Is anyone else afraid of driving?

[DEALUX]

I drove for the first time in the city two days ago and it was much better\easier than I expected. For some reason I always seem to be nervous before I get behind the wheel, but once I start driving I am the calmest I have ever been. This happens because I have to really focus on what's happening when I drive and I become very calm as a result. It's like meditation for me.

[lil weasel]

• Rule #1: Men drive “so the woman knows where his hands are.”
• Driving schools don’t teach basic driving, on stick shifts, because it is very expensive to repair manual transmissions. Special class held for stick training.
• About the ‘Driving Test’ with the vehicle (in the 60s): You drive around the block and parallel park. Marks for adjusting the seat and mirrors, looking before pulling away from the curb, using the mirrors while driving, speed maintenance. parking postion and distance from curb. No seatbelts in those days.
• However for the motorcycle endorsement, we had to accelerate on a 50 yard straight line course and brake quickly so as to not hit the Inspector (who stood at the end of the course), then negotiate a surpintine cone course as slowly as possible. The final bit was to drive to the end of the block and return alive. It was raining the day I took my test.
• Seat belts? In the days when I and my friends were first driving there weren’t any. But, I had a Renault Daphine which did have them. We all used them. They were so much more comfortable than bouncing around.

 

Side note: I once had a passenger who got really angry at me because I would not look at her when talking while I was driving.

 

Best accident I wasn’t in: It was snowing. A collision was spread across the Interstate Highway on a curving bridge. I stopped a good distance away after pulling to the rail.

I looked in the mirror and saw a tractor trailer coming fast (too fast). I watched as the cab jackknived and the trailer was coming down the iced highway across all three traffic lanes. The cab hit the rail and bounced back across the road. It missed me, ending up along the rail on the other side.

Edited September 16, 2013 by lil weasel

[sivispacem]

The "stick shift is more expensive than automatic" stuff is pretty questionable IMO, manual boxes are much cheaper to build, repair and maintain. Much simpler by design and in many cases much less fragile.

[lil weasel]

The "stick shift is more expensive than automatic" stuff is pretty questionable IMO, manual boxes are much cheaper to build, repair and maintain. Much simpler by design and in many cases much less fragile.

When the students are grinding them all day long the manual doesn't last nearly as long as an automatic.

Unless towing a trailer the automatic rarely needs service before 100,000 miles.

It takes skill to get the best out of a manual.

Anyone can make an automatic move without problems.

[sivispacem]

I'd offer that, if students are consistently grinding gears, their teacher is a bit sh*t. As for automatics rarely needing servicing unless towing, perhaps in redneck yankland but in the rest of the world we have these things called "service intervals" that are between 15k and 30k depending on vehicle and transmission. I'll concede that manuals take more time to master but I really don't buy the whole idea of automatics being cheaper to maintain. Basically the entire world sans the US runs majority manuals. You may well go through more clutches, especially in a learner car, but a new clutch every 40,000 miles costs about the same as keeping to the service plan on an auto car, just without the chance of your torque converter suddenly deciding to pack in or the associated massive costs of changing one. Most cars you can do a clutch with basic tools by the side of the road. I wouldn't want to try that with most automatic cars.

Edited September 15, 2013 by sivispacem

[mehoe123]

Seeing how I was taught how to drive in my dads old 2007 Porsche 911 Carrera 4s manual. Ya I was scared, first car I ever drove at 15. I was terrified of wrecking it seeing how much he spent for it.

That's the old girl.

 

But now at 21 I am a fantastic driver, not afraid to drive anything.

Edited September 15, 2013 by mehoe123

[sivispacem]

If anyone else wants to laugh about the above poster lying about his vehicle history and otherwise making sh*t up, please follow the following link.

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/566400-list-of-vehicles-we-owned/?do=findComment&comment=1063336475

[mehoe123]

If anyone else wants to laugh about the above poster lying about his vehicle history and otherwise making sh*t up, please follow the following link.

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/566400-list-of-vehicles-we-owned/?do=findComment&comment=1063336475

Woah bud you have some jealousy issues, yes I admit you caught that my R8 only has a V8 whoopty doo. By the read of your signature your computer has more power then mine I'll give ya that.

[sivispacem]

 

If anyone else wants to laugh about the above poster lying about his vehicle history and otherwise making sh*t up, please follow the following link.

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/566400-list-of-vehicles-we-owned/?do=findComment&comment=1063336475

Woah bud you have some jealousy issues, yes I admit you caught that my R8 only has a V8 whoopty doo. By the read of your signature your computer has more power then mine I'll give ya that.

 

Next time you pretend to own cars, don't use images that hotlink straight back to Ebay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh look, so does the Porsche!

 

 

Seriously, if you want to pretend to have things on the internet, at least do a half-decent job of it.

Edited September 15, 2013 by sivispacem

[Smith John]

If anyone else wants to laugh about the above poster lying about his vehicle history and otherwise making sh*t up, please follow the following link.

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/566400-list-of-vehicles-we-owned/?do=findComment&comment=1063336475

 

Haha busted! What a tosser.

[El Dildo]

LOL.

 

the backdrop isn't even consistent.

the Dodge Ram is sitting in front of a completely different house than the Audi.

 

totally busted.

[trip]

Oh shoot. That is funny stuff.

 

 

I like to boast about how much I don't drive. I bough my car new in the fall of '98. I have yet to break 40k miles. Today I put a brand new battery in her and was the first time I started her in months.

[Dingdongs]

you need to stop being a pussy and just drive dude. eventually it becomes second nature. When I started driving my neighbor across the street said "in a month of driving consistently it'll be just like riding a bike" and he was absolutely right.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Irviding

[lil weasel]

Let's face it American's are a Shiftless society, so Automatic Transmissions are the norm. Scheduled maintenance is something for the moderately rich. So other than L.O.F. most maintenance is left for the next buyer.

Yes, the Redneck's and Motorhead's live in manual land, because they love puttin' the ride under the Oak tree for repairs and modifications.

Yes, I imagine that in 'backwards' counties like the U.K. and most of the rest of the world a Manual Transmission is almost a must because, as said, roadside repairs may be a necessity what with a service centre not being on every corner.

I consider the Clutch Pack a part of the Transmission, and therefore didn't make special mention of it in my previous posts.

Regarding the Instructor being incompetent, a student doesn't need to grind the gears more than once when you have 60 or more students each doing it once. There is no way the Instructors can prevent it. And some student's are plainly the cause doing it multiple times. What do you expect of the Instructor, that (s)he should stomp the clutch foot of the student? U.S. cars have the clutch on the away side of the Passenger, and on the duel control cars the student isn't going to learn much with the Instructor interfering with the learning process.

But, all this has little to do with the Fear of Driving, other than the worry of a breakdown on the highway.

Edited September 16, 2013 by lil weasel

[sivispacem]

Agreed in regard to the US favouring the AT, as well as ignoring scheduled maintenance for the most part.

Totally disagree in regard to there not being a service centre on every corner- in urban and suburban areas there are plenty and I reckon those people living in rural areas probably have less distance to travel to on than in the 'states. Hence why we don't really have a culture of tinkering ourselves. Have you ever, y'know, actually been outside of the 'states in order to make judgements like this?

As for "grinding the gears" and other such malarkey, I genuinely don't think that instructor cars here in the UK get much more abuse than your average city runabout. Sure, shorter clutch life than vehicles used for long journeys, but clutches are service items anyway. I suppose it might be different here in that it is rare for instructors to actually own their own cars- many are leased.

[GTA_stu]

Like I've previously stated in here, I cycle. I do prefer it, but there is one thing that a car definitely holds the advantage on. And that is the power, not raw horse power, my steely calves do just fine. I'm talking about the feeling of power. If someone cuts you off in a car you can aggressively honk your horn at them and get right up behind them and stuff. Trinkling your bell and gesticulating wildly in your fluorescent gear doesn't really have the same affect.

Edited September 16, 2013 by GTA_stu

[GTA36362355]

I am not scared to drive as long as the steering wheel is on the right side and not the wrong side.

Edited September 16, 2013 by deepthroatgta6

[Mcquiz]

Well I was when I was in driving school. I failed my driving test twice too. Then I got it so I could drive with my mother in the passegner seat. I drove like that to everywhere for about a month, passed my driving test and I have now driven alone for a week and actually I'm feeling really comfortable. I don't stall behind traffic lights, I spot dangers better and so on. Only problem is that when I get a bit distracted I can still f*ck up heavily.

[Gnocchi Flip Flops]

 

 

If anyone else wants to laugh about the above poster lying about his vehicle history and otherwise making sh*t up, please follow the following link.

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/566400-list-of-vehicles-we-owned/?do=findComment&comment=1063336475

Woah bud you have some jealousy issues, yes I admit you caught that my R8 only has a V8 whoopty doo. By the read of your signature your computer has more power then mine I'll give ya that.

 

Next time you pretend to own cars, don't use images that hotlink straight back to Ebay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh look, so does the Porsche!

 

 

Seriously, if you want to pretend to have things on the internet, at least do a half-decent job of it.

 

I just spat out my tea laughing at that sh*t! XD

[G_Unit_G_Unit]

i dont like driving because i dont trust myself as im a bad driver

[DEALUX]

If someone cuts you off in a car you can aggressively honk your horn at them and get right up behind them and stuff.

Except that you are not allowed to do that.

 

I drove for the third time in the (busy) city today and I'm getting a lot better. The instructor didn't even have to intervene to correct me or anything like that. Seeing the other beginners drive as well made me realize that focusing and being calm is really important to drive well.