Quote:
Originally Posted by PaddleShifter 1. Our old folks end up pressing the brake pedal with the left foot. It is not easy to adjust to automatics in old age. Before 2015-16, automatics were not selling in much numbers so most of the people born in 60s have been driving manual all their life. I am saying this from personal experience as okder generation in my family refuses to touch an automatic. |
Couldn't agree more.
It took me a whole year to convince my father to purchase an automatic. He had a bad incident once where he stopped at a signal and was about to turn right once the light turned green. Just when he started moving, a biker taking a U-turn cut him off from left. My father panic braked, and the car stalled. An auto rear ended him. The mistake my father did was to roll down the window when the auto driver approached him. The auto driver was drunk and started abusing him and made a scene there. Fortunately, some good Samaritans took the matter into their own hands and pulled the auto driver away since he started reaching out for the car keys/cell phone. A traffic constable came to the rescue, slapped the auto driver and asked my father to leave. I have no idea what happened to the auto guy though. My father was alone then, and I only learnt about this a few months after this happened - when I noticed the scratches on the rear bumper and asked him about it.
Although he did not disclose it, I could sense that he was hesitant to take the car out and always preferred the bike unless the car was absolutely needed. He suddenly had this fear of stalling the vehicle and people honking milliseconds after the lights turn green did not help the matters either. I guess trauma from experiences like these leave a lasting impression. I mean he was otherwise normal except for the fact that he was finding the silliest reason to avoid driving the car. Once I saw him come home all wet drenched in rain - when asked why he did not take the car instead, he said that the place he went was not too far off. I felt ATs were the only way forward for him and tried convincing him to get himself an AT.
He still insisted that he was physically fit enough to drive a MT and was very reluctant to even take a test drive. To add insult to injury, the SA (who we know personally) asked my father why we wanted an automatic "since usually ladies prefer auto transmissions" (in his own words). Had to take the matter into my own hands and went ahead with the booking anyway.
Post delivery of the new vehicle, he still did not take the car out by himself. Every morning, I had to take him to some place where he could practice driving and the first thing I used to do was to show him how if I took my foot off the brake, the car would crawl forward without stalling. This was the man who taught me how to drive and here I was teaching him how to drive again!
It took a while for him to gain confidence. Once he was confident enough that the gearbox will not stall at signals, he went back to being his usual self. The elders in the extended family had a surprised pikachu face when they learnt that my father purchased an automatic. 4 years later, my father says he will never sell that car. He gained his confidence again and is more than happy to take the car into congested streets - something he was hesitant to do not too long ago. And regarding the surprised relatives? two of them went with automatics after taking my father's feedback.
Coming to the actual question:
I think picking an automatic is still seen as a "weakness" in this country - of course, no one gives a damn about what we drive in urban areas, but when it comes to smaller towns and rural areas, ATs are still considered to be "newbie-driver" gearboxes. Things are changing though. Once people understand the convenience an AT offers, there is no going back for most.
Personally, I was someone who was hell bent on an MT. After seeing how my father gained confidence after switching to an AT, I too changed. I would still continue driving MTs as long as my body permits. Once I grow old, I will switch to an AT (If the EVs/Hybrids do not take over by then of course).
Apologies for the long post. Somehow, the point I quoted took me back to this experience. Mods: Please delete this if you feel that this is not appropriate for this thread.