# Would you give me the keys to your car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740 "2005-08-26T16:01:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/21 "2005-08-26T19:49:15Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > That’s certainly true. > > But there is also a safety factor in downshifting as you slow down, rather than just jumping on the brake and the clutch. Downshifting allows you to keep the car in a gear appropriate to the speed, so that if you need to accelerate out of trouble, you can. > > That said, it is possible to do this without all the heel-and-toe nonsense that **Absolute** seems to feel is necessary, and without slowing down in a jerky fashion or putting to much pressure on the drivetrain. Downshifting incorrectly puts wear on the clutch. Downshifting correctly does not. That’s why it’s “correct”. And while downshifting is useful for slowing down to a stop, it is necessary whenever you’re merely changing to a significantly slower speed. Downshifting correctly means that the downshift is near-instantaneous and seamless. It means that a cup of water on your dashboard will barely show a ripple. In order to accomplish this, you have to rev the engine to the appropriate RPM for the gear you’re engaging. Doing it incorrectly means that you rely on the clutch to speed the engine up, which places unecessary wear on it. Heel-and-toeing is what’s required to downshift correctly while braking. It does require some coordination, and so a lot of people (not just THEM) simply wait until they’ve finished braking before downshifting. I suppose it is possible to downshift incorrectly without causing the car to jerk or make unhappy noises, but you’d be putting even _more_ wear on the clutch by engaging it so excruciatingly slowly. I don’t think anything I’m talking about here is nonsense. What I do find nonsensical is that most people, such as yourself, are willing to replace their clutches twice as often instead of learning how to drive a manual transmission properly. Or buying an automatic. A correctly-executed downshift results in more wear to the sole of your left shoe than the clutch. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/22 "2005-08-26T20:02:23Z")
**CynicalGabe** , sorry for the hijack. I posted another thread for my little pet peeve. Anyone wishing to harass or agree with me, please do so there. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6513319#post6513319](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6513319#post6513319) ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/23 "2005-08-26T22:49:01Z")
I’d definately lend my keys to anyone I trust and whom knows at least how to drive a manual car no more badly than I do, so long as they are covered by mine or their own equivalent insurance. If my car were brand new or in pristine condition I might be less likely to share unless it were an emergency, or if we were travelling together and sharing the driving. ---
**Author:** ![rayray5884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@rayray5884](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayray5884)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/24 "2005-08-26T23:23:14Z")
Only one other person besides my parents has driven my car. I have a policy of not letting anyone borrow it. Granted it is a 91 Subaru with plenty of miles and has seen far better days. But it being that old I only have liability on it. Someone get’s in my car and makes one mistake and my car is gone and I’m left with $0. So I don’t ask to use anyone elses car and people dont ask to use mine because of that. I would have to disagree about the tool analogy. Someone borrows my dremel or wrench or whatever and that costs me little to replace. A car is a bit different in that respect. ---
**Author:** ![Unregistered\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3da27b/32.png) [@Unregistered\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unregistered_Bull)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/25 "2005-08-26T23:34:19Z")
Maybe my old truck, but not my new one. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/26 "2005-08-27T14:40:33Z")
Two nights ago we were drinking some brewskies with our good friends up the street. My friend’s sister, Kelly, whom I’m also friends with, pulled up in her SUV. It was packed to the gills with shit for their trip to Clearwater, Florida. (Kelly, meet Katrina.) Anywho, I remarked on how crowded it was inside. Kelly then told me that in addition to her husband and two kids, grandma and grandpa were also coming along. So I offered up my van (2004 Toyota Sienna). It has oodles of room. She has insurance, I have insurance. I also offered up our portable DVD player, but she didn’t take me up on either offer. At the end of the day, it’s just stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/27 "2005-08-27T15:07:36Z")
If you’re wearing a red jacket and standing in front of the restaurant I want to eat at, here’s my keys. You better give me a claim ticket, though. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/28 "2005-08-27T15:33:34Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > If you’re wearing a red jacket and standing in front of the restaurant I want to eat at, here’s my keys. > > You better give me a claim ticket, though. You better tip well. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/29 "2005-08-27T19:14:31Z")
I’d give you the keys to my car right now. Of course, my car currently has no timing belt, so you _might_ have a little trouble getting it to start. . .😉 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740/30 "2005-08-27T22:38:23Z")
If I know you, you can borrow my Jeep. You might have to leave behind a kidney to borrow my husband’s Mustang. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-me-the-keys-to-your-car/318740.md?page=1)