<VV> dangerous invitations

[djtcz at comcast.net]

snipped and bottom posted 

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: virtualvairs-request at corvair.org 

> Ron,

> I was just making light of it all. Actually, what the mechanic would do is
> leave it in gear and NOT pull the handbrake. Hence an invitation for a
> potentially dangerous "unintended acceleration" incident, similar to the
> famous case that Audi got in trouble over. In reality, THAT was what I was
> ridiculing. (Shades of the recent "human factor engineering" thread!) And
> yes, I DO remember the "leave in gear, turn the wheels, etc." thing in
> driver ed.

> -Mark
==============================

Nowadays before shaking the orange juice I check the cap is not cross-threaded, and snug.
Maybe because that endeavor had immediate and unpleasant unpleasant consequences once upon a time.

Before using a micrometer I clean the faces and check it reads zero (or the standard) correctly. 

When starting std shift cars I wiggle the stick to test for neutral and depress the clutch.
I think that was part of driver training in the 60s. Or maybe my mom or dad started me off doing it that way. I think it was Bill Cosby that said " it reflects badly on your parents when you put a bullet in the furnace."

The 1960 Studebaker owner's manual starting procedure says "be sure the parking brake is applied and the transmission is in neutral."  I suspect the Corvair's owner's manual says something similar.  In simpler times evil corporations could successfully hide behind statements like that to presumably thwart  potentially dangerous "unintended acceleration" incidents.

Now product safety had progressed to the point new cars won't start without multiple controls in the proper position, and that is likely training new drivers as we speak to wiggle the stick to test for neutral and depress the clutch for starting.


Dan Timberlake 
Westford, Massachusetts, USA