BillyVance 35 #1 May 14, 2008 We spent part of the weekend at my folks's house for Mothers Day. To make a long story short, my wife and kid went up Saturday morning while I stayed home so I could attend a friend's farewell party before he moved to Colorado, and then I drove up Sunday morning in the other car. Well early that morning my wife woke up with severe pain and cramps just below her breasts and my dad took her to the ER. Turned out to be a bad case of acid reflux, but she was worn out all day. We all decided she wasn't well enough to drive one of our cars back home, so we left the white Mazda Protege at my folks and drove the Vibe back home, with plans to work out a way to get the Protege back home later. So... I get a text message from my dad saying he couldn't get the car started. He just needed to shift it over a bit so he could get the garbage container up to the curb and there wasn't enough room between the cars in the driveway. (this is a manual transmission car) Dad is an engineer and can figure out how things work and how to fix them for the most part. He and I both thought maybe the battery was bad. But I didn't have any problems starting it lately. So, I text him back saying this might be a stupid question, but did you push in the clutch? Later he texts me back, yep that did the trick. Should I be concerned? "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mamajumps 0 #2 May 14, 2008 I hope your wife feels better, Acid reflux can be nasty. My mom has suffered from that for years. As far as your dad goes... is it possible that he is too smart? Did he realize the car was a standard? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #3 May 14, 2008 Yes, acid reflux should be taken seriously............................. "It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 35 #4 May 14, 2008 QuoteI hope your wife feels better, Acid reflux can be nasty. My mom has suffered from that for years. As far as your dad goes... is it possible that he is too smart? Did he realize the car was a standard? It's been a long time since he's driven one so I can't say for sure. But he is the one who taught me how to back a standard out of the steep driveway when I got so frustrated at repeatedly stalling it. That was 18 years ago. If a standard is in 1st gear, you have to depress the clutch to start the engine. I'm trying to remember if I can start it without the clutch if it's in neutral. Maybe that's what his mind was thinking, I dunno. He's 72 but as far as I know, his mind's still sharp and he's currently building a very nice sharp looking wine rack in the basement. Probably just a "d'oh" moment..."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 35 #5 May 14, 2008 Quote Yes, acid reflux should be taken seriously............................. It's taken care of, thanks. The point is, is my dad getting senile? "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taylor610 0 #6 May 14, 2008 The point is, is my dad getting senile? *** When he say's, "Billy who???" Then you need to be concerned... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #7 May 14, 2008 No, I wouldn't be worried... if he hasn't driven one in a while he may not remember that the clutch needs to be pressed to start the car... I know how to drive a standard transmission car but might forget something like that as well... although Beth does accuse me of being old regularly... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vskydiver 0 #8 May 14, 2008 Quote The point is, is my dad getting senile? Naw. I'd bet money that your Dad just hasn't driven a stick shift lately and his mind was elsewhere when he tried to start your car. I'd cut him some slack unless he starts doing other weird things. We have 4 teens at our house. We have a driveway full of cars. Three of them are automatics (kids cars) and one is a stick shift (John's car). John and I switch back and forth between cars sometimes. We both have had moments where we've forgotten to shift in his car and tried to shift in the automatics or gotten confused as to where the windshield wipers are in which car etc. If your mind is elsewhere it's an easy thing to do sometimes. I think your Dad will be just fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
downwardspiral 0 #9 May 14, 2008 Just seems like a standard brain fart to me. Problem is as you get older they become more numerous. How many times have you forgot to put your car into park when you shut it off then the next time you go to start it it doesn't start? Do you check to see if the car is in park first or do you think "oh shit"?www.FourWheelerHB.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 35 #10 May 14, 2008 Quote Just seems like a standard brain fart to me. Problem is as you get older they become more numerous. How many times have you forgot to put your car into park when you shut it off then the next time you go to start it it doesn't start? Do you check to see if the car is in park first or do you think "oh shit"? Happened to me once or twice. Then there's the time my wife went out to her car to start it and let it warm up before going back inside. When she got back out, the car was gone. Then she looked down the hill and there it was smashed into a house at the bottom. I lost half a day at work just dealing with that. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #11 May 14, 2008 QuoteJust seems like a standard brain fart to me. Problem is as you get older they become more numerous. How many times have you forgot to put your car into park when you shut it off then the next time you go to start it it doesn't start? Do you check to see if the car is in park first or do you think "oh shit"? Must be an older car - I thought pretty much every automatic nowadays had to be put in park to get the keys out, at least that's what I've found with rental cars. Since all my cars have been manual, I'm always forgetting to put rental cars in park, but when I try to shut them off and take the keys out, I'm reminded to put them in park."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
downwardspiral 0 #12 May 14, 2008 hhahaha that reminda me. A guy comes up to me as I'm leaving work and asks me for help because he can't remove the keys from his ignition. First thing I asked if it was his car and he said yes. I was puzzled because that's a serious problem. Then it occured to me..."How long have you had the car", I asked. He says, "about an hour." Haha the poor guys expression was priceless when I explained there was probably a button he would have to puch to remove the key. Another time my gf and I went to her sister's and the first thing when I entered her sister asked me if I could open a bottle for her since her and her nephew (19 years old) had been working on it for 30 minutes with no luck. So I turn the cap and it works as advertised. No big deal right? Not really...until the next time my gf and I visit but this time it was the nephew's dad that was there. "Can you open this bottle of vodka? We can't seem to open it." I'll let you take a guess at what happened next. www.FourWheelerHB.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #13 May 14, 2008 When i get into someone else's car at night to drive it, it sometimes takes me a few seconds to realize i have to turn the lights on. I'm so used to my car that automatically turns the lights on when it's dark outside. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,466 #14 May 15, 2008 Hi Billy, You could always jump around that switch then he would be OK. I did on my last car with a stick, JerryBaumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydemon2 0 #15 May 15, 2008 They prolly didnt have safety switches on them last time he drove one. Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone! I like to start my day off with a little Ray of Soulshine™!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billeisele 130 #16 May 15, 2008 years ago manual transmission cars did not have a safety switch on the clutch, they would start in gear when you turned the key, some folks would push the clutch and some would just slap into neutral before starting it after enough dumdasses ran their cars into stuff the industry put a safety switch on the clutch, sometime around 1980 his experience is probably from the pre-safety switch eraGive one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #17 May 15, 2008 Maybe you should be concerned that you two share the same genes? My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futuredivot 0 #18 May 15, 2008 No worries-I spent way more years driving straight drives that didn't have a clutch kill switch than those that do. I'll go to crank my wife's car sometimes when I'm working on it and forget.You are only as strong as the prey you devour Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tmaricle55 0 #19 May 15, 2008 No way. Reminds me of when I was in High School and my car was blocked by a friend of mine. I can't remember why I had to leave so early but I ended up taking her car. She gave me a few dollars for gas to make sure I could get back. It was an older American made car and I have ALWAYS driven a Toyota. I stopped at the gas station and drove on the driver's side. NO tank on that side! So I jumped in drove around the other side... NO tank on that side. Got back in the car drove around (for the 3rd time mind you!). NO tank on driver's side AGAIN! (as if it by magic it would appear). I walked in and the guy behind the counter was DYING laughing. He finally stopped enough I could ask him where he thought the tank MIGHT be. He asked if I looked behind the tag of car. My response ... why would I check there!! Muff Brother # 3883, SCR # 14796 ICD # 1 - Pres. Yeah, I noticed and I think it's funny! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeJD 0 #20 May 15, 2008 Quote When i get into someone else's car at night to drive it, it sometimes takes me a few seconds to realize i have to turn the lights on. I've done the same thing with my car a couple of times. The scary thing is, since the dashboard lights only come on when I switch on the headlamps, that's what normally alerts me. It's not a case of, why can't I see where I'm going - but why can't I see how fast I'm going? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 35 #21 May 15, 2008 Quoteyears ago manual transmission cars did not have a safety switch on the clutch, they would start in gear when you turned the key, some folks would push the clutch and some would just slap into neutral before starting it after enough dumdasses ran their cars into stuff the industry put a safety switch on the clutch, sometime around 1980 his experience is probably from the pre-safety switch era You're probably right. The last vehicle he drove on a regular basis with the manual transmission (before my mom seized the engine driving it with the oil light on for a week) was a 1966 VW bus. I was too young to have driven it before it got relegated to the carport for tool storage so I don't know what it was like to operate it. BUT... I had bought a 1983 Mazda B2000 pick up truck in 1991 with manual transmission. As steep as our driveway is, I could not back the truck up the slope because I kept stalling it (not giving more gas while letting the clutch out). Dad came out and showed me how to do it, and that one starts up the same way our car does. More than likely he just forgot."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
