In this one, you kinda get a two for one…

So in my early 20’s I had the anti-Christ of all cars… It was a 1984 Pontiac 2000 Sunbird… Yeah, I shoulda known better – 2 models 1 car is never a good idea… It really was the car from hell and has many stories that I’ll get to another day.

Well, I was finally getting rid of the anti-Christ, but I was getting a car with a manual tranny. I had never driving a stick shift before, so this was gonna be fun. Dad went with me, as it was about a 90 mile drive and we weren’t sure the anti-Christ could make it. And there was the little fact that I had never driven a stick shift before and I was going to be in a high traffic town outside of Baltimore for this car.

So, we get to the dealership. Barely… Both Dad and I held our breath the whole way, as the anti-Christ shuddered, shook, spit, and sputtered the whole ride. We both knew I was coming home with a new car that day, cause the anti-Christ wasnt going to make it back (According to the MD DMV paperwork I receive a couple of months later, it only made it a couple of miles before it was abandoned on the side of a road and they thought I should pay them many hundreds of dollars in impound fees – ha ha ha – I mailed them copies of the transfer of ownership papers)

I got my new little sporty car that was only a year old. Dad drove it half way home and then made a pit stop and told me to drive… Ha ha ha… I’ve never ever ever ever ever ever driven a stick shift and he parks it on a nice steep incline. Some car parks behind me right on my bumper and I’m going to have to take the interstate home… Well, I managed and WITHOUT STALLING THE CAR or rolling back into the car behind me!!!!! Woo Hoo… Now onto part two…

Well, several years later, my baby sister is looking to buy her first new vehicle. I walk in to Dad saying to her “5 speeds are tricky. You dont want one.”

Not knowing the full conversation, I say “5 speeds arent tricky. That’s what I’ve driving for a few years.”

Well, Dad shot me a look and my youngest sister bought her first 5 speed the next day.

Oppps…. Sorry, Dad… I didnt realize you were just trying to discourage her from buying a standard shift. At least it wasnt our middle sister. We’ll get to her driving stories another day, as, there’s some entertainment!