As I don’t own a car (don’t really have the on-going need for one at the moment) it often means I am hiring them several times a year.
It also means I don’t listen to anyone who says “you’ve seen one car, you’ve seem them all”, because that just isn’t so.
This weekend I have a Hyundai Accent. It’s a nice enough car considering it’s only in my possession for 48 hours. You soon discover, when you drive a variety of cars (they are different each time I hire one), that each car has its own quirks and peculiarities.
And for the Accent, it is in the way you engage the reverse gear.
Most manual transmission cars I have driven in the past usually require the gear stick to be slightly lifted (as a safety feature) to shift into reverse. Not quite with the Accent though. To engage reverse you have to lift a small “o-ring” immediately below the gear shift knob.
Wish someone at the hire company had told me that. Yesterday traffic was bought to a stand still in a part of central Sydney as I was trying to make a three point turn.
The car was blocking the whole narrow street, while cars and buses travelling in both directions (which were no where to be seen seconds earlier), were held up because I could not get the damn car to reverse!
I was mere millimetres from the door of a parked car in front of me, so reverse was the only way out.
Somehow, thankfully, I managed to engage reverse.
Somehow, thankfully, Sydney drivers, a less than patient lot at the best of times, seemed to realise I was in some sort of difficulty, and spared me blaring horns and verbal abuse.
Next time I hire a car I’ll ask twice how to put the car into reverse gear!
Have you ever considered using something like GoGet car sharing? They have a place in Randwick.
Interesting idea… they have a “pod” just up at the Town Hall, might go check it out now. I use drivenow.com.au (last minute bookings…) and the hire this w/e is $58 for 48 hours… so $80 at the most by the time I buy petrol… anyway I’ll check it out more…
IF I had to drive in Tokyo I would want an automatic. Bet you guys had some fun this weekend -did you do any PI work? How’s supervisor? ;P
Oh yeah I’ve seen that goget car at Randwick town hall before. It’s blue with a logo on the door. Did you see it yet?
You don’t drive in any city Mands :) Yep, great w/e on the road… yep - followed a few random cars PI style, sure - yep super’s being the super… (again) - yep I saw the goget car at RTH… Magnum’s car wasn’t discrete either, no? ;)
That must have been quite a situation. I must admit I don’t spare a ‘bad’ driver (IMO ie) my incessant honking on most occasions.
Bad driver?! I blame the equipment! I’m looking at hiring a Toyota Corolla in a couple of weeks so I’ll see what the go is there for putting that car in reverse!
I looked into Go Get and if you have a semi-regular need for a car, as in 3 or 4 times a month it’s a good idea. If you only need a car for a weekend and only a few times a year at that, then I recommend you use Drivenow.
That’s the thing Don. If I’m super desperate for a car friends would probably/hopefully oblige! That leaves several occasions a year that I need a car for a specific purpose. It’s also handy knowing it’s parked just outside and can be used anytime while we have it.
I am sure the supervisor would let you use her car ;P
HAHA! But I’d have to remove half a dozen P plates every time I wanted to drive her car!
goodluck to you..i had my car for alm0st three years and its imp0rtant though to know the specifics of putting the car into a reverse gear..
You have a friend who puts 6 P Plates on her car? My niece cringes at the thought of having just the legally required 2 on her car!
@True Flow - I’d agree with you there! heh, I’d had the car for about three seconds though before I realised there was a “problem” ;)
@Don - She loves her “non verbal” statements you could say :)