With a manual I tend to slip the clutch quite a lot when driving backwards, perhaps a bad habit but it makes my reversing feel smooth and deliciously accurate-ish.

I suppose I've just never tried two-footing an auto (left foot on brake) to get a bit more control, is that what people do? I've owned a few autos and driven a few more and all of them had sticky throttles which cause that rocking or sudden unexpected lurch of acceleration that scares the shit out of me and my passengers.

My lead right foot is not to blame here

If there's plenty of other spaces available why get yourself all worked up over it because the other driver couldnt give a rat's arse that you're pissed off. If its the only space available it's a different matter, and a keying/puncturing a tyre may be in order.

You what?

I'm with Oakvillian here. Whatever the transmission in the car, it's put it in reverse and park it. Making the car actually move is not something I consciously think about.

When driving an auto your only supposed to use the right foot. I have only driven auto's and I am not sure what the rocking or sudden unexpected lurch is, I can't say I have ever experienced this before.

Nose-in to plug-in. For northern Canada's winter months.

Says who? Introducing a little braking during turn in can help a front wheel drive car reduce understeer. With dual clutch transmissions and flappy paddle gear boxes increasingly common, means an auto is as manual as you want it to be. Left foot braking can be a useful skill to learn.

True. My car suffers terribly from understeer when I'm reversing into a parking space.

It was mostly caused by a sticky gas pedal (can't remember which car had it the worst, possibly the Vibe). So I'd push the gas pedal a little bit, the pedal would resist, so I'd push it a bit harder and it would get pushed in more than required. Then I'd have to release the pedal to counteract the unwanted acceleration, this would cause the rocking.

I took it in to get it fixed numerous times, they'd grease the pedal pivot thingy but never managed to fix the problem. Anyway, it's a problem in the past now, manuals with cruise control are my choice for these days and onward.

I sometimes (when I could get away with it) would use the two-footed brakes/gas approach when go-karting. Keeps the revs up, gets you off the line and out of corners. I suppose it's ok to do this if the car is not yours or you hate it.

Seeing as you mentioned go-karting... last trip back to the UK in July I rented a Citroen DS3. It was bright yellow, and came with it's very own ASBO.

It was excellent fun caning it round Norfolk's windy roads - it had the rock-hard suspension and direct steering feel of a go-kart. I can honestly say that I never stopped grinning the whole time I was in it. What a joy after the blandmobiles of Canada!

I loved it so much that I've booked one again when I'm home in September.

I'll have to look that one up (I'm out of touch with European cars these days). I had couple of Citroen cars back in the UK, one of which was awful in every possible way. The other was a Saxo VTS which was great fun. One of those cars that make you make excuses just so you can go out and drive it.

Both Citroen and Peugeot are guilty of making some terrible cars but have also made some all-time greats.

The last company I worked for (the one with the unfortunate name ) Had a back in policy - Never did make a whole lot of sense to me at some point you have to reverse wether its at the end of your trip or the start of your trip

Gam Inc.

ICBC for one: Use your right foot to operate the brake and
gas pedals.

"Always operate the accelerator with your right foot."

"Always use your right foot to operate the brake."

http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing...d/drivers2.pdf


And every driving class I have taken has stated the same thing.

I had a recent experience with a Citroen, a C3, and hopefully that will be the last. It was a rental car on a trip back to NI. We picked it up and did battle with the tiny roads and sharp curves of the north coast.

More than once I thought this was the end. The C3 appears to be made from a combination of tin foil and plastic. The gear stick wobbled when touched and threatened to come off in your hand. It needed a map to find first gear and the rest of the gears produced nothing much by way of speed. Oddly, the brakes were very sharp in contrast to the "foot through the floor" approach needed to get the thing moving. It needed first gear to tackle the smallest of hills and the steering resembled that of a wonky shopping trolley. It was unable to overtake a truck transporting peat.

Never, ever again! The other leg of the trip, to London and the south east, brought us a Vauxhall Corsa. This is a car I mocked as a cheap boy racer car for high school kids. Not any more, it was a dream.

The view from the Citroen.

Oh, how I longed for the surge of power one experiences in a pastel Beetle.