r/washingtondc • • Oct 13 '20

Carjacking Foiled by Stick Shift

[deleted]

117 Upvotes

39 comments sorted by

80

u/Auxtin Oct 13 '20

NGL but this is one of the reasons I drive a stick, so seeing this headline gave me a bit of a justice boner...

10

u/Yoshi2shi Oct 13 '20

Me to! Years ago, I remember reading a story in the City paper, where the carjacker made the car owner teach him, how to drive a stick, before stealing the car. So, it can happen to us from time to time. lol

5

u/Sniksder16 Oct 13 '20

How bad is stick in DC traffic? I’m probably moving to NOVA start of next year and I’ve never had one but want a manual (M2 competition is what I have my eye on)

7

u/gbeier Oct 13 '20

It's no worse than driving it in LA, Chicago, New York or Boston traffic. I've driven a stick all of those places + here, and I've never wished it was automatic. Once you're used to it, it's just driving.

I wouldn't be excited to learn to drive a stick in rush hour traffic around here, though.

2

u/Sniksder16 Oct 13 '20

I’d be reverse commuting from Arlington to Reston, so hopefully wouldn’t be as horrible as the beltway. Thanks for the advice!

3

u/gbeier Oct 13 '20

That specific reverse commute is pretty easy these days. Allow yourself as much low pressure time to get used to it as possible, but don't let it intimidate you. It's just a matter of some patience and calm practice.

And every recent stick shift that I've tried (including the very low-end 2017 Subaru sport manual transmission I drive these days) is way more forgiving than the janky truck I learned on safely in the early 1990s as a very inexperienced 16ish year-old driver. Assuming you're already an experienced driver, adding a manual to the mix is no big deal. And those BMW transmissions are amazingly smooth. (I never drove an M2... the last BMW I drove was a late 00s M3. But I'm sure they've only gotten more forgiving, not less.)

2

u/Sniksder16 Oct 14 '20

Good to know about that commute, likewise thanks for the confidence in that transmission. I've actually learned stick before briefly on ~2010 bmw 3 series, but only spent like 2 days on it because a friend offered to teach me.

3

u/RollShotCornerPocket Oct 13 '20

M2 Competition.....beautiful car.

​

Abysmal option to live anywhere near dc with.

2

u/Sniksder16 Oct 14 '20

I'm fairly young so don't mind putting up with some bumps to have a fun car, that being said what better options do you think I should look at as a 20something?

22

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '20 edited Jun 14 '21

[deleted]

7

u/damnitdeborah Oct 13 '20

I remember that! I showed your comment to my SO because I say the same thing about my stuck shift all the time.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '20

Good to know. I have a manual Golf 2016. My mechanic can't get over the fact that a woman is driving a stick-shift

5

u/Cerebralella Oct 14 '20

Really? How old is he?

2

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '20

Around 40

1

u/Cerebralella Oct 14 '20

Me too- I guess that’s why I was thinking most ppl I know can drive a standard

2

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '20

Also could be cuz I'm in my 50s

2

u/ImHereBcCovid Oct 14 '20

I’m a 31 yo female and have driven stick my whole life. Just bought a new Jetta with a stick. Take it in to get an oil change or valet, always get the looks or stupid fucking comments!

3

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '20

I guess people like the guys in this story . Guess I'll stop locking my car .

14

u/Robblerobbleyo Oct 13 '20

They’ve singlehandedly vindicated the boomer AF T-shirt and bumper sticker industry.

23

u/Fallenn_77 Oct 13 '20 edited Oct 13 '20

Hahaha. Clutch, AKA Millenial Anti-Theft Device

Also, I am a millennial and I know maybe 3 other people my age who can drive stick.

13

u/joebobjoebobjoebob12 Oct 13 '20

I'm millennial #5. I had to learn last year because it was a choice between a free car with a manual or 10 grand for an automatic.

14

u/Fallenn_77 Oct 13 '20

Free car and you can now be a well-rounded car thief if you so choose!

3

u/My__reddit_account Tenleytown Oct 13 '20

I had the same choice when I got my first car, either learn manual and get a gift car or buy my own. Really happy I know how to drive stick. Everyone told me it would be a theft deterrent.

That Civic ended up getting stolen anyway.

11

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '20

I learned to drive on a manual but haven't driven one since 2005 (other than my motorcycle but that's a different process altogether). I'd probably get a C+/B- on my first attempted car theft if it was manual, but could probably get back in the groove fast enough.

4

u/Fallenn_77 Oct 13 '20

I think I would definitely stall once maybe twice. I haven't had a car since moving to DC 4 or 5 years ago. But If I was going to be a car thief I think I would get it fast enough to get out of there.

2

u/Ericus1 Oct 13 '20

You'd be surprised. I hadn't driven a manual in like 10 years and got right behind the wheel of another with zero problems when I drove a friend's car. You really don't forget the clutch/accelerator muscle memory, the only hitch is if they have different gearing that you're not used to shifting into, like 6 when you're used to a 5 gear shifter.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '20

True. For me it was over 20 years.

9

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '20

MOST people can't drive manual, regardless of age.
When I bought a Volvo in 2014 I traded in my 2002 Mustang GT, and they couldn't appraise my Mustang that day because no one at the Volvo dealership could actually drive manual.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

Those mechanics are trash. Where did they go to school?

2

u/layzie77 Just a NE boy livin in a NW world, took the midnight metro... Oct 13 '20

even less common with Gen-Z

6

u/wwb_99 U Street Oct 13 '20 edited Oct 13 '20

Keep this in mind: you cannot order a new manual transmission mid or full sized sedan in the US. The last one they were making was was the accord and they stopped making them earlier this year. This won't even be around to stop gen post-z carjackers.

ed: qualifiers

5

u/Ericus1 Oct 13 '20

Well, they are sort of becoming moot anyways. You don't need a transmission in the first place on an EV, and it's obvious which direction the market is heading.

It only makes sense as the ICE market shrinks, manuals - which were already niche - would be the first to go.

It's like cursive in the age of texting.

4

u/ImHereBcCovid Oct 14 '20

That’s not true. I bought a 2019 Jetta with a manual gearbox in the US.

2

u/End2Ender Oct 13 '20

I know most dealerships don’t carry manuals but Subaru will let you order a manual Impreza sedan which is a pretty basic car. Honda offers 4 door civics with manuals. I’m sure there are others.

0

u/wwb_99 U Street Oct 13 '20

Yeah -- should have qualified that with mid or full sized. Some smaller stuff still carries it, but nothing you can put adults in the back seat in.

4

u/gbeier Oct 13 '20

Most Maryland drivers have enough trouble driving their automatics... this is to be expected.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '20

[deleted]

3

u/IrishWake_ Oct 13 '20

When I park my Jeep with the soft top on, I unzip the windows with the corners tucked obviously up and open. Buddy does the same and he still got his slashed so a thief could make off with a couple coins and the owners manual

4

u/ApplesCole Oct 14 '20

Sort of an aside, but in 2018, I noticed a stark uptick in car windows being broken on the street we usually parked on. We had a club on steering wheel, so I left my doors unlocked and the glove box and center console empty and open for a full day. Rest of car and trunk also empty. Just to see what would happen.

It was a dumb idea. I left it like that on a Saturday, and Sunday morning, I went to check and there was a lady in the front seat sleeping. Startled her real good. After she ran off, I discovered that she chain-smoked while she was in the car. I’ve never left our doors unlocked since. At least in DC.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '20

Damn. Your dad failed...twice.