Driving quirks.

[Cavcraft]

Anyone else have any driving quirks? I always turn the stereo down approaching junctions, roundabouts and slow traffic. It must be a concentration thing but my kids always laugh at me for doing it.

[theorganist]

I always turn mine down in carparks and approaching stationary traffic, if I am listening to a CD (probably because I don't want people to hear what I am listening to!!).

 

Since I have had the 14 I have found I can keep my left hand on the steering wheel whilst resting my elbow on the door armrest thingy.

[Albert Ross]

I drive like I have "Ride of the Valkyries" in my head..... I also mutter under my breath, keep my mouth shut when overtaking, and snort through my nose....... A sort of tight lipped grimace.... Oh, and everyone else is a wanker.

 

Which brings me onto an old friend of mine. He used to collect his Grandson for weekend visits, when the boy was about 6 or 7 years old. One day, his Wife went instead. Well, when the young'un burst through the door after the short journey, he was really happy. He declared out loud to the assembled company (Me included) that there were no wankers or bastards on the way back, like when Grandad drives. He also muttered under his breath like me... But with Tourettes.

 

He was very told off by the Mrs.

[gearoil]

I turn the stereo off when parking.

 

I also turn it down when Ms Gearoil is driving so she can hear shes been in 3rd for the last 5 miles not 5th.... FFS!

[Jon]

I always dip the clutch pedal before starting up, probably due to Royal Mail days when driving multiple vans and lorries a day. I'm always turning the stereo up and down in Mrs_cav's MX5 when going faster/slower/parking etc. I think this is very much a male thing, since whenever I get in her car to drive off, it's blasting out as if she were doing 70 down the motorway with the roof down!

[Alexg]

- Start the car with clutch down

- Put my seatbelt on after pulling away

- Block change the gears whilst slowing down

- Drive resting left hand on the gear stick

 

Im sure there are many more...

[warren t claim]

I never drive with the stero volume on 13.

I always say hello to the truck in the morning and goodbye and thanks for a safe journey at the ed of my shift.

 

Probably loads more.

[theorganist]

I never drive with the stero volume on 13

 

Thats another one, I never drive with the stereo volume on an odd number , also push the clutch in when I start the engine!

[Danblez]

I never drive with the stero volume on 13.

I always say hello to the truck in the morning and goodbye and thanks for a safe journey at the ed of my shift.

 

Probably loads more.

 

Mrs D has to have the volume on an even number. Not sure what happens if it is on an odd number will have to try sometime.

[Rocket88]

Always double de-clutch [remnant of learning to drive in a Bedford RL, circa 1975 British Army]

[Albert Ross]

I have to do that anyway..... Pre-71 Land Rover.... I also check I have a clutch and brake pedal with full pressure before starting the engine. Even though I have had no issues, I still don't trust cheap pattern parts.

[ChinaTom]

Despite driving autos for years and years, I still rest my hand on the gear selector when coming to a junction or roundabout; also keep it there when accelerating through the gears. Drives the Mrs crazy.

[dollywobbler]

Isn't resting your hand on the gearlever a good way of knackering up the selector forks? On a manual only I guess...

 

2CV. Always go into second before first when stationary. Makes sure the 'box is stopped and avoids a crunch.

BX. Always go into fifth before reverse. Same story - trick borrowed from TVR when they started using the T5 gearboxes.

[Mr H Sceptre]

I pat the car on the dashboard, as you would to a well behaved dog.

[Lankytim]

I often drive down the pavement on the way home from the pub after 10 pints. I'm crazy me!

[Cavcraft]

Bloody hell, this is like therapy and made me realise other things I do. On the last Toyota pick-ups we had when you took the keys out slowly it made a stupid plipping noise (I've heard Golfs do this too) which really bugged me and I considered unlucky, so I had to take the keys out really quickly then shut the door or I'd be convinced I'd have bad luck all day.

Now I don't like looking at the hazards flash when I press the remote locking so I have to look away as I think it's unlucky.

 

+1 on stereo volume, I don't like odd numbers and luckily the cheap shit CD player I got for the daily only has evens, maybe they knew?

[dollywobbler]

I pat the car on the dashboard, as you would to a well behaved dog.

 

I pat the steering wheel boss every time one of mine hits a 1000 miles. Even though the BX snapped a speedo cable early in its life, so it's meaningless.

 

If I park somewhere, I always have a loving backwards glance as I amble away. This has saved me from leaving my headlamps on several times...

[trigger]

I always start a car with the clutch down now, It comes from when i worked in the bodyshop having to move cars around all day, Most of the time someone would have left one still in gear.

[fordpoplier]

I still look over my left shoulder when reversing despite having driven left hand drive cars for 15 years

[Station]

I do the 'turn the stereo down' at junctions, even if it's just slightly!

I regularly drive with my knees on the steering wheel. The heater vents are always the same level as each other, I can't drive a dirty car on the inside, even the boot has to be clean, any car unrelated stuff is removed. How anal!

 

I always reset the trip meter when I put petrol in.

[Spiny Norman]

+1 for turning down the stereo when I'm looking for an address or a parking place, and it's so good to realise that I'm not the only one who won't allow a volume control to settle on an odd number. I even do that with the telly and the stereo in the house, wonder why we do that?

 

I always wind the drivers window down an inch before I move off, even in winter.

I always straighten up the front wheels after I've parked, I'll never leave the car with them turned.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

This is a bit like those "oh, really?" facebook groups like 'I wet my toothbrush before I put the toothpaste on', 'My lungs respirate', etc.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, bit odd for a bunch of car enthusiasts to be talking about driving when you think about it...

[Rusty Pelican]

Always drive with the window wound down an inch or so and i always put the gears in neutral when stopped at traffic lights / junctions etc . Always reverse into a parting space as well , people HAVE to stop to let you reverse in , they never stop when your trying to reverse out

[pandamonium]

I change my cars too often to develop habits!

Although I often used to stall my wifes car at junctions because I was so used to automatics, just coasting up in 5th gear, quite embarrassing at times!

[M'coli]

When I was a kid, I noticed my mum used to move her hand in a particular way prior to a left-hand corner, it really anoyed me.

 

Not half as annoying as realising that I did the same myself.

[aled]

when parking up i always leave it parked in 1st gear,

and at traffic lights i put it in neutral with my foot off the cluch, and watch the opposite lights to chainge before i selact 1st to move away (i have a thing about premature wear on cluch plates).

[eddyramrod]

Always reverse into a parting space as well , people HAVE to stop to let you reverse in , they never stop when your trying to reverse out

 

That's because if you're reversing in, you are making a legal and safe manoevre; if you're not, you're not. Ask a driving examiner...

 

+1 for the stereo, I never have mine on 13 either. 11 or 15, fine, but never 13. Also +1 for NOT resting a hand on the gearlever, I'm another who was told it wears out the selectors. OK, I prefer automatic anyway, but my entire fleet at the moment is manual , so it applies.

[Rusty Pelican]

Always reverse into a parting space as well , people HAVE to stop to let you reverse in , they never stop when your trying to reverse out

 

That's because if you're reversing in, you are making a legal and safe manoevre; if you're not, you're not. Ask a driving examiner...

 

My instructor tought me this ( read you MUST do this ) and ive stuck with it ever since , Watching bods reversing out of a space at Asdas etc is painfull to watch sometimes

[eddyramrod]

I've actually seen instructors' cars in their driveways at home, left with no option but to reverse out. Which driving school shall we use? Hmm, how about one with instructors who can drive?