fnarrrr

[queenklu]

Ugh, sorry posts have been so scarce this week--I've been feeling weirdly stressed and fragile (which, apparently not a PMS thing (yet?), but I've never been a weepy PMS-er before). Mostly it's been that one of my dogs has had constant diarrhea--not inside the house, but still, WORRYING. And the vet still isn't really sure what's wrong with her,

Comments

[leodragon1]

I am going to ask this question now, because I always forget to look it up when it comes up in a fic...

WHAT is stick shift driving? Is it when you have to change gears with a stick shift in an "H" pattern, as opposed to have the gear changes at the driving wheel? I'm guessing this is what it is, but I thought all modern cars have stick shifts... well, in Australia at least.

This has been bugging me for ages.

Oh, also, Merry Christmas!

[queenklu]

Lol no problem bb! I think it'd be easier to describe an automatic, which is the opposite of a stick shift--automatic (the kind of car I know how to drive) is where the driver doesn't have to do ANYTHING do shift gears. The car is engineered so that when it reaches a certain speed, it shifts for you. I literally only have to push the gas or the breaks, there is no clutch pedal.

In the US it is waaaay more likely that a car is an automatic instead of a stick--they actually give you a discount if you buy stick because noooobody wants to buy cars with a manual transition. Because a) we're very lazy, and b) less accountability for driver fuck ups (ex: you can't stall your car with an automatic (or you can, but it takes a LOT OF EFFORT)).

MERRY CHRISTMAS BACK BB! Did that help at all or are you even more confused?

[leodragon1]

It's the difference between a manual and an automatic. Gotcha.

And yeah, for the record, the automatic is becoming more common here too. You still see a lot of manuals in my home state though (Western Australia) because we're still allowed to drive cars that are quite old on the road. Plus, brand-new cars can get pretty expensive (bloody import taxes!), so it's cheaper to get an older car.

My first car was a manual 1979 Toyota Corrolla, and I remember her fondly. Ah, she was a pretty lady. I still prefer to drive manual because I don't want to forget how, really. :-P

[queenklu]

Ahaa so it was just a terminology thing! Cool cool cool

Wow, are there other places in Australia where you CAN'T drive older cars? Here in Alaska if it works you can drive it. (A lot of the cars on the road are very, veeeery old. We're cheap and resourceful and we run our cars into the ground)

[leodragon1]

Well, all I remember is that there are a couple of states where you're only allowed to drive fairly recent cars, because of road safety, lead petrol emissions, that sort of thing. At the time, I was like, "I'm glad I don't live there!" It was when I was first getting lessons, which is soooo long ago. I feel old.

Imagine Sam and Dean not being able to drive the Impala? Hee, I can see Dean's face now.