Michelle Steiner

In article <g6WdnaifM54q083RnZ2dnUVZ_ooAAAAA@giganews.com>,
"bj" <bjones44@bellatlantic.net> wrote:

> > And most of us don't know how to use a manual typewriter either, or a
> > phonograph, or for that matter, how to drive a buggy.
>
> I know you're in my age group -- how did you avoid learning manual
> typewriter & a phonograph?

I didn't say that I don't. By "us", I meant people in general.

I didn't learn how to type, though, until I was in the US Army.

--
Check out the Hot Cocoa Party
<http://www.hotcocoaparty.info>

Mike

On 28/07/2010 2:36 PM, salgud wrote:
> On Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:21:06 +1200, Your Name wrote:
>
>> "Jolly Roger"<jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote in message
>> news:jollyroger-FA9A8C.17554827072010@news.individual.net...
>>> In article<i2nhev$tj1$1@lust.ihug.co.nz>,
>>> "Your Name"<your.name@isp.com> wrote:
>>>> On 07-26-2010 21:27, Michelle Steiner wrote:
>>>>> your.name@isp.com (Your Name) wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Only in countries that drive on the wrong side of the road. Of
>> course,
>>>>>> being "fat, lazy Americans" (quoting Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson),
>>>>>
>>>>> And almost all, if not all, countries that are not islands.
>>>>>
>>>>>> you guys don't know how to use a manual / "stick shift" car anyway.
>> ;-)
>>>>>
>>>>> And most of us don't know how to use a manual typewriter either, or a
>>>>> phonograph, or for that matter, how to drive a buggy.
>>>>
>>>> Whoever decided to put an automatic gearbox in a sportscar should be
>> shot
>>>> ... until recent advances, it was pretty much an oxy-moron. Thankfully
>> my
>>>> car is a manual. :-)
>>>
>>> I refuse to purchase or own a car with automatic transmission.
>>
>> Yep, me too. I only drive an automatic when when my car is in for it's
>> regular servicing and I get a loan car.
>>
>> Unfortunately car companies seem to be moving towards using those silly
>> "flappy paddle" (TM Jeremy Clarkson) systems these days, which aren't really
>> much better than an automatic. :-(
>
> Except for the minor fact that, on most cars that offer both types of gear
> boxes, manual and flappy paddle (also called automatic manuals), the flappy
> paddle gearboxes are quicker. Same thing in a drag race. They shift faster
> than a person can (down under 100 milliseconds now) and on downshifts,
> execute a perfect "heel and toe" every time. I haven't driven one yet, but
> I hear they're not nearly as much fun to drive. But if you want to go fast,
> you have to admit that all of the formula 1 teams can't be wrong.

They tend to be far less reliable than either their fully automatic or
manual gearbox equivalents.

Whilst an F1 car my go fast they are high maintenance so comparing them
to road going cars that generally just get you from AB via countless
traffic lights, pedestrian crossings etc is pointless.

Mike

Your Name

"Mike" <mikeloveschampagneandrugby@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:i2pm2o$c9g$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> On 28/07/2010 2:36 PM, salgud wrote:
> > On Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:21:06 +1200, Your Name wrote:
> >
> >> "Jolly Roger"<jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote in message
> >> news:jollyroger-FA9A8C.17554827072010@news.individual.net...
> >>> In article<i2nhev$tj1$1@lust.ihug.co.nz>,
> >>> "Your Name"<your.name@isp.com> wrote:
> >>>> On 07-26-2010 21:27, Michelle Steiner wrote:
> >>>>> your.name@isp.com (Your Name) wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Only in countries that drive on the wrong side of the road. Of
> >> course,
> >>>>>> being "fat, lazy Americans" (quoting Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson),
> >>>>>
> >>>>> And almost all, if not all, countries that are not islands.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> you guys don't know how to use a manual / "stick shift" car anyway.
> >> ;-)
> >>>>>
> >>>>> And most of us don't know how to use a manual typewriter either, or
a
> >>>>> phonograph, or for that matter, how to drive a buggy.
> >>>>
> >>>> Whoever decided to put an automatic gearbox in a sportscar should be
> >> shot
> >>>> ... until recent advances, it was pretty much an oxy-moron.
Thankfully
> >> my
> >>>> car is a manual. :-)
> >>>
> >>> I refuse to purchase or own a car with automatic transmission.
> >>
> >> Yep, me too. I only drive an automatic when when my car is in for it's
> >> regular servicing and I get a loan car.
> >>
> >> Unfortunately car companies seem to be moving towards using those silly
> >> "flappy paddle" (TM Jeremy Clarkson) systems these days, which aren't
really
> >> much better than an automatic. :-(
> >
> > Except for the minor fact that, on most cars that offer both types of
gear
> > boxes, manual and flappy paddle (also called automatic manuals), the
flappy
> > paddle gearboxes are quicker. Same thing in a drag race. They shift
faster
> > than a person can (down under 100 milliseconds now) and on downshifts,
> > execute a perfect "heel and toe" every time. I haven't driven one yet,
but
> > I hear they're not nearly as much fun to drive. But if you want to go
fast,
> > you have to admit that all of the formula 1 teams can't be wrong.
>
> They tend to be far less reliable than either their fully automatic or
> manual gearbox equivalents.
>
> Whilst an F1 car my go fast they are high maintenance so comparing them
> to road going cars that generally just get you from AB via countless
> traffic lights, pedestrian crossings etc is pointless.

"Flappy paddles" may well be great in a racing car, especially an American
race where "they don't know what corners are" (TM Jermey Clarkson) , but
in the real world for normal day-to-day driving they're mostly just
hopeless - even something as simple as changing into reverse takes longer.
"Flappy paddles" and automatics are both getting better (as well as more
technical), but you simply can't beat a proper manual gearbox. :-)