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nthach
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21 Oct 2010, 10:31 pm

Alepmm wrote:
nthach wrote:
I haven't driven a stick shift in a while - well actually I drove my friend's Civic last week. And before that a brand new Subaru with a stick shift.

We only have automatics here, but my parent's Prius is weird in the fact it has an shift-by-wire system. Unlike in conventional cars where there's an mechanical linkage to the shift forks(manuals) or the valve body's manual control valve, the shifter in a Prius sends a CAN(Controller Area Network) signal to both the powertrain control computer and the hybrid system controller, while pressing P on a Prius is a simple electronic signal to engage the parking lock. Other vehicles that use shift-by-wire like the Prius are newer BMWs - but buses have been using electronic shift-by-wire since the 1980s.


duuuude...lost me after like the second line.

In a regular car, the shifter is mechanically connected to the transmission. In a Prius(or any Toyota/Ford hybrid)/bus/newer BMW there is no connection to the transmission. Instead the shifter sends an electronic signal to the drivetrain computer which in turn controls the transmission.



Cicely
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21 Oct 2010, 10:41 pm

I got my license when I was 17. It took me a long time to get the hang of it, but once I started driving by myself I started feeling more comfortable with it. I've never been in an accident (which is kind of amazing, given how badly I drove when I first started learning), but it's only been a little over a year since I got my license. I have plenty of time to get in a crash.



MissConstrue
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21 Oct 2010, 10:42 pm

I can't drive due to my poor coordination. :(

It'd defintley affected my lifestytle and I've said it many times here. So many so_called normal people can't get it or why I wouldn't make a good driver due to my great talent in target.


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nthach
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21 Oct 2010, 10:49 pm

MissConstrue wrote:
I can't drive due to my poor coordination. :(

It'd defintley affected my lifestytle and I've said it many times here. So many so_called normal people can't get it or why I wouldn't make a good driver due to my great talent in target.

In some cities like New York(mostly Manhattan or Brooklyn), and to a certain extent San Francisco you can get away without a car. The New York City MTA is pretty good, while Muni in San Francisco is inconsistent - you'll need a bike if you don't drive out there.



Asp-Z
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22 Oct 2010, 2:40 am

Guitar_Girl wrote:
I'm 16, I don't drive. My boyfriend (who is not NT; may have AS) is 17, and he doesn't drive. What's the big rush for everyone else?


I want to drive ASAP because I have to go out to get to college and I need to do so alone if I want to become independent, but I hate public transport.

Cars have also always been an interest of mine, and owning one is seen as a sign of independence and becoming an adult and such and such.



Pistonhead
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22 Oct 2010, 3:00 am

Asp-Z wrote:
owning one is seen as a sign of independence and becoming an adult and such and such.


Yeah....USED TO. Now it's just a sign that you spend a buttload of money on insurance, gas, red light camera tickets (overly sensitive cameras are).

I really kinda wish I had stuck with my bike. $4500+ spent on insurance $500 spent on dumb tickets I didn't deserve and well over $1000 on modifications. I could have found a lot of good ways to spend that money like building my drag car.


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Asp-Z
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22 Oct 2010, 3:11 am

Pistonhead wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
owning one is seen as a sign of independence and becoming an adult and such and such.


Yeah....USED TO. Now it's just a sign that you spend a buttload of money on insurance, gas, red light camera tickets (overly sensitive cameras are).

I really kinda wish I had stuck with my bike. $4500+ spent on insurance $500 spent on dumb tickets I didn't deserve and well over $1000 on modifications. I could have found a lot of good ways to spend that money like building my drag car.


Good point TBH. The insurance is the biggest cost for new drivers, the companies are often extremely unreasonable about the prices, though there's one which offers discounted rates in exchange for putting a tracker on your car and tell you not to drive between 11pm-4am because that's when most accidents happen, and I may very well use it unless I buy a classic car, in which case I'll get normal classic car insurance which is a lot cheaper, and I won't have to pay road tax neither.

Still, the cost will be stupidly high, which is why I've already started saving up two years in advance.



grendel
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22 Oct 2010, 7:13 pm

I drive, I got my license as soon as I could. Not driving was not an option for me... I had to drive to get to school and work (both over half an hour drive from home. It took me a while to get comfortable with it, and I do have a terrible sense of direction. This just requires a lot of advance planning to get where you are going. You do what you have to do! I'm glad I learned to drive (though the actual learning was torture.... my father drilled me relentlessly and I went to driving school which was mostly populated by high schoolers who had failed their high school driving tests multiple times), relying on others was not an option and I'm glad I didn't get stuck in that pattern.



SadAspy
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22 Oct 2010, 7:22 pm

Got it at 16. While I did fail the driving test once (I turned right on red when there was a sign that said not to), I passed it the second time and have driven ever since. Got in a few fender-benders in my early years of driving, but I've been pretty good lately. Never gotten a ticket...



PancakeBoss
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22 Oct 2010, 9:00 pm

i'm a pretty good driver, not amazing but not terrible, i'm new to driving though but i've improved on driving over the years, the only problem I have is sometimes I get so many thoughts in my head or no thoughts at all and almost make a mistake.



Airyx
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23 Oct 2010, 8:22 am

I'm too young to drive, but my Aspie brother...well.

1. He gets really annoyed when there's not enough space for his feet (and freaks out).
2. My mom feeding him many directions at the same time (freaks out).
3. The sun shines at him (he's really sensitive) and yes, he does freak out.
4. The stick doesn't work the way he wants it to and he gets frustrated and, once again, loses it.
5. He also drives really careful (he's unsure of his driving).

He also does not trust anyone else's ability to read a map (it has been a special interest all his life) and wants to do both at once, which, of course, fails since he completely lacks the ability to multi-task (always sits almost glued to the steering-wheel, hyper-focused on what he's doing).

His driving is not that awful though, he's just nervous and doesn't like to drive very much (yeah, euuw, going outside the house. I agree with him).



Scorpion_Heart
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25 Oct 2010, 1:07 pm

I can drive as long the traffic is not really heavy, ie, in Houston or Dallas. Then all the things going on overstimulate me.



LexingtonDeville
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25 Oct 2010, 2:47 pm

It took me 5 and a half years of paitence and practice to pass my driving test in June 2006. Since then ive not had one speeding offence on my licence. So yeah, i think most Aspies can drive :)


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Laz
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25 Oct 2010, 2:55 pm

I've been driving since i was 17 took me just over a year to learn though. I was slow to get the feel of a car and co-ordinate my feet with my hands being somewhat of a clumsy numpty that I am. But now i actually quite enjoy driving infact i sometimes just drive for the sake of it particularly at night with some music on just for some space and the act of being in motion theres something quite theraputic about driving to me.



leeloodallas
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26 Oct 2010, 10:44 am

I drive everywhere, got my permit at 17, license at 18 and a car shortly after. For FL driving that's a late age, most start at 15. I sense that my mother thought I was slow, so she was hesitant on letting me drive. I didn't drive on the highway until I was 21 while my brother was driving as south as Miami and north as Orlando on his own with no problem. With me? my mom freaks out.

I'm a pretty good driver when I'm solely driving. Changing music, eating, using the phone while driving, etc. is when I'm a bad driver. I swerve a lot when I have to multitask in the car and I get impatient while driving, especially at lights. Like if the light is green and no one goes, I flip out. Driving at night is preferable to me since there are less distractions and I can focus solely on the road. I also know the road rules very well since I actually read the drivers handbook cover to cover and still recite some driving facts and rules to this day...and to everyone's annoyance of course :D .



asahinasan
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26 Oct 2010, 12:34 pm

I drive, though I don't have an official diagnosis... I did get into many many accidents when I was younger though, I haven't gotten in any accidents in 5 years... I do get overwhelmed sometimes while driving, but for the most part I've learned coping mechanisms to help me. I almost always drive with my GPS on to help, even if I'm in an area that I'm familiar with. I don't listen to crazy music while I'm driving, if its on at all, its soft and in the background, and is used to help keep me level, music really affects my mood, (and heart rate) so I have to be careful about what is on, I try to pay attention to the cars around me and directly in front of me, instead of whats going on down the road. I've taken many defensive driving courses to also teach me ways to drive "safer" also by doing that I get a 10% discount on my car insurance each year which is a huge help, and it helps keep things fresh. but I still tend to get very anxious when driving, but there is NO mass transit where I live, so its a necessity if I want to get anywhere...


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