Does anyone else drive a manual - Parkbrake clutch confusion. :o

Coming from a RHD environment that is an interesting visual!

 

The very first time I climbed behind the wheel of my Prius (I'd just bought it off the car lot) to drive it home, I had already adopted a completely different mindset to the vehicle from the moment I'd committed myself to buying one.

My strategy was simple:

This was NOT a car!
I wasn't really sitting behind the wheel.
I was now seated in the cockpit of a twin engined technologically advanced vehicle fitted with multiple computer assist systems and "fly by wire" control to boot.
It is so advanced, it doesn't "start".
It boots up. Systems and sensors come online. Then the engine literally spools up in a dignified 21st century manner, worthy of something that looked like it belonged IN the future.

My new "glass" cockpit was advanced enough to have dispensed with a clutch. Ergo, I planted my left foot on the special foot rest provided, and issued myself with a strong mental command NOT to ever move it from there for ANY REASON, till I got home!

And that is exactly what I did.
Yes, for the first 3 minutes, I probably did make the odd clutch down and grab for a none existent stick - before verbally calling myself a dumbass, and reminding myself I'd left the last century behind.

My 'flight' home was both ecstatic and uneventful. I piloted my new "Spaceship" home, keeping to speed limits and training myself in its completely unique behaviour, compared to your standard primitive ICE econobox. Anyone observing me at the controls would have seen me grinning from ear to ear.

My manual had been Prius Chat. I knew what to expect, I marvelled in the reality of it. I was over the moon!

My right foot did all the work; go and stop. I just piloted, navigating with my hands. That wasn't really a steering wheel in front of me. It wasn't even truly round! More oval shaped; and festooned with controls that included a voice command button that actually worked. VOICE COMMAND....!!!

So, I didn't really drive home, in my mind's eye. I flew it home. I marvelled at the glass cockpit spread before me. The HSD's operations as displayed on the MFD reminded me of the DeLorean's Flux Capacitor in "Back to the Future".

I WAS in the future, cruising home on cruise control in a computer controlled petrol electric vehicle.
The smooth 21st century ride spoke for itself. This was no ordinary automobile. I'd wager; if Mercedes Benz or Rolls Royce / Bentley had come up with and developed the HSD concept first, it would have lauded the world over, and owners would have been paying a King's ransom to buy a vehicle incorporating the technology!

And that's why I have great difficulty (read reluctance) in transitioning back to a car with a manual gearbox.

The Prius is literally, in my mind's eye, out of this world.....!!!

"Clutches?!! Where we're going, we don't need clutches!"




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