Thinking about Bernie Sanders "steep road" to the nomination,

[MineralMan]

I was reminded of being 15 years old and learning to drive. That was in 1960 (I'm not far from Bernie's age).

My father taught me to drive, an experience that was fraught with peril for me. He was a good teacher, but unforgiving of the mistakes made by a gawky 15-year old.

The lessons were made more difficult by the vehicle being used to give me driving lessons. It was a 1948 Dodge pickup truck. the alternative would have been a 1952 Plymouth Suburban station wagon. Both had manual transmissions, of course.

The old Dodge, however, had a 4-speed, non-synchromesh transmission. Commonly called a "crash box" by many people, it required double-clutching on every shift, a skill almost unknown to most people today. Unless you matched engine speed with the transmission's needs with the clutch released while the transmission was in neutral, shifts produced a loud grinding sound. Grinding gears during shifting could damage the transmission. The skill is very hard to explain, really. You have to learn it through using it.

"Don't ruin my transmission!" my father said. "It would cost a lot to fix it." So, from the very beginning of my driving lessons, I lived in fear of breaking the transmission on my father's pick-up truck. In later years, he confessed that he chose that vehicle to teach me to drive because he reasoned that if I could manage its crash-box transmission, I'd be able to drive just about anything. However, for a nervous 15-year-old, it mostly inspired fear. I did learn to drive it perfectly well, of course, and I can now drive just about anything with a transmission of any kind and shift its gears without grinding.

But, I digress. Although that Dodge pickup's transmission had four speeds, normal driving was done using just three of those gear ratios. First gear was called either "compound low" or "granny gear." Its exceptionally low gear ratio was designed only for starting out from a stop with a heavy load. Top speed in first gear was about 7 mph. It was pretty useless, except that it enabled that pickup, with its 107 horsepower flathead six engine to climb almost any grade, no matter how steep. Very slowly, but it would go up any grade, almost. I do not remember ever having the need to engage first gear, though, and don't remember my father ever using it, either.

Even that "granny gear," though, would not have gotten up the "steep road" Bernie Sanders is facing. It is too steep for any vehicle to ascend, as Senator Sanders will learn. There is no gear ratio low enough to accomplish what Bernie is trying to do.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. So you don't think Bernie could manage the Dragon Challenge?

[MineralMan]

2. I don't have any idea what Bernie's driving skills might be.

That's an interesting stretch of road, though.

[Walleye]

3. Old saying was: if you can't find'em, grind'em

[MineralMan]

4. Or, "Grind me a pound while you're at it!"

I had better luck with the 48 Dodge when I got my father to drive it while I watched. By seeing how he managed the double-clutching, I was able to rehearse the process in my mind, even when I wasn't in the truck. The next time I took the wheel, I did a much better job, after practicing in my brain. I had never paid attention to driving until I needed to learn to do it. Once I paid attention, I understood and could think about it.

[kstewart33]

8. I drove manual transmission cars until manufacturers no longer made them.

Driving a manual feels like I have complete control of the car. I miss them.

[MineralMan]

9. Oh, they're still out there in some cars.

Our 2013 KIA Soul had a 6-speed manual, which is still available in 2020 Souls and KIA Rios. Only in the base trim models, though.

A number of car makers still offer manual transmissions, and they're better than ever.

[Turin_C3PO]

11. I think

the Nissan Versa still offers a manual transmission. I bought one a few years ago and it’s the cheapest car you can buy new, I believe. I’m not sure if that’s still true.

[Sloumeau]

5. I drove an old pickup truck for a little bit in the early 80s.

It had its stick shift on the steering column instead of on the floor. Fortunately, I had been driving stick shift and automatic cars for years by then, so it was not difficult for me. I always enjoyed driving cars that were different.

[MineralMan]

6. That old pickup you drove, though, had a synchromesh transmission.

No double-clutching required. The old crash box transmissions went away in the early 1950s for everything but larger trucks.

Year's later than my earliest driving experiences, I bought an old MG. The synchromesh system for its 2nd gear didn't work, so I had to double-clutch to shift down into that gear. No problem for me, but I had to teach the technique to my wife at the time. She learned it quickly, because she loved driving that little convertible.

[Hekate]

7. Bet that old truck made it up the Conejo Grade with no particular problem, as well.

As for your last comment I'd only add, "Unless what Bernie is trying to do at this point is burn it all down."

[MineralMan]

10. Oh, sure. It even managed Grime's Grade with aplomb.

[Hekate]

12. LOL

and holy crap