a very unfortunate freak accident caused by no intentional neglect or recklessness of the car driver. He got into his car and started it and it immediately rev'd to a high rpm while speeding backwards up over the curb and into the store front.
My uneducated guess is that it could have been a manual, but being a nifty looking model A, some kid (or mental kid) got in and pretended to shift it and left it in gear. I used to drive manuals all the time, and one of the most annoying things was when someone would use it -move it or park it or inspect it, etc. - and, used to automatics and bad maintenance, would leave it in gear with the parking brake off. Something I never did, and never would, but it took a while before I got used to checking before turning on the engine, because it just had not occurred to me that someone would leave the thing in reverse with the brake off. Eventually I learned, after nearly killing myself and bystanders a couple of times.
An automatic, unless it was modified in an odd way, would not start in gear, even if the "brake on before going into gear" interlock had been defeated.
That is why Hot Rods or any car need to have manual shift transmissions. Also young car thieves don't usually now to drive a car that has a clutch.
ReplyDeleteMy uneducated guess is that it could have been a manual, but being a nifty looking model A, some kid (or mental kid) got in and pretended to shift it and left it in gear. I used to drive manuals all the time, and one of the most annoying things was when someone would use it -move it or park it or inspect it, etc. - and, used to automatics and bad maintenance, would leave it in gear with the parking brake off. Something I never did, and never would, but it took a while before I got used to checking before turning on the engine, because it just had not occurred to me that someone would leave the thing in reverse with the brake off. Eventually I learned, after nearly killing myself and bystanders a couple of times.
ReplyDeleteAn automatic, unless it was modified in an odd way, would not start in gear, even if the "brake on before going into gear" interlock had been defeated.