year old some dropped my car off for new tires.
The store rep got in the car then looked at my son to congratulate him for knowing how to drive a manual.
I have one automatic transmission and it’s in the dead K5. It’s been too hot in the tin oven building where the thing is stored.
Been too busy with the job, Willys jeep, and whatever the crisis d’jour is at home.
Those are fun.
I had a air cast boot on my left foot for a while. Got really good at shifting without the clutch.
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