Carjackers foiled when can't work Corvette's stick shift

[Seann45]

An attempted carjacking in Florida speaks to the increasingly lost art of driving cars with a manual transmission: the would-be thieves couldn't figure out how to steal a Chevrolet Corvette.

Randolph Bean was sitting in his bright yellow Corvette when two men approached, one with a gun, outside the Orlando Regional Medical Center, MyFoxOrlando.com reports.
Bean, who barely saw them coming, said they tried to force open the door. When it flung open, he was dragged out, Bean told the TV station and website.
Then, things started getting strange.

One of the thieves, pointing the gun at him, demanded to know how the car operates. They couldn't start it, and Bean said he had to tell them repeatedly to push in the clutch. They still couldn't figure out how to drive it. Eventually, they ran off, leaving the cars keys behind but making off with Bean's wallet, phone and house keys.
"My first thought was I guess we don't have driver's ed in school anymore because no one knows how to drive a stick," Bean told MyFoxOrlando. "And my second thing was, 'don't shoot me because you can't start the car.' I'm trying to help you out here."

[tinlizzie23]

Today's generation seems to expect everything to be done for them, with no thought or effort necessary on their part. All you have to do to start a car is push a button, right ? Like on their computer phone. Glad the owner made it through this experience safely. I have a 1923 Model T Ford and leave the key in the ignition in plain sight most of the time, as 99.9 % of would-be thieves would have no clue how to deal with 3 pedals and 2 steering column levers, along with a starter button on the floor.

[tlhdoc]

LOL that is funny. I wonder if you can get an insurance discount on a manual transmission. Apparently it is an anti-theft device.

[CruizinKim]

Back in 1987, when my hubby and I were dating, he drove me 50 miles from home and got out of his truck and told me that I had to drive home. He said it would be the quickest way for me to learn how to drive a stick. Geez, talk about tough love, but it worked!

[Boss Wagon]

I really enjoy hearing about stupid criminals.

[tinlizzie23]

Like CruizinKim, I was "taught" the hard way to drive a stick. As a 16 year old, I was helping my Grandfather put up hay on his farm in Missouri, when he told me to take a load of hay on a flatbed Ford 600 back to the barn. When I told him I had never driven a stick, he promptly told me to get in, and drove me around the field once. He then told me to get in the driver's seat, and get it back to the barn. He walked away and didn't look back. I learned how on the way back to the barn. It got a little hairy at times, but I got 'er done. Wonder how a 16 year old of today's generation would handle that ? At least he would have his smart phone along to help. LOL