Left foot braking with automatics

[Silk]

Yawn. Relevance?

I imagine your shopping and menu are very similar to his.

Then you imagined wrong.

[Silk]

Left-foot braking, heel-n-toe, double-declutch, etc. are a bit like rusty old spanners - I could probably find a use for one if I tried, but they're mostly taking up space in the toolbox.

Not really a very good analogy. Why would you use a rusty old spanner if you had a shiny new one? These are techniques which help perform some aspects of the driving task better than the tried and tested more common techniques - as such a better analogy would be to have a shiny new spanner in your toolbox, in addition to the rusty old one you were quite happy with.
And of course the toolbox of driving skills is of infinite size.

I don't want the spanner at all, rusty or otherwise. I believe the "toolbox" should get smaller over time as you throw out all the crap. Didn't someone on here used to have "Do Less Better" in his signature? I couldn't agree more.

[Astraist]

From experience, I suggest that changing from right foot braking to left foot braking and getting to the point where you not only do it smoothly, but also instinctively and needing no more conscious thought than braking the way you used to, takes quite a lot of practice.

Why go to all the trouble of practicing something that's completely unnecessary?

Practically with every new tool or approach you get worst before you get better. It shouldn't stop us from trying to better ourselves.

[Silk]

From experience, I suggest that changing from right foot braking to left foot braking and getting to the point where you not only do it smoothly, but also instinctively and needing no more conscious thought than braking the way you used to, takes quite a lot of practice.

Why go to all the trouble of practicing something that's completely unnecessary?

Practically with every new tool or approach you get worst before you get better. It shouldn't stop us from trying to better ourselves.

I prefer the one in, one out approach when it comes to driving "tools". Once I've discovered a new way of doing something, I forget about the old way.

[StressedDave]

Presumably you use a Birmingham screwdriver for all DIY tasks then.

[Silk]

Presumably you use a Birmingham screwdriver for all DIY tasks then.

Ok, I give up. What's a Birmingham screwdriver?

[angus]

Presumably you use a Birmingham screwdriver for all DIY tasks then.

Ok, I give up. What's a Birmingham screwdriver?

A hammer

[Silk]

Presumably you use a Birmingham screwdriver for all DIY tasks then.

Ok, I give up. What's a Birmingham screwdriver?

A hammer

Why didn't he say that?

[Triquet]

My first experience of automatics was at Los Angeles airport having alighted after a very long (pre-747) flight from the UK. I cannot claim to have been in the best mental state at the time (i.e. somewhat hung over). I was presented with a large tin tank (this was 1975 or thereabouts) long before Yank even recognised the concept "stick shift".

Of course I immediately tried "right foot go" / "left foot stop" and made an immediate and cozy relationship with what I believe they refer to as the "windshield". You live and learn.

[angus]

Presumably you use a Birmingham screwdriver for all DIY tasks then.

Ok, I give up. What's a Birmingham screwdriver?

A hammer

Why didn't he say that?

Dave was being subtle

(I'm not telling you what I usually call it in case I offend someone)