Man in custody after armed carjacking; he apparently couldn't drive a stick

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140327/NEWS/140328786/1685#man-in-custody-after-armed-carjacking-he-apparently-couldn-t-drive-a-stick

By Jay Withrow and Bob Glissmann / World-Herald staff writers

A young man who carjacked a woman's car at gunpoint Thursday morning apparently didn't know how to drive a manual transmission.

The carjacker sat in the vehicle near 50th and Charles Streets for several minutes after taking a Dodge Caliber from a woman who lives near that corner. He didn't run away until police arrived at the scene.

He was caught a few minutes later near 51st Street and Happy Hollow Boulevard.

The pursuit began about 7:05 a.m. after Melissa Peters, 48, who was preparing to get into her car, reported that she was carjacked at gunpoint by a young man armed with a handgun.

FULL story and photo at link.

[Nika]

1. It couldn't of happened to a more deserving idiot.

I hope he gets plenty of prison time for his effort.

[el_bryanto]

2. I guess the life of a car thief is out for me - and that Gone in 60 Seconds made it look so tedious.

[Shrike47]

3. Ah, youth!

Makes being old a little better. At least I can drive a stick if I have to.

[Blue_Tires]

4. Who the hell would carjack a Dodge Caliber?

If you're going to jail for 10 years, at least do it because you were carjacking a Porsche or something...

[Jazzgirl]

14. ^^this!^^

[sufrommich]

5. I learned to drive on a stick,my Dad insisted because

he always bought sticks,I had no choice if I wanted to drive the family car. I think it's way more uncommon now for anyone to buy a stick and I doubt that most young people will ever drive one.

[Lugnut]

6. Same story here.

Daddy was pretty old when he bought his first car with an automatic transmission.

[sufrommich]

10. My dad didn't own an automatic until he was

in his 60s.

[Lugnut]

15. Yep.

Daddy was in his 60s as well. He always said if he had two arms and two legs he'd shift.

I took my driver's test in a stick shift '57 Chevy on a hill in the snow. My first car was a stick shift '59 VW. These days my car has an automatic transmission but I could still shift if I had to.

[sir pball]

12. I learned on a 1985 Ford Ranger with no shift gates, worn synchros and a slippery clutch.

The shift lever was broken, so there was no discernible H-pattern or engagement at all - it was equally limp and floppy whether you were in neutral or any gear. It was OK on the upshifts if you paused for a second in neutral to let everything get to speed but double-clutching was mandatory on the downshift, which was tricky enough itself because you had to feather the pedal oh-so-well to get the damn thing to bite in the first place. I took auto shop as my practical elective the fall after I got it (turned 16 in May, had to deal with it all summer) and spent half the semester fixing it.

Paid off when I finally got my hot little 240SX though, it needed a new clutch anyway so I dropped in a stiff unsprung race part, between that and the skills I could do some amazing stuff. Plus there was nobody else at all who could drive the damn thing

[sufrommich]

13. Lol,you win.

[Common Sense Party]

7. I can't drive 55.

He can't get the car out of second gear.

[flamingdem]

8. Tee hee hee

That's original, have never heard that scenario before! I messed w the head of a cop once who wanted to ticket me for rolling through a stop sign. I explained to him how that works with a stick and he looked very confused and probably didn't want me in court making him look foolish, so he let me go.

I wonder what percent of Americans know how to drive a manual shift at this late date. Those of us who learned in the North will more likely know since shift is best for ice and snow.

[sufrommich]

9. Good for ice and snow,a pain in the ass

in traffic jams or stop signs on inclines.

[flamingdem]

11. Exacty. Since I am comfy with a stick

I got a zippy car with manual in Los Angeles. Two things make me miserable with this choice -- stick in the stop start traffic - first and second gear back and forth endlessly - and it hurts my back as I enter my later years.

It's good on Sunset Blvd. in an off hour however, the control it gives can be a plus.