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I was fascinated when I crossed this story. The mechanics of driving a car aren't that hard once you've done it a couple of times, but to get the car started, i

I was fascinated when I crossed this story. The mechanics of driving a car aren't that hard once you've done it a couple of times, but to get the car started, into reverse, back up, into drive, navigate surface streets, accelerate onto the freeway (ok, he was going slow), change lanes into the "fast lane" etc... Pretty impressed. I was theorizing that maybe he had played car racing video games (hence the Lambo) and had enough of an understanding of distance perception and braking time not to kill himself. While this is a cute feel good story, that kid is really lucky not to be injured or worse.

gerdesj 6y ago
You guys don't generally use a stick shift. A clutch would probably have caused a few teeth marks in the steering wheel rather than a car hurtling down a motorway. I too am impressed that a child so young managed to get out so far but yes, he had a very long run of luck and so did a lot of other people.
- CrazyCatDog 6y ago
  Go to an RC field. Nobody above the age of 30 comes close to the childrens in terms of skill. Video games and gravity engines are sufficiently real, I would trust a 12 year old on the track more than myself. Here’s betting that they have video game consoles at the five year old’s house!
  - WalterBright 6y ago
    Huh, the videogame generation has had a terrible time getting my '72 Dodge started and moving forward. Heck, many can't remember that you have to release the key when the engine catches (modern cars do that for you, and everything else). Of course, there's that delicate dance pumping the throttle just enough to keep the cold beast from stalling.
    - jacquesm 6y ago
      I had a classic, DS 21 with a semiautomatic gear box and a bunch of non-standard controls. I'd get a lot of requests from people that wanted to take it for a spin and I always handed them the keys with confidence: "If you can get it started you're allowed to drive it". Nobody ever managed. The reason was that the gear shift lever was used as a very clever lock-out to the starter motor, you started the engine with the gearshift lever in neutral, then moved it to a special position that engaged the starter motor. The key only enabled the contact, not the starter. This was to avoid having the car take off immediately after starting the engine. It also served as a very effective deterrent for wanna-be joy riders.
      - mr_toad 6y ago
        > This was to avoid having the car take off immediately after starting the engine. I think modern cars have taken all the ‘fun’ out of learning to drive. Bunny hopping a stick shift along a parking lot used to be a rite of passage, and provided a chuckle for onlookers.
  - daveFNbuck 6y ago
    RC cars and video games are much more forgiving of mistakes than driving a real car through a populated area. Also, the kids who are good at driving RC cars have probably practiced it a lot. I played a lot of Gran Turismo growing up, but it required a lot of practice to get comfortable driving a real car. Video games don't teach you how hard to push the gas pedal.

gerdesj 6y ago

You guys don't generally use a stick shift. A clutch would probably have caused a few teeth marks in the steering wheel rather than a car hurtling down a motorway. I too am impressed that a child so young managed to get out so far but yes, he had a very long run of luck and so did a lot of other people.

CrazyCatDog 6y ago
Go to an RC field. Nobody above the age of 30 comes close to the childrens in terms of skill. Video games and gravity engines are sufficiently real, I would trust a 12 year old on the track more than myself. Here’s betting that they have video game consoles at the five year old’s house!
- WalterBright 6y ago
  Huh, the videogame generation has had a terrible time getting my '72 Dodge started and moving forward. Heck, many can't remember that you have to release the key when the engine catches (modern cars do that for you, and everything else). Of course, there's that delicate dance pumping the throttle just enough to keep the cold beast from stalling.
  - jacquesm 6y ago
    I had a classic, DS 21 with a semiautomatic gear box and a bunch of non-standard controls. I'd get a lot of requests from people that wanted to take it for a spin and I always handed them the keys with confidence: "If you can get it started you're allowed to drive it". Nobody ever managed. The reason was that the gear shift lever was used as a very clever lock-out to the starter motor, you started the engine with the gearshift lever in neutral, then moved it to a special position that engaged the starter motor. The key only enabled the contact, not the starter. This was to avoid having the car take off immediately after starting the engine. It also served as a very effective deterrent for wanna-be joy riders.
    - mr_toad 6y ago
      > This was to avoid having the car take off immediately after starting the engine. I think modern cars have taken all the ‘fun’ out of learning to drive. Bunny hopping a stick shift along a parking lot used to be a rite of passage, and provided a chuckle for onlookers.
- daveFNbuck 6y ago
  RC cars and video games are much more forgiving of mistakes than driving a real car through a populated area. Also, the kids who are good at driving RC cars have probably practiced it a lot. I played a lot of Gran Turismo growing up, but it required a lot of practice to get comfortable driving a real car. Video games don't teach you how hard to push the gas pedal.