Right handed; but use left hand.

[lilshawn]

Reverse should always be straight down from 5th or to the left of 1st. PERIOD. no stupid buttons, lockouts, levers or sequences(roll down the window 2 inches, press the brake, flip over floor mats, turn the steering wheel 2 and 1/64th turns, press clutch to floor, head rest to full up position, put 4ways on, pray to Allah...)

if you dump your tranny into reverse trying to drive, you shouldn't be driving a stick.

[lilshawn]

Has there been a mainstream car in 40 years that will let you shift into Reverse while moving forward?

my sister-in-law has a nasty habit of forgetting she shifted to 5th already and goes down for another gear...derrrrp.  

dunno what year (2000's anyways) but it's a ford focus or something.

she is also dumb as a sack of rusty doorknobs.

[danny_galaga]

Sounds borderline Siamese to me.


Are UK and Euro cars completely flipped, or just the shifter? I'd probably be okay left shifting, but throttling with my left and clutching with my right might be scary.

He brings up a good question.

Over there in the UK and the screwy Euro countries, what foot do you use to accelerate/brake with and what foot shifts?

I don't even understand all of you crazy foreigners.  Some countries in Europe have the wheel on the correct side of the car, the left side.  Italy is one I know from experience does it the right way, the American way.



Ok, I learned a little more about our screwed up British cousins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_side
Turns out that driving on the left-side of the road is a dieing breed created by the British Empire and Japanese Empire.  Since both empires fell many countries under them switched from left to right.  Sadly almost noone went right to left.

Silly brits.

US cars just have the drivers seat on the wrong side. All controls are the same as far as possible (other than obviously a central gear shift). It would be insane to change throttle and clutch around. I've seen pictures of some cars in the US that had the drivers seat on the right. One might have been a Stutz. No one had a clear idea until the 20's which side it should be.

two posts before yours  

I can't tell if you're being serious or not. ALL of Europe drives on the right side of the road, except for the UK and Ireland. Not sure if you've ever left home or not? You mention Italy, have you been there? Not trying to flame, just understand.

Oh, and PBJ, I'm pretty sure no MANUAL car has ever been able to be accidentally put in reverse while moving forward, purely because it would be dumb to have synchromesh on the reverse gear, for that very reason. You could probably do it by double-clutching. Otherwise, all that happens is you hear the gears clash (grind is the wrong term really, because nothing much is happening, just sounds alarming).

[Le Chuck]

^Good point, I should clarify an earlier statement that is confusing.  I said most of Europe drives on the left as in the driver seat is on the left side of the vehicle, when driving one is on the Right side of the road.  Don't you have to make a switch from Right to Left side of the road driving in some of the baltic countries?  I remember seeing pics of a boarder crossing where the roads have to do that over under thing to flip you onto the other side of the road thing. 

[danny_galaga]

Don't you have to make a switch from Right to Left side of the road driving in some of the baltic countries?  I remember seeing pics of a boarder crossing where the roads have to do that over under thing to flip you onto the other side of the road thing. 

I'm pretty sure ALL of mainland Europe drives on the right hand side of the road. There's a big mix in Africa though, maybe it was there?

[lilshawn]

^Good point, I should clarify an earlier statement that is confusing.  I said most of Europe drives on the left as in the driver seat is on the left side of the vehicle, when driving one is on the Right side of the road.  Don't you have to make a switch from Right to Left side of the road driving in some of the baltic countries?  I remember seeing pics of a boarder crossing where the roads have to do that over under thing to flip you onto the other side of the road thing. 

THIS:

[Nephasth]

And this:



But this is Hong Kong to China...

[lilshawn]

i would have thought something in china would be overly complicated.

you know electronic lifts or robot arms that pick up your car and move it to the other side of the road.

[Le Chuck]

That's the one.  Hong Kong to China... don't know why I was thinking Europe.  Mah bad. 

I heard the japanese were developing a Mecha Godzirra to carry communters across the sea of Japan. 

[HaRuMaN]

I'm right-handed, bowl with my right hand, but have my balled drilled for a lefty, and have a lefty hook.  If you know anything about bowling, I'm talking about backup release.

[Le Chuck]

I'm right-handed, bowl with my right hand, but have my balled drilled for a lefty, and have a lefty hook.  If you know anything about bowling, I'm talking about backup release.

So you hit the pocket Brooklyn everytime?  My old teammate was a lefty with a right drilled ball.

[Gray_Area]

Who the hell is driving a stick these days? While I learned on one, and have owned one, I mostly have driven automatics, and would only drive a stick if I absolutely had to.

[Le Chuck]

Who the hell is driving a stick these days? While I learned on one, and have owned one, I mostly have driven automatics, and would only drive a stick if I absolutely had to.

Superior feul economy, enjoyment of being in control of the vehicle in a way that you aren't with an automatic, off road enthusiast, the list goes on and on. 

[HaRuMaN]

Who the hell is driving a stick these days? While I learned on one, and have owned one, I mostly have driven automatics, and would only drive a stick if I absolutely had to.

Superior feul economy, enjoyment of being in control of the vehicle in a way that you aren't with an automatic, off road enthusiast, the list goes on and on. 

I got tired of my manual because of rush hour traffic.  Got an automatic, has paddle shifters if I really get the urge.

[knave]

Heh. I had a manual Jeep all picked out and just before I pulled the trigger test drove an automatic...I was sold. Everytime I'm in traffic I think about all the fun (not!) I'm missing. Their are pros and cons to each but unless I bought a sports/sporty car I will go automatic from now on. My prievious car was a 5-speed turbo and I liked that too...just not in traffic.

[Vigo]

I miss my old 78 mustang cobra. The thing made me fall in love with manuals.



^ Not mine, but same model/year/paintjob.

[lilshawn]

I got tired of my manual because of rush hour traffic.  Got an automatic, has paddle shifters if I really get the urge.

^^^THIS^^^

I spend at least 2 hours out of my own day in traffic...that's not even counting work travel. 

plus I can stomp on the gas and trounce any granny shifting loser in a civic anyways.

[danny_galaga]

Who the hell is driving a stick these days? While I learned on one, and have owned one, I mostly have driven automatics, and would only drive a stick if I absolutely had to.

me (",)

[Gray_Area]

Who the hell is driving a stick these days? While I learned on one, and have owned one, I mostly have driven automatics, and would only drive a stick if I absolutely had to.

Superior feul economy, enjoyment of being in control of the vehicle in a way that you aren't with an automatic, off road enthusiast, the list goes on and on. 

I prefer to practice other kinds of economy = I can have any toys my wallet authorizes.

Off-road and High performances are specialist circs. I'm talking about the driving most people do every day

The 'control' issue, while I'm sure has been around ages, is finally being marketed: I drove a '12 Camry the other day that had 'reactive' breaking when you let off the throttle. Not that I need this...

[ChadTower]

I can throw with both arms but throw better right handed just because I grew up playing baseball and was given a right handed glove.  I was going to switch that, but decided I wanted to play catcher around 9, and left handed throwing catchers don't happen.

Any sport I play I can play either way but have different strengths to either side.  I hit a baseball either way, with more power leftie, but more accuracy rightie.  When I did play golf I had left handed woods and right handed irons.  Hockey, either way, better shot leftie, better stickhandling rightie.  I can write with both hands, more legibly rightie, but more comfortably leftie.

My older son is the same way.  My younger son is pure rightie.

[Mysterioii]

If I'm eating with just a fork or spoon I hold it in my right hand, but if I'm eating with a knife and fork I'll switch the fork to my left hand and use the knife with my right.  Apparently other people don't tend to do that?  My family always said it was odd.  I know why I do it though, I just like having more control with the hand I'm cutting with...

[HaRuMaN]

If I'm eating with just a fork or spoon I hold it in my right hand, but if I'm eating with a knife and fork I'll switch the fork to my left hand and use the knife with my right.  Apparently other people don't tend to do that?  My family always said it was odd.  I know why I do it though, I just like having more control with the hand I'm cutting with...

Nope, that's what I do, knife goes in the right hand.

[lilshawn]

If I'm eating with just a fork or spoon I hold it in my right hand, but if I'm eating with a knife and fork I'll switch the fork to my left hand and use the knife with my right.  Apparently other people don't tend to do that?  My family always said it was odd.  I know why I do it though, I just like having more control with the hand I'm cutting with...

Nope, that's what I do, knife goes in the right hand.

2nd'ed

[knave]

When dining with proper manners the knife is used in the right hand and the fork in the left...Americans somewhere along the way fell away from that. So you get a variety of habits. I got used to it when I was traveling so now if I use a knife only in the right hand...but if im just using a spoon or a fork I will often use my right hand only.

[lilshawn]

I hold my knife in my right just in case I need to teach someone a lesson. 

[Green Giant]

If I'm eating with just a fork or spoon I hold it in my right hand, but if I'm eating with a knife and fork I'll switch the fork to my left hand and use the knife with my right.  Apparently other people don't tend to do that?  My family always said it was odd.  I know why I do it though, I just like having more control with the hand I'm cutting with...

Nope, that's what I do, knife goes in the right hand.

2nd'ed

That is the proper Emily Post way to eat.

If you are right-handed, you use the knife in your right hand to cut the food.  Then you switch the fork to the right hand to pick it up and eat it.  It requires lots of switching, but that is the truly proper way to eat.

[HaRuMaN]

If I'm eating with just a fork or spoon I hold it in my right hand, but if I'm eating with a knife and fork I'll switch the fork to my left hand and use the knife with my right.  Apparently other people don't tend to do that?  My family always said it was odd.  I know why I do it though, I just like having more control with the hand I'm cutting with...

Nope, that's what I do, knife goes in the right hand.

2nd'ed

That is the proper Emily Post way to eat.

If you are right-handed, you use the knife in your right hand to cut the food.  Then you switch the fork to the right hand to pick it up and eat it.  It requires lots of switching, but that is the truly proper way to eat.

Don't know about the "properness" of that method, but it's the only way that feels comfortable to me.  I don't have the same level of control with my left hand as I do with my right.

God knows I was never taught how to eat "proper"...   

[Vigo]

Proper western dining form for most the world is fork always in left. I don't know if Emily Post ever did instruct on switching fork hands or not, but I was under the impression that Emily Post often is cited as the excuse for most our wonky American habits in dining. In most settings I will incorrectly use the fork in my right hand if I don't need a knife, but I wouldn't try that at a business lunch.

[Nephasth]

Well... How do you hold a fork then?

A:


or

B:


I go with B when just using a fork (in my right hand), and A when using a fork (in left hand) with a knife.

[Vigo]

A: For Steak
B: For Mac and Cheese

I have no clue if that is correct. My lame college dining etiquette lessons only went so far. (I have a hospitality and tourism degree)

[Green Giant]

A: For Steak
B: For Mac and Cheese

I have no clue if that is correct. My lame college dining etiquette lessons only went so far. (I have a hospitality and tourism degree)

Well according to my ex who was obsessed with etiquette, you should use A. only when holding food in place while cutting.

When transporting food from your plate to your mouth you should always use B.

[Nephasth]

Well according to my ex who was obsessed with etiquette, you should use A. only when holding food in place while cutting.

When transporting food from your plate to your mouth you should always use B.

So, should one cut their meat up into bite sized pieces all at once? Or cut one piece at a time?

[Gray_Area]

I hold my knife in my right just in case I need to teach someone a lesson. 

You just need to be Bourne-again.

Well according to my ex who was obsessed with etiquette, you should use A. only when holding food in place while cutting.

When transporting food from your plate to your mouth you should always use B.

So, should one cut their meat up into bite sized pieces all at once? Or cut one piece at a time?

You should do whatever you want. If you want to be a priss, you can do the switcharoo method.

[lilshawn]

Proper steak eating etiquette. - By Li'l Shawn

Step one:

After preparing the steak to perfection, the consumer should analyse the steak to determine the perfect portion to eat first. I recommend the extra tasty grilled portions with just a hint of sauce.

Step Two:

With the proper portion selected, the consumer should place the steak into the 6 o'clock position, with the selected portion facing towards the consumer, thus allowing easy access to the selected portion.

Step Three:

The consumer must grasp the fork and knife firmly, one in each hand (the selection depending on the "handedness" of the consumer)

Step Four:

The consumer will now thrust the fork into the centre of the steak, firmly implanting the tines of the fork to ensure no slippage will occur.

Step Five:

Lift the fork and steak and rotate 180 degrees so that your hand is under the steak the steak is on top of the fork, this will ensure the steak will not fall off.

Step 6:

The forchose portion in front of you, take a huge bite of the chosen portion out of the steak and savour it's meaty goodness.



Optional step seven:

Receive death glares from your wife or significant other.

[Gray_Area]

Proper steak eating etiquette. - By Li'l Shawn

Step one:

After preparing the steak to perfection, the consumer should analyse the steak to determine the perfect portion to eat first. I recommend the extra tasty BBQ'd portions with just a hint of sauce.

BBQ'd ??  You grill a steak. And the only thing you might put on it is au jus. Now prime rib you may put some horse radish on it, too.

[Mysterioii]

Actually it's another Americanized bastardization to refer to the "juice" as "au jus"...  "Au jus" means "with juice" and refers to the manner of serving the meat, not the juice/sauce itself.  (And yes I'm American, but man we screw  like that up...)

[Green Giant]

Actually it's another Americanized bastardization to refer to the "juice" as "au jus"...  "Au jus" means "with juice" and refers to the manner of serving the meat, not the juice/sauce itself.  (And yes I'm American, but man we screw  like that up...)

It isn't as bad as how we give anyone with a foreign accent a spot on a night time news show.

"Oh you are from England.....would you like to become our new commentator on American politics?"

[lilshawn]

Proper steak eating etiquette. - By Li'l Shawn

Step one:

After preparing the steak to perfection, the consumer should analyse the steak to determine the perfect portion to eat first. I recommend the extra tasty BBQ'd portions with just a hint of sauce.

BBQ'd ??  You grill a steak. And the only thing you might put on it is au jus. Now prime rib you may put some horse radish on it, too.

fixd