It does appear from information received via PM that residents in the USA drive automatics differently to us in the UK and Europe. Apparently I wouldn't pass a USA driving test, and neither would they pass a UK one!

vive la différence as they say :-)))

What's the difference??? You take it out of Park and into Reverse to back out of your parking space, you move it to Drive to go forward, you put it back in Park when you get there. If you don't want to hold the brake while stopped for a long red light or at a fast food drive-thru, you put it in neutral (but make sure you don't roll).

I've always put My foot on the brake pedal at a stop sign or a stop light, at fast food when I did go there, park was preferred.

---

Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

It does appear from information received via PM that residents in the USA drive automatics differently to us in the UK and Europe. Apparently I wouldn't pass a USA driving test, and neither would they pass a UK one!

vive la différence as they say :-)))

What's the difference??? You take it out of Park and into Reverse to back out of your parking space, you move it to Drive to go forward, you put it back in Park when you get there. If you don't want to hold the brake while stopped for a long red light or at a fast food drive-thru, you put it in neutral (but make sure you don't roll).

I've always put My foot on the brake pedal at a stop sign or a stop light, at fast food when I did go there, park was preferred.

Putting it in Park is safer. You can be on a slight incline, and maybe there is a small bump or pebble holding the car. The tires flex a little bit, and you are rolling......

---

"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Putting it in Park is safer. You can be on a slight incline, and maybe there is a small bump or pebble holding the car. The tires flex a little bit, and you are rolling......

When parked, I've never trusted park or the handbrake so if on an upward slope left it in 1st & if a downward, left it in reverse.

---

Putting it in Park is safer. You can be on a slight incline, and maybe there is a small bump or pebble holding the car. The tires flex a little bit, and you are rolling......

When parked, I've never trusted park or the handbrake so if on an upward slope left it in 1st & if a downward, left it in reverse.

But you are talking about a manual. We were talking about an automatic. Leaving an automatic in gear does not work, as once the engine stops, there is no hydraulic pressure to engage the gears and it is essentially in neutral.

---

"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

True, which is one of the reasons why I disliked automatics.

---

It does appear from information received via PM that residents in the USA drive automatics differently to us in the UK and Europe. Apparently I wouldn't pass a USA driving test, and neither would they pass a UK one!

vive la différence as they say :-)))

What's the difference??? You take it out of Park and into Reverse to back out of your parking space, you move it to Drive to go forward, you put it back in Park when you get there. If you don't want to hold the brake while stopped for a long red light or at a fast food drive-thru, you put it in neutral (but make sure you don't roll).

I've always put My foot on the brake pedal at a stop sign or a stop light, at fast food when I did go there, park was preferred.

Yes. After all if your foot isn't on the brake pedal, the idiot behind you slams into you at full speed because your brake lights aren't on.

---

It does appear from information received via PM that residents in the USA drive automatics differently to us in the UK and Europe. Apparently I wouldn't pass a USA driving test, and neither would they pass a UK one!

vive la différence as they say :-)))

What's the difference??? You take it out of Park and into Reverse to back out of your parking space, you move it to Drive to go forward, you put it back in Park when you get there. If you don't want to hold the brake while stopped for a long red light or at a fast food drive-thru, you put it in neutral (but make sure you don't roll).

I've always put My foot on the brake pedal at a stop sign or a stop light, at fast food when I did go there, park was preferred.

Yes. After all if your foot isn't on the brake pedal, the idiot behind you slams into you at full speed because your brake lights aren't on.

I consider that and wait until he stops before I take my foot off.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

I use three ways of securing the car -- even if not parked on a hill:

1) Put (standard) transmission into reverse gear.

2) Engage emergency brake (some question about this, in very cold weather).

3) "Curb" the front wheels (if curb available).

---

Engage emergency brake in very cold weather

My car is now over nine years old and the emergency brake
still works like a charm in all weathers.

---

I use three ways of securing the car -- even if not parked on a hill:

3) "Curb" the front wheels (if curb available).

I've always had trouble remembering which way to turn the wheels on a hill.

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Engage emergency brake in very cold weather

My car is now over nine years old and the emergency brake
still works like a charm in all weathers.

Mines 15yr, but being the ground here is largely flat, the hand brake rarely gets used.

---

Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

I use three ways of securing the car -- even if not parked on a hill:

3) "Curb" the front wheels (if curb available).

I've always had trouble remembering which way to turn the wheels on a hill.

So if it rolls it rolls out of the street, not into the street.

---

I use three ways of securing the car -- even if not parked on a hill:

3) "Curb" the front wheels (if curb available).

I've always had trouble remembering which way to turn the wheels on a hill.

So if it rolls it rolls out of the street, not into the street.

I know that's the idea, but it's not intuitive to me which way turning the tires accomplishes that.

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I use three ways of securing the car -- even if not parked on a hill:

3) "Curb" the front wheels (if curb available).

I've always had trouble remembering which way to turn the wheels on a hill.

So if it rolls it rolls out of the street, not into the street.

I know that's the idea, but it's not intuitive to me which way turning the tires accomplishes that.

just pretend you want to turn onto the side walk.

---

[/quote]

Old James

I use three ways of securing the car -- even if not parked on a hill:

3) "Curb" the front wheels (if curb available).

I've always had trouble remembering which way to turn the wheels on a hill.

So if it rolls it rolls out of the street, not into the street.

I know that's the idea, but it's not intuitive to me which way turning the tires accomplishes that.

just pretend you want to turn onto the side walk.

Ok, I can wrap my head around that. :~) Thanks, James.

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Whoops. double post.

Suppose to double clutch not double post.

Whoops. double post.

I thought that rule only applied in the TLPTPW threads....

I was taught when parking on a hill, if aimed uphill, turn the front wheels away from the curb, and if parked downhill, turn towards the curb, so if the brakes fail, gravity will put the tires against the curb and you won't roll far.

---

Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Celt, parking brakes work fine in Alberta winters, but sometimes give problems in Ontario winters. We have a lot more wet snow here, and this can turn into ice overnight on the exposed portions of the brake mechanism. This prevents it from fully releasing the next morning, even though handles go to the "off" position and lights turn off. Most drivers just drive on, with a partially set brake. They don't realize this is happening, until the next time they take the car in for brake servicing.

Must say this has only happened to me on older frame style cars. The new unibodies seem to have all the moving brake bits inside, out of the snow.

---

All this talk about foot brakes vs. hand brakes, reminds me of the bright light controls operated by the foot on a Chevy Malibu my parents had in the 70's. I thought that was pretty neat. :~)

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Point!

The last car I drove in Ontario had the "E" brake
freeze up (Cable rust) in three years.
The car was a Ford so I just thought.......

---