Driving Habits: What's Your Pauline Quirk, Guv?

[UmBongo]

I keep my left foot held lightly on the clutch pedal most of the time. I do this even if I have a foot rest to hand(foot).

 

The volume on my stereo machine has to be set to an even number. If it's not I become slightly aggravated.

 

I always have my sun visors down, even during winter.

 

If parked on a slight incline. I like to roll the car for as long as I can until I need to engage gear.

 

I'm sure there are more, so I am...

 

 

[Guest bangerfan101]

Ever since owning a orion 1.6 ghia with idoling issue.

 

Whilst parking an other low speed manovers. I'm always blipping the throrle like I had to with the orion to stop it from stalling.

 

I'm sure to other motorists I look like a front bottom

[captain_70s]

Driving moderns with one hand on the gearstick, in the Triumph I almost always have both hands on the wheel.

 

I also brake very early and pump the pedal while slowing, a habit gained from the driving the 1850 with an air leak in the baking system...

 

Radio volume has to be set at a multiple of 2 or 5.

 

Probably more that I'm not aware of...

[sierraman]

As he said above, resting the foot on the clutch will wear out the release bearing pronto.

 

Don't know about habits but if I'm shifting down in say an overtaking manouvre is possibly double clutch to reduce strain on the drivetrain/DMF. Wouldn't do it as a matter of practice, I just feel in some situations it will reduce strain. Done correctly it makes a downshift barely perceptible.

[kinkersaab]

I seldom use handbrakes in case they stick or break, i try not rely too heavily on brakes as they are usually worn or pull, or judder,I am very aware not to slip the clutch  i feel uneasy without a  temp gauge, and i like to leave keys in ignition so i dont lose them. i always de activate auto lights and wipers. I hate following other traffic.

[Guest bangerfan101]

Doubledee clutching.

 

We all Love a bit of that

[Zantimisfit]

Singing (but pretending I'm on the hands free if anyone looks at me obviously)

[Guest Hooli]

The volume on my stereo machine has to be set to an even number. If it's not I become slightly aggravated.

 

 

Perfectly sensible or you'll have 4 out of one side & 3 out of the other if its' set to 7.

[PhilA]

Every manual vehicle I drive gets a little blip of the throttle before making a maneuver after a period of idling. This comes from driving my Hillman which would occasionally falter and stall upon gentle application of throttle from idle, but a quick jab of the pedal would squirt a bit of fuel down it's neck and wake it up.

 

My Renault has fuel injection and I still do it.

[egg]

I love a good coast up to a junction if nothing is behind me.

[PhilA]

Move here, then. It's the norm to slow down slowly towards a red light/stop sign. Mostly due to how massive the vehicles are.

[Asimo]

Freewheeling. Into neutral at every downhill or decelerating opportunity.

Comes from almost always having four cylinder cars which make such a hateful racket with their odius high frequnency vibration.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

MrsN thinks it's funny that I always double de clutch into second and always when changing down in the Gaylander 2, years of Solihull products with either worn out or non-existent synchro, I suppose. That and it's about the only manual I drive these days.

I always lower the driver's window before getting out if the engine's running , again previous experience of cars , Rover 800s and a Maser Biturbo , locking themselves when slamming the door . The Maserati on full high idle with my 6 and 4 year olds strapped in the back, that was tense

" OK darling, un strap yourself then climb between the seats to Daddies chair without knocking that big lever into R"

Obviously not helped by a hysterical MrsN brandishing a brick , helpfully telling me how clever I am .

 

I also have to have the temperature set the same on both sides, even if it means sweating my bollocks off when a passenger wants it heating on a hot day.

 

I'd like to think years of driving courses, some good, many overpriced rubbish , mean I don't have too many bad or dangerous driving habits. But I'd be last person to notice those.

[Tickman]

The volume on my stereo machine has to be set to an even number...

I now deliberately don't do this since I saw a tiny bit of a Car Throttle video on youtube where he says he does it. 

That was enough of a reason for me to stop! (I don't know why but I just cannot watch his videos)

 

Main bad habit would be over confidence but it hasn't really gone wrong yet!

[colnerov]

 Hi, Not riding the clutch comes from the days of cars having Carbon release bearing which would fail in fairly short order with that practice. There are not many other ball races that get a break from service on a car so they can cope.  Anyway as it's me that will have to do the work, I will decide, so I do.

 

 Colin

[AlabamaShrimp]

Sorry but I've always been one too for having my foot on the clutch. You have to change gear so many times in a 950 Fiesta that it's just doesn't matter. I push it down early when coming to a stop and brake early but lightly due to them (and others shit cars) having crap brakes. I've never broken a bearing doing it.

 

Most of the time I drive with the window down, even in winter or rain, but I will shut it if I have to.

[blakey79]

When advance braking from high speed, changing down through the gears to lower the speed instead of using the brake ensuring the whole transaction is carried out as smooth as possible.

 

Consistently flicking through radio stations, much to passengers annoyance.

[richardthestag]

giving a running sweary commentary whether the occupants of my car want it or not.

 

In fact regardless of whether there is anyone else in the car. every other driver is an arse etc

[Matt]

I keep my sun visors up against the windscreen rather than against the headliner that way they are only a little flick away from being in position but also I find that bringing them down from the headliner brings them a little too far into my vision of what is going on ahead before they are in the right spot.

 

Coasting in gear for as long as possible. There is one section of a road I drive regularly where I can do this for eight tenths of a mile while only loosing a mile per hour or two. The annoying thing is that I can't do it when I have traffic behind or in front. People behind get too impatient even though there is a traffic light at the end of the slope and people ahead invariably drive too slow so I'm on the brakes all the time without touching the throttle.

 

Racing lines-ish. On some of the roads around here you can keep your moment up if you use racing lines inside your own lane and some have parts where it's possible to safely cut a corner by going over the oncoming lane. Anyone who has driven on the A713 south of Dalmellington will know exactly that I mean.

[beko1987]

Moving my hand to the gearstick in the gooner approaching a gear change, remembering and nochantly resting my arm on the arm rest... Even if it's just me in the car!

 

Drivers window open an inch at all times, in all weather, if I'm smoking or not. If it's chilly I put the heater up a bit!

[twosmoke300]

Keeping on turning the radio off to listen to what I think are strange noises from the car - all in my head of course

[puddlethumper]

I love a good coast up to a junction if nothing is behind me.

I love a good coast even if someone is behind me.

[Lord Sterling]

I keep my left foot held lightly on the clutch pedal most of the time. I do this even if I have a foot rest to hand(foot).

 

I always have my sun visors down, even during winter.

I always lower the driver's window before getting out if the engine's running , again previous experience of cars , Rover 800s and a Maser Biturbo , locking themselves when slamming the door

These basically.

[mercrocker]

Some of the above posts plus a few of my own... 

 

The window down thing - all weathers except driving rain  

Unnecessary double de-clutching - well its quite helpful in the Minor, I suppose.

Making a conscious decision not to indicate unless there is anybody to actually benefit from the information.    Don't know where that came from.

Never sitting on the brake pedal - always in neutral, handbrake on.   Partly because I hate dazzling people behind me (I actually took the high-level out of my Merc) but also because my foot slipped off once, very many years ago.   

 

Apparently I am always fiddling with heating/ventilation as well but I still dispute that one.

[bub2006]

I have a thing against odd numbers except number 5 strangely so radio can't be on an odd number, driving with 1 hand on stick and one on top of wheel, double de clutching on hills, window always down a bit unless it's red hot and then the ac comes one. Wind deflectors help with noise, buffeting and rain. And like some others I can't get out the car with keys in ignition without window being wound down. Always use box to add low down here too. On my argos driving assessment. The bloke told me to stop doing it and use brakes all the time. I told him I'd rather know my brakes hadn't faded on a steep downhill drag if I needed to stop suddenly, especially in a loaded sprinter.

[Guest Hooli]

The modern idea of not using the gears to slow is bloody stupid. Especially when you get onto bigger stuff with air brakes, no revs for ages means you run out of air & get stuck.

[rantingYoof]

I cadence brake if heaving on the anchors on a busy motorway if everything up ahead suddenly slows, although I normally curse myself for not noticing before it was necessary to heave on the anchors.

[Guest Hooli]

I've never bothered as I threshold brake just below the point ABS kicks in after years of cars without such fripperies. Cadence braking is a handy skill in really shite weather though. Of course in fresh snow, locked wheels stop faster...

[doobietoo]

Most of mine have been covered already, having the window open as no cars now have quarterlights, annoyingly even the AS spellchecker does not recognise quarterlight as a word. grrrr. radio on even number and braking just below ABS threshold if I engage the ABS I think it is bad driving. 

 To these I would add, driving in the inside lane if it is empty, accelerating before the car coming the other way has passed when overtaking a throwback to driving slow underpowered cars all my life and revving up and slipping the clutch when pulling out of a busy junction, again a throwback to driving shonky old cars with a tendency to stall at the wrong time.

[LessThanEqual]

I like to rev match my downshifts even though it can be difficult in an older drive-by-wire diesel. Can't heel to toe for shit though, always end up mashing the brake to the floor and missing the throttle, no clue how people manage to get different balances on the heel and toe of their foot.