The automatic transmission/obesity connection
#16
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by rushman
What book should they throw at her Gruff?
#17
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 22,220
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by gruffbrown
Encyclopedia Brittanica, they always keep one in the trunk. Why I don't know
#18
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Bay Area, from Plymouth UK
Posts: 317
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Yep, I now detest manual transmission after 12 years in the good ol' US of A. I already mentioned it in the recent hire car thread. Thats one "lifestyle" choice where I'm a complete convert - to the point of hiring an automatic when I go back to the UK.
I have a 50 mile commute each day (100 miles return) and bay area traffic can be pretty bad at the best of times. No way I want all that "depress clutch, change gear, release clutch" stuff in heavy traffic. It very quickly becomes tiresome.
One thing I don't like is the use of foot-controlled parking brakes in many vehicles over here. I've driven on some of the steep hills in S.F. with such a vehicle and its not nice. Give me a traditional handbrake any day! And anyone notice many Americans don't even use the foot/handbrake at all when they park? I suppose they let the "park" function of the auto tranny take care of that little detail.
I have a 50 mile commute each day (100 miles return) and bay area traffic can be pretty bad at the best of times. No way I want all that "depress clutch, change gear, release clutch" stuff in heavy traffic. It very quickly becomes tiresome.
One thing I don't like is the use of foot-controlled parking brakes in many vehicles over here. I've driven on some of the steep hills in S.F. with such a vehicle and its not nice. Give me a traditional handbrake any day! And anyone notice many Americans don't even use the foot/handbrake at all when they park? I suppose they let the "park" function of the auto tranny take care of that little detail.
#19
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Posts: 22,220
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by gruffbrown
Is that the choo choo train or the rocket ship that goes up and down?
I'm no Casey Jones or Flash gordon mate. Its a nice little Kenworth
#20
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by kevntrace
And anyone notice many Americans don't even use the foot/handbrake at all when they park? I suppose they let the "park" function of the auto tranny take care of that little detail.
#21
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by psb182
manual transmissions don't put fat into your body....and it don't give you much excersize
#22
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by gruffbrown
I think it's probably a number of hands thing, you can't change gear, talk on your cell phone and drink coffee at the same time, so one of them has to go
#23
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by AmerLisa
Surely you've heard of multi-tasking?
#24
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Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by gruffbrown
Don't be f**king stupid, I'm a bloke
#25
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Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by kevntrace
And anyone notice many Americans don't even use the foot/handbrake at all when they park? I suppose they let the "park" function of the auto tranny take care of that little detail.
Thats asking for trouble!!
Lock the back wheels up, swap ends on the interstate aint my idea of a pleasant little jaunt in the country.
#26
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by AmerLisa
Oooh sorry, forgot.
#27
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by gruffbrown
I hope you're at a table and not driving Yorkie
#28
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by rushman
I was thinking on the lines of the book of french war heroes
Back on topic (sort of): along with driving a manual, another skill that many Americans have never mastered (because they've never needed to) is the whole parallel parking thing.
#29
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Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by elfman
: along with driving a manual, another skill that many Americans have never mastered (because they've never needed to) is the whole parallel parking thing.
#30
Re: The automatic transmission/obesity connection
Originally Posted by AmerLisa
It was on my first driving test and no it wasn't in the dark ages.