I've discovered one way to avoid being home during a construction project:
Hubby: "Dear, the maintenance light in my car has come on."
Me: "No problem. How about I take it in on Monday?"
Hubby: "That would be great."
Why was I the one taking his car in for service this morning? Besides the obvious avoidance issue, we have a deal. As long as Hubby drives a car with an automatic transmission, I agree to take his car in for all service and repairs. While Hubby loves driving cars with manual transmissions (it's a boy-toy thing I've decided), I'm an automatic transmission girl. He tried to teach me how to drive a stick shift 20+ years ago but, when I refused to drive out of the empty university parking lot into the street one Sunday morning, he gave up.
For the past several years I've heard him threaten that he was going to buy some type of sports car (his one last fling with his youth) but, at the moment, he's driving my old 1998 automatic sedan and enjoying my repair promise. That doesn't mean he's happy about it but, for him, it certainly is convenient.
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10 comments:
I'm with you! Give me a good ole' automatic transmission any day! I can drive stick but it's just too much work especially when there are hills to stop on at red lights. I hate that feeling of going backwards on a steep hill. I used to drive the hay truck when I was growing up but that was right in a field with no hills or stop signs. One day I was driving my sister's car with stick shift and I stopped at a stop sign and tried to get going again and I had it in 3rd instead of 1st and kept stalling. How humiliating!
My dad insisted I learn to drive a stick before I could have my first car (which was a stick, so that made sense!)
I've always been glad I knew, but we have automatics on both vehicles now.
:)
If you ever decide you want to learn, I can take you down that street which leads to the freeway...you know the one you took me on when I was learning to drive?
Midlife mom: My husband wanted me to learn to drive a stick shift just before a trip to San Francisco and its hills. He thought it would be a great test of a new skill. No way!!!
Susie: When I was learning to drive, both family cars had automatic transmissions so I didn't have the opportunity to learn on a stick shift when I was young. And now I feel too old to learn.
Lynn: Thanks but I think I'll pass. Besides...none of us currently own a car with a manual transmission...thank goodness!
No one had the patience to teach me how to drive a stick. One car that "we" had (boyfriend bought a stick shift car for "me" knowing I didn't know how to drive it) some mechanic replaced the battery with one that was too small for the car and had connected it with wires...don't ask, I don't fully know. But anyway I was trying to learn how to drive this car and it was stalling on me. You know the lurch, lurch, lurch thing they do...right? well I lurched the battery loose and we couldn't figure out why it wouldn't start again. No one after that ever bothered to teach me how to drive again.
I bought myself an automatic and haven't looked back. Why bother...right?
And I so HATE taking the car in for service because I can tell they are trying to rip me off and the dealers just drive me nuts...they keep my car forever and then tell me they have no idea what's wrong.
I think you're right about the boy-toy theory. Missus Chicca drives a stick, and occasionally Mister Hombre drives it, but he tends to behave like a hormonal teenager when he does (normally he's a good driver). She doesn't exactly drive a performance car either (it's a jeep). She's reluctant to trade it on mini, because she doesn't like riding with him when he drives this way.
I'm an automatic girl, too.
When I was learning to drive, my parents both had automatics as well and so I never learned.
I once mentioned to DH that it would be a good idea to develope a Stick simulator...then people could learn it w/o endangering themselves & others.
I learned on Uncle B old '53 Chevy which was a stick and of course I had the Karmen Ghia but I as I got older, I always preferred the automatic.
When Carla bought the stick PT cruiser I drove it. Fun for a few minutes but I still prefer the automatic.
Renee: I really enjoyed your lurched battery tale. It's absolutely a reason to drive an automatice. And I love the idea of a stick shift simulator...so much safer than learning on city streets.
Patches: There's definitely something hormonal about men and speed.
Patti: That's been my excuse for years...no stick shift to learn on.
;-)
Only oldest: I still remember your Garmen Khia fondly. It may have been the first "sports car" that I ever sat in!
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