# Auto transmission drives without foot on the pedal. Why is this still an issue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477 "2016-03-28T19:12:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/41 "2016-03-29T15:59:18Z")
Having an automatic car “creep” allows you to, for example, slowly back out a parking space with your foot on the brake rather than on the gas. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/42 "2016-03-29T16:22:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **Moderator Warning** > > **Hail Ants** , this is inappropriate for GQ. This is an official warning for being a jerk. Don’t do this again or you may find your posting privileges under discussion. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator I thought once threads in GQ had ‘run their course’ there was some leeway into being IMHO? Or was it just using the word ‘gay’ like that? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/43 "2016-03-29T16:30:15Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I thought once threads in GQ had ‘run their course’ there was some leeway into being IMHO? Or was it just using the word ‘gay’ like that? I’ve never heard anything even remotely close to this. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/44 "2016-03-29T16:34:21Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I thought once threads in GQ had ‘run their course’ there was some leeway into being IMHO? Or was it just using the word ‘gay’ like that? You were denigrating “hill-holders” by calling them ‘gay’ thereby implying that something bad is ‘gay’ therefore being ‘gay’ is bad Next time use ‘cisgender’ as in “‘Hill-holders’ are cisgender!” because according to another thread, that is not offensive in any way. ---
**Author:** ![core](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@core](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/core)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/45 "2016-03-29T16:42:53Z")
Yeah Hail Ants, it’s fine to criticize hill holder drivers, rape victims, and smokers, but you can’t use the G word around here. 16 years on the forum and you’re just now finding that out?? ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/46 "2016-03-29T17:00:57Z")
> [@core](#): > > Yeah Hail Ants, it’s fine to criticize hill holder drivers, rape victims, and smokers, but you can’t use the G word around here. 16 years on the forum and you’re just now finding that out?? Apparently. 😕 I was gonna say ‘…they should come with a skirt you have to put on first’. Since when did this board officially bow to political correctness?! Whatever, nm. GQ is GQ… ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/47 "2016-03-29T17:13:45Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Apparently. 😕 > > I was gonna say ‘…they should come with a skirt you have to put on first’. Since when did this board officially bow to political correctness?! Whatever, nm. GQ is GQ… Using “gay” as an insult and following it up by implying that being feminine is bad. Awesome. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/48 "2016-03-29T17:15:43Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Apparently. 😕 > > I was gonna say ‘…they should come with a skirt you have to put on first’. Since when did this board officially bow to political correctness?! Whatever, nm. GQ is GQ… **Moderator Warning** Ok, here’s an additional warning for being a jerk. You’re suspended while your posting privileges are under discussion. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/49 "2016-03-29T17:16:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The first thing I do with a new car is disable the annoying chimes. I _know_ I should wear my seatbelt; I sometimes choose not to if I’m just moving cars around my yard. I inherited my dad’s car – first thing I disabled was that damn auto-door-lock, the thing that locks the doors after you drive for ten seconds. **I** decide when my doors should lock. My car is not smart enough to make that choice for me (and I am not in the habit of ferrying small children around). ---
**Author:** ![core](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@core](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/core)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/50 "2016-03-29T17:16:32Z")
Disregard. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/51 "2016-03-29T17:16:58Z")
> [@core](#): > > Yeah Hail Ants, it’s fine to criticize hill holder drivers, rape victims, and smokers, but you can’t use the G word around here. 16 years on the forum and you’re just now finding that out?? **Moderator Note** If you want to discuss moderation take it to ATMB. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/52 "2016-03-29T17:21:29Z")
> [@core](#): > > Disregard. And drop this hijack now. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/53 "2016-03-29T17:58:23Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > And it’s FMVSS requirement that the car display warnings and play warning chimes if you try to exit the vehicle with the transmission not in “Park.” My car doesn’t make a sound or display any warnings if the door is opened while the car is in D. If your car makes a sound, what does it sound like? I hope it’s a distinctive alarming sound so it’s not easily confused with the normal ‘bing’ of having your keys in the ignition. Even if everyone in this thread is an excellent driver and never gets distracted, that doesn’t mean everyone is. I’m sure we’ve all seen distracted drivers or know people who have difficulty keeping track of things. This kind of safety feature would not only be useful for them, but also for the rest of us so we don’t get run over by their self-driving car. The auto-creep can be useful in normal driving conditions and shouldn’t necessarily be removed, but the car can easily sense this dangerous condition and warn the driver when they open the door with the car in gear. They already have all the hardware in place for a warning bell when the door is opened. More advanced cars probably also have everything in place to disengage the transmission when the door is opened _and_ there is no pressure on the pedals. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/54 "2016-03-29T18:09:35Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > A common example is when you’re stopping at the mailbox. You exit the car and have one foot on the ground and the other on the brake. When your foot comes off the brake, the car begins to drive forward. With one foot in the car and the other outside, it would be easy to fall and get run over by your own car. I’ve been looking at this since yesterday and I’m still baffled why anyone would do this. Are you in that much of a hurry to empty your mailbox? If I exit the car I have _both_ feet on the ground, otherwise I’m not “exited”, I’m only half-in, half-out of the vehicle. It sounds terribly awkward and unbalanced even if nothing goes wrong. Is it THAT difficult to park the car before leaving it? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/55 "2016-03-29T18:16:42Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > My car doesn’t make a sound or display any warnings if the door is opened while the car is in D. If your car makes a sound, what does it sound like? I hope it’s a distinctive alarming sound so it’s not easily confused with the normal ‘bing’ of having your keys in the ignition. I recognize 3 distinct alarms. There is the regular rhythmic chime for seatbelts and for keys left in the ignition; then there is a faster chime for leaving the headlights on while getting out of the car; if I open the door while not in Park, the same chime is just a continuous, unbroken tone. Sometimes I wish there was a temporary tone-override button. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/56 "2016-03-29T18:17:40Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I’ve been looking at this since yesterday and I’m still baffled why anyone would do this. Are you in that much of a hurry to empty your mailbox? If I exit the car I have _both_ feet on the ground, otherwise I’m not “exited”, I’m only half-in, half-out of the vehicle. It sounds terribly awkward and unbalanced even if nothing goes wrong. > > Is it THAT difficult to park the car before leaving it? 😕 It happened to me in the only automatic transmission car I ever owned. I was 100 yards from my house and my dogs, who were in the car, were barking. I stopped and turned toward the rear of the vehicle and chastised the dogs. I was wearing winter boots. While facing rearward, my foot came off the brake and I hit (slowly, but causing significant damage) a decorative boulder. But that was all on me. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/57 "2016-03-29T18:24:04Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I’ve been looking at this since yesterday and I’m still baffled why anyone would do this. Are you in that much of a hurry to empty your mailbox? If I exit the car I have _both_ feet on the ground, otherwise I’m not “exited”, I’m only half-in, half-out of the vehicle. It sounds terribly awkward and unbalanced even if nothing goes wrong. > > Is it THAT difficult to park the car before leaving it? 😕 No, it’s not difficult and I’m sure 99.99999999% of the time drivers park they do it correctly. But over my 30+ years of driving, I’ve probably done it 2-3 times that I can remember. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. The last time it happened I got a call just as I was pulling up the mailbox. I stopped with my foot on the brake to answer the call and spaced about putting the car in park. When the call was over, I opened the door to go to the mailbox stand and put my left foot on the ground while my right foot was still on the brake. As I stood up to get out of the car, my foot came off the brake and the car began to move forward. I got the car stopped, but it would have been easy to slip and have my foot slip under the rear wheel. My car had no warning. The car just started moving. I wonder if the people in this thread who can’t understand this don’t have a situation where they have to leave the car for a few seconds. In my neighborhood, we have to go to a mailbox stand to get the mail. Since I’m only out of the car for a few seconds, I leave it running. So in over 6000 times doing this, I forgot to put the car into park once. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/58 "2016-03-29T18:27:02Z")
Anyone watch **Justified**? Dewey Crowe would hope outa his car, and it would drive a ways without him and he’d jump back in and shut it off. He did it a few times. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/59 "2016-03-29T19:18:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > It happened to me in the only automatic transmission car I ever owned. I was 100 yards from my house and my dogs, who were in the car, were barking. I stopped and turned toward the rear of the vehicle and chastised the dogs. I was wearing winter boots. While facing rearward, my foot came off the brake and I hit (slowly, but causing significant damage) a decorative boulder. > > But that was all on me. What were you driving that caused significant damage to a boulder, a [D9 Cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar_D9#/media/File:CatD9T.jpg) or a [MRAP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRAP#/media/File:FPCougar.jpg)? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477/60 "2016-03-29T20:24:14Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > What were you driving that caused significant damage to a boulder, a [D9 Cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar_D9#/media/File:CatD9T.jpg) or a [MRAP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRAP#/media/File:FPCougar.jpg)? 😃 I think he meant damage to the vehicle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-transmission-drives-without-foot-on-the-pedal-why-is-this-still-an-issue/750477.md?page=4)