Handbrake or not with MT

[san rensho]

I occasionally use the handbrake on a hill to launch from a dead stop, but usually, I just heal and toe brake, accelerator. Keep the brake on, give it some gas, let the clutch out a bit till you feel the car move and then just ease off the brake. Never rolls back, never stalls.

I never use the handbrake when parked.

[TWODAN]

I used the hand brake on all of my manual transmission cars up to now. The 991 with hill hold sucks, and i would prefer a hand brake. The hand brake also serves to relax a manual shift newbie. i also use the hand brake when parking our two cars, one auto and one manual, and my automatic pick up when parking on a hill. With the autos, the brake is applied before slipping into park; much easier on the transmission moving from park to drive when pulling away again, and it's the brake holding the car in position, not the trans. Might be why it's called a "parking brake"?

[2003S]

a) What's a hill? We're not familiar with them in these parts...
b) If someone is that close, bumpers are for bumpin' -- do a slow, controlled roll into their bumper & use them as a backstop if you must :P
We use them all the time around here -- it's called parking by braille.

[Skrapmot]

My handbrake is so loose it rolls backwards when parked on a hill unless I keep it in gear also.
Living by San Fran, with many crazy steep streets, I've never found a need for a handbrake, and would make it difficult to hold my Frapachino while driving.

[AKnowles]

No, I'm not perfect. And yes I have driven in SF too. Nor am I saying that using a hand brake occasionally for safety is wrong, but what I am saying is using it all the time is wrong. As I stated previously, I've had at least two instances of someone rolling back in to my car (at least 5~6 feet behind them roll back in to me because they couldn't control their vehicle without the hand brake and even with it couldn't get their vehicle moving forward properly. Why? Because they didn't know how to either use the heel toe method to start their vehicle or just time it peroperly (i.e. let go of the brake and push in the gas while slipping the clutch to move their vehcile). Thier lack of skill is a detriment to other drivers.

I see a lack of skill in this regard the same way I do someone who no longer has the capability to drive propelry due to age, illness, or other infirmity to drive. I've been rear ended twice in my life by people that lacked the skill to drive (poor reactions) in this way. So, maybe I am too harsh in this area, but then again I'm the opne that wound up suffering for thier inability to drive. FWIW, boith time I was rear ended in this regard I reported the drivers to DMV. On their DMV restest they failed and thier drivers license was revoked. I considered that a public service so someone else wouldn't wind up rear ended. When I can no longer drive safely, I will volenteer ro give up my license so as not to be a public menance.

[Overdrive]

Essex, I know that countries like yours tend to have much tougher driving exams and that results in generally better drivers, but I've got to live with what I've got around here, and our driving exams are a joke compared to what I hear people in Europe having to do to just get a newbie license. And unfortunately the thinking is backwards here in trying to make the cars better at controlling themselves than making the drivers better at controlling the vehicles and paying attention to what they're doing so they and others don't get hurt.