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tetedelinotte wrote:I bought a manual 2015 GTI about a month ago
You may have a clutch that is very difficult to learn on. VW sure made the 2008 Rabbit that way, there are a few of us here who had that car and we all agree that its clutch was awful. Once you get good at it, though, any other clutch should be a cakewalk.
even trying to use the handbrake.
Don't bother. It's just extra complication, one more thing to split your attention; now instead of concentrating on your two feet and the car, you're concentrating on your two feet, your hand, and the car. Either way the clutch has to battle a brake (parking brake or service brake) first, followed by battling the hill.
the guy behind me goes NUTS that I didn't immediately start moving forward. He's yelling and rocking his car back and forth and blaring on the horn. This, of course, flusters me and my sequence of getting the car started got all out of whack (still getting used to push-button start, too). I stalled it again. At this point the guy behind me is just completely berserk
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Pop the trunk.
3. Retrieve the lug wrench.
4. Walk up to his window.
...no, don't really do that, but it's a satisfying fantasy isn't it?
Next time set the parking brake, pop the hood, get out and pretend you're looking under the hood to see why the car is broken. Being a brand new car he can't blame you for its failure, you've bought a brand new car to avoid that sort of thing. Now VW is to blame and he realizes that he's been a complete douchenozzle. Also he's forced to back up since he has certainly crept up too close to get around you.
Or just ignore him and take pleasure in the heart attack that he's giving himself.
pulls up next to me and screams "learn to f****** drive!" (My windows were down and I'm a young, blonde woman. I have a feeling that had I been a guy, this lovely specimen probably wouldn't have been quite so harassing, but anyway.)
As a guy there seems to be a much larger chance that someone with road rage will actually attempt physical violence on me. I suspect that the intimidation factor is just as bad.