NEW BLOG SHOWCASE 2
I taught my wife (then girlfriend) to drive a stick. It took some patience. And it helped that the car I taught her in was a piece of crap, so when she caused my car to make THAT NOISE, it didn't bother me nearly as much as it might in other circumstances. Such as the ones described by FattySue, in a parody of Hamlet's soliloquy that perfectly strikes that hard-to-reach balance between changing too many of the original words & not changing enough:
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To shift, or not to shift? That is the question- Whether 'tis nobler to brave the Five-gated synchromesh monster With its yet untamed demon clutch And risk the gnashing of teeth in my mad hunt for third, Or to drive the distance in second gear, And, by revving past the blessed redline, Crack a piston or burn a valve. 'Tis better to shift, methinks, For who shall love me perchance I blow this DOHC-16V in-line, 4-cylinder fuel-injected engine?
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If you've ever taught a stick-newbie, been one yourself, or even ridden with one, you should go finish reading it. It really captures the moment.
posted by Harvey at 6:12:22 PM permalink HOME
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