AutoNeurotica

I miss my stick-shift.

You heard me. I miss my standard shifting cars. I had a few in my driving days and I miss them like old high school friends. Our current vehicles are both automatics and there's something sterile about them. So many things in cars today are automatic that you almost don't have to have a driver. So I harken back to the days when I could gun it well past 4000 RMPs before switching to 3rd. I miss not having to use the breaks, but down shift to a nice crawl.

The wheel rims on my Kia get dark really quick. Mrs. Austin had it in for an oil change or some other maintenence one day and the auto guys said it was because I break too hard. The break dust was coating the wheels. I was going to call Bullshit, but decided to take the high road and just try slowing down earlier and hammer the breaks less. Turns out it doesn't freakin matter. I think the configuration of the rims just picks up any road and break dust anyway and it doesn't matter what I do. Sounds like someone is trying to get some break business.

But this goes back to the stick shift. If I AM breaking too much, going back to a stick would at least save my breaks. I've never burned out a clutch, I've bought cars with weak cluthes and had to replace them, but not on a new vehicle. I was always pretty good with shifting, driving with my knees while smoking and eating lunch or reaching into the back seat for something. It's like my new job, I'm doing less and feel less challenged by the automatic. Plus I hear it sucks on gas mileage.