OT - What are you doing right now?

DMW

Signing paperwork on a used Civic.

HeavyG

SciAggie said:

HeavyG said:

Eoin said:

WeberWho said:

Good call on the manual. She'd probably be the only one who knows how to drive it out of her friends. Which can be a good thing.

I don't know anyone here who can't drive a manual. You can get a licence for auto only, but nobody does.

Well that's easily explainable isn't it?

In Europe the vast majority of cars have manual transmissions (80%? 90%?). In the US I believe that only about 5% of vehicles have manual transmissions these days. Manuals aren't even an option on most vehicles these days.

I'm curious - why the disparity? Why do most folks choose manual transmissions in Europe?

It's not something I've kept up with in recent years but a couple decades ago some of the reasons were 1)expense - auto trannies initially cost more and were more expensive to maintain, 2) engine power - most European cars were lower horsepower and an auto just sucked too much power out of them, 3) gas mileage - manuals used to be able to get more MPG so with the price of gas in Europe that was a factor.

These days auto trannies are much better and the MPG factor has actually shifted (so to speak )in favor of autos in many(most?) cars. Perhaps @Eoin can chime in as to the more current reasoning.

HeavyG

WeberWho said:

Eoin said:

WeberWho said:

Good call on the manual. She'd probably be the only one who knows how to drive it out of her friends. Which can be a good thing.

I don't know anyone here who can't drive a manual. You can get a licence for auto only, but nobody does.

I've only ever bought manual transmission vehicles. I'd much rather control the vehicle than have it control me. 

My only request when in England a few years ago was to drive a right hand vehicle with manual transmission. 

I'd never bought a vehicle with an auto tranny until just a few years ago when I got a new truck.

I do occasionally miss the rowing of the gear box but most of the time my old guy wonky knees thank me for getting an automatic.

ColtsFan

Lunch 

Eoin

HeavyG said:

SciAggie said:

HeavyG said:

Eoin said:

WeberWho said:

Good call on the manual. She'd probably be the only one who knows how to drive it out of her friends. Which can be a good thing.

I don't know anyone here who can't drive a manual. You can get a licence for auto only, but nobody does.

Well that's easily explainable isn't it?

In Europe the vast majority of cars have manual transmissions (80%? 90%?). In the US I believe that only about 5% of vehicles have manual transmissions these days. Manuals aren't even an option on most vehicles these days.

I'm curious - why the disparity? Why do most folks choose manual transmissions in Europe?

It's not something I've kept up with in recent years but a couple decades ago some of the reasons were 1)expense - auto trannies initially cost more and were more expensive to maintain, 2) engine power - most European cars were lower horsepower and an auto just sucked too much power out of them, 3) gas mileage - manuals used to be able to get more MPG so with the price of gas in Europe that was a factor.

These days auto trannies are much better and the MPG factor has actually shifted (so to speak )in favor of autos in many(most?) cars. Perhaps @Eoin can chime in as to the more current reasoning.

With the current economy tests in Europe, manuals have to be driven a certain way in the test to give the standard result. With an auto, it's allowed to make the shift choices, so can get a better result in the test in eco mode. I doubt the mileage advantage exists in the real world, eco modes are horrible to drive, mine goes in eco and cruise on the motorway at a steady 70, but no other time because ths throttle response is so slow.

kl8ton

Aflac sales guy is hunting down each employee one by one.  I have been successfully evading him.  

fishlessman

kl8ton said:

Aflac sales guy is hunting down each employee one by one.  I have been successfully evading him.  

i had an aflac duck guy out of my shop almost as fast as the talking phone book guy years ago the worst was a workers comp guy, i think he pissed himself his, you're paying this amount and im not explaining why because you wont understand it anyways line kinda bugged me   the duck guy actually quacked as he walked around

Legume

I’ve always found its easier to text and surf this forum driving an automatic. It’s just not safe in a manual.

SciAggie

What's up with Pinterest? I keep getting the same pins that just stay on the page no matter how much I refresh. Did they change their algorithm or what? This all started a few days ago.

fishlessman

Legume said:

I’ve always found its easier to text and surf this forum driving an automatic. It’s just not safe in a manual.

the trick is to suction cup the phone directly over the steering wheel dead center on the front window. then its juts a simple tip of you're head to see where you are going

a little higher than this, you dont want to have to look down

Eoin

Pork loin with grilled veg on the MMX.

Sea2Ski

On the way to the Flyers game. While in traffic we decided to plan a short getaway. It is gonna be another road trip. 
No manual transmission though.... not many rental cars come with those anyway.

slovelad

ColtsFan said:

Lunch 

@ColtsFan wowza

Ozzie_Isaac

Previous job was designing control strategies and calibration strategies for automatic transmissions.  I hate driving automatic transmissions because I feel all the mistakes they make and can't resist deliberately doing things to goof up the shifts.

DoubleEgger

Dam! 

blasting

Going through the pics of the weekend.  We spent a day hiking the red rocks of Sedona, then on to Williams.  Took a train to the Grand Canyon.  The train was chased down and boarded by bandits (pretty cool for the kids).  It was a fun weekend - I'd recommend it.

DoubleEgger

Was driving through the north GA mountains today on the way back from looking at a dam project and saw a sign for a waterfall. 2 miles down a single lane muddy dirt road and I found this little gem. 

SamIAm2

DoubleEgger said:

Dam! 

Bit early for the Georgia Mountain EggFest aren't you?

theyolksonyou

Oh boy. 

DoubleEgger

SamIAm2 said:

DoubleEgger said:

Dam! 

Bit early for the Georgia Mountain EggFest aren't you?

Wrong lake. This is Lake Hiwassee in Murphy, NC. The eggfest is Lake Chatuge. 

thetrim

GA has some great falls.  I recommend Raven Cliff falls.  Pretty good length hike w some bears on the trail

SamIAm2

Well egg on my face there. Thanks for the correction. 

Focker

Always fun when the Q Tips and Grapeseed come out.  This wallhanger cleaned up really nice for ten bucks.
Touched up the waffle irons as well.  

HeavyG

DoubleEgger said:

Dam! 

I really want to hit that with my pressure washer.

Ozzie_Isaac

thetrim said:

GA has some great falls.  I recommend Raven Cliff falls.  Pretty good length hike w some bears on the trail

Georgia and NC are interchangeable.  Easy mistake.  It is not like you called it Florida.

thetrim

Watching the women’s downhill.  For the skiers out there would that run be considered a bunny slope or double black diamond or something else?  

Ozzie_Isaac

thetrim said:

Watching the women’s downhill.  For the skiers out there would that run be considered a bunny slope or double black diamond or something else?  

Quad Black just for steepness.

Edit:  watched it, it is probably single black.

kl8ton

Just left the house to catch up on a project at work before going to bed.  Water over the road.  There is a current flowing across my driveway.  Looks like it will not end soon.  It hit 60 here today.  The ground was already saturated.  Now all the snow is melting and it has been raining nonstop.  Basement is staying dry!  If I lose power, I will be finding a generator right quick to keep sump pump working.



Current flow in to the crock:

NPHuskerFL

Reading the bible

YEMTrey

Hang in there @kl8ton .  I hate it when these systems pass over like that.  We're good for one to two a year here.  Stressing over something you can't control and seems endless is miserable.  Spent many a night staying up with the sump pump. 
I have an external sump pump that runs a drainage system on the back of my house.  Underground drainage tiles all along the back of the house, under the patio and around the sunroom.  Goes to a well with a sump pump in it.  Sometimes it can't keep up with the rainfall and it will come in the sunroom.  Looks like a river running down a couple of the steps.
It shorted out earlier this year and I just replaced it.  This new one is stronger and seems to have the ability to pump more water.  I'll be curious to see how it works this week as we're getting a bunch of rain.
I too will need to look into a generator because if I lose power I'm f'd.

Hope your pump keeps up and the rain stops soon!