06-23-2003, 02:08 PM
Hi,
If we do that test with an automatic then we get a license stating that we can't drive a manual.
Do the same laws apply for automatic choke versus hand choke? How about manual spark advance versus vacuum? And is there a special category for crank start?
Given that automatic transmissions have surpassed the manual in almost all respects *except* in the hands of an excellent driver (and that *includes* fuel economy), I think it is quaint and funny that in many places driving a manual is a matter of pride.
I don't know how a US driving test is organized
No such animal as a USA driving test. Each state has its own laws and methods, and even then it can depend a lot on which test center you take your test at. Usually (maybe always) you have to take a new test when you move to a different state. My first test, when I turned 16, was in Atlanta Georgia. Instead of a test on the open road, they had a closed track. Painted railroad rails, phony crosswalks and the whole bit. The funniest part (to me) was the parallel parking. They had marked off the space with a couple of flags on poles. It was big enough to park a full sized '61 American car. I was driving my SIMCA -- Could have parked three of them in there :)
Frankly, I thought then, and still think now, that that "test" was a joke. After passing a test with no traffic, no people around and at an average speed of about 25 MPH, I was certified to drive anywhere -- including downtown Interstate highways with 70 (or maybe 75) MPH limits and heavy traffic. And, what is worse, is that I could renew that license every four years for life without any additional tests (although I think Georgia does require an quick eye test now). Indeed, someone could renew that license for me after I was dead, since it could be done by mail :)
Yeah, there is no consistency.
--Pete
If we do that test with an automatic then we get a license stating that we can't drive a manual.
Do the same laws apply for automatic choke versus hand choke? How about manual spark advance versus vacuum? And is there a special category for crank start?
Given that automatic transmissions have surpassed the manual in almost all respects *except* in the hands of an excellent driver (and that *includes* fuel economy), I think it is quaint and funny that in many places driving a manual is a matter of pride.
I don't know how a US driving test is organized
No such animal as a USA driving test. Each state has its own laws and methods, and even then it can depend a lot on which test center you take your test at. Usually (maybe always) you have to take a new test when you move to a different state. My first test, when I turned 16, was in Atlanta Georgia. Instead of a test on the open road, they had a closed track. Painted railroad rails, phony crosswalks and the whole bit. The funniest part (to me) was the parallel parking. They had marked off the space with a couple of flags on poles. It was big enough to park a full sized '61 American car. I was driving my SIMCA -- Could have parked three of them in there :)
Frankly, I thought then, and still think now, that that "test" was a joke. After passing a test with no traffic, no people around and at an average speed of about 25 MPH, I was certified to drive anywhere -- including downtown Interstate highways with 70 (or maybe 75) MPH limits and heavy traffic. And, what is worse, is that I could renew that license every four years for life without any additional tests (although I think Georgia does require an quick eye test now). Indeed, someone could renew that license for me after I was dead, since it could be done by mail :)
Yeah, there is no consistency.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?