Unpopular opinions
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In @Giles post the other day regarding his Grandfather’s cars, one of the things I noticed was quite a few of them (probably most) had sliding mesh gear boxes. When you think about him racing around in those cars and the damage that could be done by one missed shift makes you appreciate how easy we have it today.
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On a daily driver, hard disagree. My level of engagement doesn’t change one bit, and I don’t have to change gear 1000 times an hour in heaven traffic.
On a fun vehicle where the drive is the point, not the destination then sure, manual is better.
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@flannel-slut so very true!!! I love when someone just connects with their car and the shifting is as smooth as silk. Perfectly timed and seamless shifts working through the gears...
I really miss a manual in the car, but at least I still have the motorcycles.
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Full transparency, I do love the rear camera
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@Tago-Mago I have a Paula........
Though, what we have learnt is that it takes a long time to learn how to communicate efficiently on the boat. We have Marriage Savers, which are a blessing. And we are now getting pretty good. Paula, as some of you may have noticed, can talk. All I need at the helm is data, not fucking War and Peace, or "quite close", or "erm, I think.....", or "whoops, sorry I meant Port"
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If was always funny to us when we were traveling how every new campsite arrival involved a married couple yelling at each other about trying to back the camper into the site. The husband would be parking and the wife would be standing outside directing. Same in every place we went. We were no exception.
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@mclaincausey Let's see how you feel after living in the DC area for 7 years in a manual
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I always thought couples riding tandem bikes a) look like fools and b) are taking a huge risk on their relationship.
I was sea kayaking in Oahu once and I swear this couple nearby sharing a kayak went from marital bliss to divorce in less than an hour.
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@goosehd I was a faithful manual driver since my very first car. I learned how to drive a stick at 16, and that's all I ever cared to own. DC broke me. There is nothing in the country like DC traffic. Los Angeles is bad, but DC is on a whole other level. I bought my first automatic in 2019, and I'll never look back. For the occasional times I want a little more control, I can switch my car into "manual" mode, or just shift with my paddle shifters, and for all other times, it's just easier on my body and better for my sanity to drive an automatic. Plus, my GTI has a dual-clutch system that can shift in milliseconds, so when I'm in the power band, shifting happens faster than any human could ever manage. I think manuals are one of the best anti-theft devices for cars these days, but at this point in my life, my comfort is more important than my pride or my ego.
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@seawolf in DC driving is hellish regardless of your transmission. L’Enfant’s city design is literally to slow the advances of armies, so the city itself is deliberately unfriendly to cars, and if I have to get on the beltway just shoot me.
In serious, DC has a wonderful metro. I just use that.
I include stop and go traffic in my opinion, as well as hills.
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@mclaincausey I took my wife sea-kayaking for her birthday a few years back. When we showed up, they asked us if we wanted tandem or solo, and without skipping a beat, I said "SOLO!" because I know a tandem would end in divorce. Also, I couldn't agree more about tandem bikes. Unless you're visually impaired and need a pilot, or looking to end your relationship, there is no good reason to ride a tandem.
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@seawolf I learned how to drive aggressively out of necessity on that beltway. Back in the early 90's it was stop and go with go being 70 mph back to stop (tires locked up and smoke coming off them). Then there was the get out and tailgate for hours as you only made a few hundred feet every 10 or so minutes...
Edit: the worst part was the guy who forgot what exit he needed and changed 4 lanes in a matter of seconds...that's where the aggressiveness was needed to protect yourself from getting sideswiped, rear ended, and trying to avoid doing the same to the guys around you.
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@mclaincausey My job didn't leave me with much choice, as I was constantly zipping all over town. The metro is amazing, but it was an impractical choice for me at the time. Getting around the city in the middle of the day is a breeze. But the 4 hours of rush hour on either side of the work day were awful.
Driving a manual isn't bad in stop and go occasionally, and hills don't scare me one bit. But when traffic becomes a part of daily life for literal years, manuals can get fucked.
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@goosehd A good driver rarely misses their exit. A bad driver never misses their exit.
And yes, I've seen that so many times. Especially at the 270 split, and the morons, or particularly aggressive drivers almost always had Maryland tags. If I had to rank drivers in this county from worst to first, Maryland easily comes in at #50 with Florida at a very close #49. Even out here in CA, I'm never surprised when I see Maryland drivers acting like lunatics. Sorry @Matt !
I learned to drive in the Boston area. People say Boston drivers are bad, but they're not. They're assholes, but they're very good at driving.
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@seawolf said in Unpopular opinions:
A good driver rarely misses their exit. A bad driver never misses their exit
...that should be on a bumper sticker