Do you adjust your driving with other people in the car?

[rml605]

Like, do you maybe take a little easier with the shifting? For example, if you quickly disengage the clutch when going to shift, that fast stop in accelaration is what will cause the head nod of passengers.

I usually drive the same unless my mom is in the car lol. She hates the concept of driving stick. She said to me once, "This is really dangerous, how are you supposed to pay attention to the road if your wiggling around that thing while your drive".

[Shadow]

Nah.....I drive & shift the same way with or without passengers.

[six]

I drive pretty roughly, which irritates most passengers. So, when I have person(s) from that category in my car, I tend to exaggerate this roughness to piss them off. Luckily for me [them] I usually drive by myself.

[Roger]

I do! When I'm by myself I pretty much always dump the clutch on downshifts and upshifts trying to get my timing and rev matches perfect, if someone's in the car I'll slip the clutch a little when shifting.

[bk7794]

I have to adjust my technique sometimes due to the extra weight and the whopping power my car makes. So that means holding gears much longer than what I'd usually do.

[AHTOXA]

I don't adjust my driving when I have human passengers. I adjust my driving when I have my dog with me. When by myself or with others I'm generally a spirited driver. I drive easier when with my dog so he won't be tossed around.

[potownrob]

maybe subconsciously, but rarely on purpose. i've had passengers comment on me taking turns quickly and accelerating quickly. back when i shifted my own gears, i had people comment on me driving like a racecar driver (their thinking not mine) even though I don't really drive aggressively. my passengers used to do the head bop all the time in my SS cars.

[tankinbeans]

"This is really dangerous, how are you supposed to pay attention to the road if your wiggling around that thing while your drive".

Are you sure she was talking about your car?

I tend to try and smooth it out a little bit when I have passengers, who don't also drive stick shifts, in the car. When it's another person who drives a stick shift I don't really give a fork because they know how a manual reacts to different things. Most of the time they try to get me to guy around and act the fool, but I refuse. They get confused when I don't speed or camp in the left lane, or weave in and out of traffic. That doesn't mean that I won't goof around when it's safe and hold a gear into the stratosphere before shifting (I don't weave in and out of traffic, and I still don't speed regularly - the occasional 10 or 15 over, for short spirts <1 mile, notwithstanding)

Trying to get rid of as much passenger head bobble as possible makes me freeze and I end up over-revving the gear. It's almost like I get stage fright, as stupid as that sounds. However, when I don't think I do better.

[theholycow]

I've been through stages...

Pre-VW: Almost always drove alone when driving manual, that's just how it worked out.

2008 VW: I liked a pretty hefty kick from shift shock in this car and had to back that off for my wife.

1980 Buick: I'm very clutch-sloppy in this car and I'm less interested in shift shock, which doesn't feel as nice in a soft car like this, so my regular driving is appropriate enough.

[Rope-Pusher]

I avoid farting when I have passengers. They don't have any appreciation of the great meal that was behind that raunchy fart. To paraphrase the great Ventilated Bovine, I "Fart to Live", not "Live to Fart".

[theholycow]

[AHTOXA]

1980 Buick: I'm very clutch-sloppy in this car.

It's interesting you say this. I was thinking about this subject the other day and I've noticed that after many years and probably 200k miles of driving a manual, I've gotten more clutch-sloppy. Mostly, I think, it's because most of the time I just drive and don't strive for perfection like I have in my earlier days of driving a manual. It's different when I drive for pleasure, though. In that scenario I like to hit a good DCHT as I'm braking into a turn.

[theholycow]

I love to hit a good DCHT just right, but on my regular launches and single-clutch upshifts I just don't care like I used to. That's partly just from years/miles, and partly because the stakes are low -- my clutches are cheap and I even have a spare, and it's not too hard to do.

[potownrob]

i only drive differently while transporting pizzas

[rml605]

Actually the only thing as of now i'll adjust is taking 1st up to high RPM. Still botch a few 1-2 when let's say turning onto a highway. Most times i'll just quickly shift to 2nd mid turn, but with a passenger, i'll almost always do it.