I've never formally learned how to drive a stick shift. I kinda-sorta learned it for a few days waaaaay back in the day, but I've never driven a stick shift on a "real" road. Until tonight.
Dennis is away for a few days on a biz trip to LA. Unfortunately, the zone where he parked his car is a ticketing zone, so I felt like I should move his car to a non-ticketed zone so that he wouldn't come home to a $50 parking ticket. Sounds like a great plan, except that Dennis drives a stick shift.
Hmm... Houston, we have a problem!
Oh well, it can't be that hard right? I find the keys, get into his car, stick the keys in the ignition, give it a good twist, and... NOTHING. The car doesn't come on. I don't know what to do. What am I forgetting? I call a friend and find out I need to put the car in first gear before I can turn on the engine.
With that little hiccup safely behind me, I find out that my stick shift skills are not THAT bad. I mean, they're still pretty terrible (I over-rev) but not abysmal (I don't stall).
After a painful 10 minutes of being stuck in traffic (they are doing work on the Bay Bridge and that always causes traffic congestion outside my apartment building), I finally find a parking space, park the car, and get out. All in all, I only stalled once in stop and go traffic. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
But most importantly, I moved the car, found a parking spot, parked it safely, and got back home in one piece. There ya go!
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