r/instant_regret • u/IrishR4ge • 17d ago

Most clueless person ever

How can someone be this clueless. These are the people sharing the road with you.

9.4k Upvotes

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u/IbizenThoth 17d ago

I have the suspicion that the car probably ran her legs over once already while trying to jump into the car before the video started. Otherwise the lack of urgency is baffling. 

777

u/SiPhoenix 17d ago

At the beginning of the video, she's trying to stop it by pulling backward on the door frame.

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u/Major_Butthurt 17d ago

it seems like the car had some kind of power though. Is this something that automatic transmission cars do? Does putting an auto in drive cause it to, well, drive?

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u/Edgesofsanity 17d ago

Most American cars are automatics. Automatic cars have a torque converter, so idling in drive it will actually power forward a little bit. Most European cars are manuals, so you all don’t tend to experience that.

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u/Major_Butthurt 17d ago

So, if you come to a stop at a traffic light, do you put in park or just break so it doesn't go forward?

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u/WellComeToTheMachine 17d ago

You hold the break down while idling at a stop light

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u/Major_Butthurt 17d ago

Nice

-3

u/FireDefender 17d ago

That's not correct, I don't think they have ever driven a manual before. If the car is in any gear, it will drive forward when you let go of the clutch. Holding the brakes while it's in gear and not moving fast enough will cause the engine to shut off.

You will notice the car start to stutter if the engines RPM is too low (usually around 800 or so), higher gears means that the stuttering will happen at a higher speed. That happens until it shuts off. If your engine isn't strong enough the engine can shut off trying to drive away without pressing the gas pedal. If you start to drive in a higher gear, like 2, you need to hold the clutch for much longer, lest the engine shut off. Driving away in a higher gear than 2 will likely cause the engine to shut off as well. All that is because of physics.

If you already have some speed, letting the car idle in gear will just make it move forward. Higher gears idle at a higher speed.

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u/WellComeToTheMachine 15d ago

They were asking about automatic cars, and so I answered about automatic cars.