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[BlackTigers]

I put my automatic in neutral.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

WOW such hostility over something so trivial. "Finding" a gear shouldn't be a problem for anybody that is half competent driving manual tranny. Probably takes me less than a second to shift into first from neutral. I guess I should sell my car then. I don't deserve it. I didn't know I made anybody miserable over it but you just put my life into perspective.

 

[jhu]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

it's not a question of laziness. for me, there are 2 issues: 1) my car uses slightly more gas (+0.1gph) with the clutch depressed and 2) if you ever get rear-ended, there's a good possibilty of slipping your foot off the clutch causing the car to start moving forward into the intersection and keep going.

personally, i usually have the engine off and then turn the engine back on when the cross light turns yellow.

 

[Howard]

If I expect to be stopped for more than 5 seconds, I go into neutral.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
the difference between some idiot taking the time to shift into first is incredible to the overall traffic flow for everyone. And yes I do slow down and enjoy life, just not when i depend on getting to work on time within a reasonable amount of time.

Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

It sounds like you have never driven a manual, so shut the hell up.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: Elstupido
When you come to a stoplight do you shift into neutral? Or do you keep the clutch depressed?

I sometimes come across some asshole who is too lazy to keep his or her foot on the clutch.
Always happens with a very short stoplight. While behind this person, light turns green and retard is searching for 1st gear, while looking at the scenery.

Are you serious? You must not realise what its like to keep the clutch depressed for any length of time. I'd argue laziness has nothing to do with it.

Agreed.
OP should also realize that a lot of cars have very heavy clutch pedals.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
We are not talking about racing from one red light to another, but where I live, it's one light to the interstate on ramp. Very congested in the morning, and the difference between some idiot taking the time to shift into first is incredible to the overall traffic flow for everyone. And yes I do slow down and enjoy life, just not when i depend on getting to work on time within a reasonable amount of time.

Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

It takes a god damn second to shift into gear to get going again.
Are you that god damn impatient that you can't even wait a second?
I bet you're the kind of impatient prick who honks if someone doesn't go within second the light turns green. :disgust:
Chill the fuck out, el stupido.

 

[jhu]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
We are not talking about racing from one red light to another, but where I live, it's one light to the interstate on ramp. Very congested in the morning, and the difference between some idiot taking the time to shift into first is incredible to the overall traffic flow for everyone. And yes I do slow down and enjoy life, just not when i depend on getting to work on time within a reasonable amount of time.

Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

you know, you could just leave for work earlier.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't currently own a manual transmission car but have owned and driven two different manual transmission cars for 10 years straight in the past. I do have a motorcycle that has a manual gearbox though and I frequently leave it in neutral at long stop lights. I watch for the light changing the other way and click it into first gear before the light changes. Sometimes I will leave it in gear with my hand on the clutch lever.

My next car will be a manual. Sometimes I will leave it in gear but other times I'll put it in neutral.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Have you guys driving manuals, ever considered an auto? I drive an auto now after years of driving a stick shift. I like the auto, but I do know how to drive a manual without having to shift to neutral at every fcking light.

Why have a manual if you don't or won't want use use the clutch? Get an auto tranny.

Depending on the vehicle it's not comfortable to sit there for a few minutes with you foot on the clutch. However, any decent driver should be able to push down the clutch in less than a second. It sounds to me that the people you're complaining about are either bad at driving a manual or just aren't paying attention. Either way, it's not a problem with sitting there with your foot on the clutch.

 

[Emission]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Elstupido
the difference between some idiot taking the time to shift into first is incredible to the overall traffic flow for everyone. And yes I do slow down and enjoy life, just not when i depend on getting to work on time within a reasonable amount of time.

Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

It sounds like you have never driven a manual, so shut the hell up.

Ditto. I drove my dad's civic, holding the clutch for more than 5 seconds starts to get annoying after a couple lights. Neutral is the way to go. My dad shifts rather quickly, keeping it in neutral for any length of time is not problematic whatsoever, but to each his own I suppose.

 

[Kirby]

I put it in neutral until the light on the other direction turns yellow.

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
We are not talking about racing from one red light to another, but where I live, it's one light to the interstate on ramp. Very congested in the morning, and the difference between some idiot taking the time to shift into first is incredible to the overall traffic flow for everyone. And yes I do slow down and enjoy life, just not when i depend on getting to work on time within a reasonable amount of time.

Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

It seems you are the only one miserable here, the whole 1 second it takes for someone to press the clutch and find 1st really puts a downer on your day huh?

Don't be so impatient and you'll enjoy yourself and your drive alot more..

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: jhu

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Why is it so difficult to just keep the fucking car in gear at a light? I suppose you just go thru life and make everyone else miserable just because you can't keep your foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds?

it's not a question of laziness. for me, there are 2 issues: 1) my car uses slightly more gas (+0.1gph) with the clutch depressed and 2) if you ever get rear-ended, there's a good possibilty of slipping your foot off the clutch causing the car to start moving forward into the intersection and keep going.

personally, i usually have the engine off and then turn the engine back on when the cross light turns yellow.

I have to question the accuracy of the car using more gasoline with the clutch depressed vs being in neutral. When the transmission is in neutral, the engine is spinning the transmission shafts and incurring the additional resistance of the transmission fluid. I have a difficult time believing that the throwout bearing has more resistance than the transmission. (Even in neutral, the input shaft and layshaft are both still spinning and having to overcome the resistance of the gear lube.)

As far as #2, it is vastly more likely that the engine will stall if your foot slips off the clutch when you're rear-ended. This would provide additional resistance to forward motion. If you're in neutral, your foot would be slipping off the brake, and the car would roll forward without any resistance at all. The car is much more likely to roll forward if it's in neutral than if it's in gear during a rear-end collision.

As far as holding the clutch pedal down, I've yet to have a car with a "light" clutch, and I've also never had a problem holding the clutch down during normal traffic lights. I certainly don't think it's "wrong" to put the car in neutral and there are many people who do that without causing delays, but if someone as out of shape as I am can hold the pedal down I can't help but think that those who claim their clutches are too stiff are being a trifle disingenuous unless they're driving cars with 400+ hp.

ZV

 

[Kroze]

I put my car in neutral if I slowed down to a stop from a yellow light. Otherwise, i put the car in first gear as I approach the red light.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

You know what helps traffic flow? Watching the traffic, not the break lights on the car in front. *Oh noes* the car in front has just pulled away... oh I have got to move now... put it into gear and move...

 

[Elstupido]

"Depending on the vehicle it's not comfortable to sit there for a few minutes with you foot on the clutch. However, any decent driver should be able to push down the clutch in less than a second. It sounds to me that the people you're complaining about are either bad at driving a manual or just aren't paying attention. Either way, it's not a problem with sitting there with your foot on the clutch."

This hits the nail on the head, I have no problem with someone shifting into 1st in a second, I am not an impatient person, as much as some here would like to believe. I am talking about the person sitting at a light in neutral...the light turns green, and then driver says, ok, push in the clutch, now where is 1st gear? OK, finally found it, now release the clutch? I am talking a lot more than a second here.

And to Howard. I will just say this, I learned to drive when I was 13 years old, back in 1966, in a 53 GMC pickup. And this one didn't have an automatic. Been driving manuals off and on ever since. I could easily turn this thread into a personal flame fest but I won't, nobody needs it.

Should have named this thread "Inattentive drivers" or the like, so no one would take personal offense.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I leave the car in first, with the clutch in, if it's only a wait of a few seconds. If I'm waiting longer than that I will put it in neutral.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Should have named this thread "Inattentive drivers" or the like, so no one would take personal offense.

That probably would have been a good idea.

ZV

 

[Kadarin]

I used to own an '83 Mustang that had a Ford Motorsport clutch in it. That thing was a bitch to keep the pedal to the floor, so I'd put it in neutral whenever I was at a light for more than a couple of seconds. However, I watch the traffic around me, and when the light is green, I'm ready to go.

My current car ('08 M3) has a very smooth clutch that doesn't require a lot of effort.

 

[jhu]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

I have to question the accuracy of the car using more gasoline with the clutch depressed vs being in neutral. When the transmission is in neutral, the engine is spinning the transmission shafts and incurring the additional resistance of the transmission fluid. I have a difficult time believing that the throwout bearing has more resistance than the transmission. (Even in neutral, the input shaft and layshaft are both still spinning and having to overcome the resistance of the gear lube.)

ZV

you can question it, but that's what my scangauge 2 tells me: +0.05-0.07 gph above baseline when the clutch peddle is pressed down. that's on a 2008 jetta.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
"Depending on the vehicle it's not comfortable to sit there for a few minutes with you foot on the clutch. However, any decent driver should be able to push down the clutch in less than a second. It sounds to me that the people you're complaining about are either bad at driving a manual or just aren't paying attention. Either way, it's not a problem with sitting there with your foot on the clutch."

This hits the nail on the head, I have no problem with someone shifting into 1st in a second, I am not an impatient person, as much as some here would like to believe. I am talking about the person sitting at a light in neutral...the light turns green, and then driver says, ok, push in the clutch, now where is 1st gear? OK, finally found it, now release the clutch? I am talking a lot more than a second here.

And to Howard. I will just say this, I learned to drive when I was 13 years old, back in 1966, in a 53 GMC pickup. And this one didn't have an automatic. Been driving manuals off and on ever since. I could easily turn this thread into a personal flame fest but I won't, nobody needs it.

Should have named this thread "Inattentive drivers" or the like, so no one would take personal offense.

Let's examine the two most probable cases:

1: Driver stays in gear with clutch disengaged. Light turns green, driver slips clutch to accelerate.

2: Driver goes to neutral with clutch engaged. Light turns green, driver disengages clutch, shifts to first, and slips clutch to accelerate.

How much time do you think the two extra steps take? If the driver is paying attention, there is no difference in delay between the two cases (simply shift into gear before the light turns green). If the driver is not paying attention, do the extra 500ms matter? Because that's about how long it takes for me to go from neutral to first to slip.

 

[Vic]

I always shift into neutral, clutch out.

Heat is the enemy of clutches. And the only time clutches suffer heat fatigue is when they are being asked to dispel energy, i.e. anytime your foot is on the pedal. The less of that, the better.

Look, if you want no hassle, buy an auto.

 

[StageLeft]

Almost always in neutral, but it rarely causes any delay for people behind me. Especially now that I have a very very slow leak in my clutch hydraulics, the longer the pedal is in the more fluid that leaks out.

 

[BW86]

Originally posted by: Howard
If I expect to be stopped for more than 5 seconds, I go into neutral.