Yesterday Craig and I were running around and one of the stops was to a park where there were supposed to be baby eagles. I say supposed to be because we never saw them. We did see some people who had some mack daddy binoculars looking across the street so I guess that is where they were but we couldn't see them.
While we were at the park Craig decided that would be a good place for showing me how to drive the stick. Now, I have had a general lesson in a parking lot before and if I ever needed to get someone to the hospital then I would be able to so I wasn't starting from complete scratch. The last time I attempted to do this I would stall when I stopped because I would forget to push the clutch in.
This lesson went ok I guess. I got really frustrated at it sometimes and the hardest part for me was starting out. I can shift gears just fine and I can stop just fine but the getting started part is hard for me. Craig says that I either don't give it enough gas or I release the clutch too fast. It makes me really nervous about stopping at lights (especially on hills, that seems like a nightmare) and you really can't avoid hills or stoplights in Atlanta. He wants us to practice some more on different days because that way he says he can make sure that I can remember it all from one day to the next, so we will see how much easier it gets in the next week. I don't know how to keep from being scared to give it more gas...he was saying that I really wasn't giving it enough to even make it go and that I really need to give it more but that just scares me a bit. I am such a wuss and I am not quite sure I am going to be ready when I visit Atlanta next week. I think there that I am more nervous about the other cars around me (like if I don't go fast enough after a light or something) than I am worried about myself.
Do any of you guys who know how to drive one (which I am sure is everyone but me) have any suggestions or tips to help me get it more completely.
6 months ago
4 comments:
ride the clutch a little- meaning push both the gas and the clutch at the same time until you are more comfortable. Once you are moving let off the clutch.
actually, now that you say that, we did try that toward the end and it did work a lot better for me because it kept me from letting the clutch go too fast :-) I think that I will get it with more practice....
I don't know how to drive a stick, so I'm right there with you (actually, I'm right there behind you since you know more than I do!) Good luck!
Pretend the clutch is pushing back against your foot as you push down on the gas...and pretend that pressing the gas makes the clutch push harder against your foot. You kinda feel the pressure when you do it - when you realize when you are no longer in danger of stalling by pushing on the gas, ease off the clutch.
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