Monday, February 28, 2011

CLICK AND CLACK STRIKE BACK

A fellow wrote in to Click and Clack that his dad had the answers to anything practical.  Except one question he has had unanswered for 35 years.  He said that years ago he had asked his dad what would happen to a car if the brake and gas pedal were pressed at the same time?  His father’s answer was, “Well, it wouldn’t be good, I can tell you that.”

Over the years he has asked many people, and gotten pretty much the same answer, “It wouldn’t be good.”  Then recently his 13 year old daughter asked him the same question.  “What would happen to a car if the brake and gas pedal were pressed at the same time?”  He says he confessed his ignorance, but the cycle of ignorance would have to stop.  His daughter suggested writing Click and Clack, which he did.

Now I’ll bet dollars to donuts that you already know the first thing the Click and Clack answer was.  Right!  “Well, it wouldn’t be good, I can tell you that.”  Actually they did go on to explain the kinds of problems that can occur if done for more than a few seconds, such as breaking the motor mounts.

So.  Don’t do dat.

Cartoons, courtesy of Sandy --




3 comments:

  1. Wait, the guy's wife is Opal, not Judy...

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  2. Well, I can tell you if you step on both pedals of a double treadle spinning wheel, the results aren't good, either, as my daughter's Cambridge-medschool-bound friend found out--on my Ashford Kiwi. Good thing I have spare parts ;-)

    No spinning lesson, but a lesson all the same.

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  3. Another story: My dad learned to drive when he was about 11 or so, and he rode the brakes (the story was he helped his granddad who delivered pop-boards to bars, and so my young dad was the designated driver.) Anyway, my father always rides the brake, no doubt contributing to the sea-sick feeling I got on car trips as a kid.

    And yes, you do wear out brake pads but more importantly, you make your kids freakin' sick on short trips.

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