Friday, March 1, 2013

That’s The Brakes

How many of you ride with your left foot on the brake, and how many of you are practically perfect in every way like myself and keep your left foot on the floor unless there is a clutch involved?

I bet I have done a gazillion brake jobs over the years since I met my lovely wife Cindy, I would never claim to be a mechanic but Lord knows that I have learned how to do a brake job.

I stand and wave to my wife as she drives down the street, either on her way to work or the store and the tail lights burn brightly the whole way, she claims that she is not resting her foot on the brake pedal but the bright red lights tell a different story.

What else tells a different story is the frequency of the brake jobs I have done on our vehicles, it had gotten so bad that the “Lifetime Warranty” brake pads I bought at the parts house were switched out so many times that they in a sense asked me to take my business elsewhere.

I think the lifetime of my brake pad warranty could not be resuscitated.

They really didn’t do that but, I did see them cheering and waving as we drove out of town, the day we moved from New Mexico, I knew that I was going to miss those guys when I saw their faces in the red glow of our tail lights as Cindy drove past.

I remember doing the second brake job on our van, and Big Dave our good friend who lived across the street dropped by to help, this time we replaced brake pads, rotors, calipers, burned brake fluid, and the suggestion of the main driver for this vehicle.

I know many of you are thinking how much blame should be placed into Cindy’s lap, all I have to say is that the brakes on my truck were never changed, and when I sold it they were still stopping the truck just fine.

When Big Dave and I finished the brake job on the van and Cindy was backing out, he stopped her at the end of the drive, he had a nail gun in his hand, yes a brand new nail gun he was waving at the drivers door of the van.

Nice nail gun Dave, did you just get it Cindy said to him, nope I have had it for a while he smiled and continued, I thought I would save Jimmy a little money on brakes and go ahead and nail your left foot to the floorboard.

Cindy drove away and the taillights for the first time in a while remained off until she got to the stop sign, I guess we should have used the nail gun a long time ago.
A couple weeks ago Cindy’s Dad was riding with us to the store, he mentioned that he thought he heard the brakes making noise on his car after Cindy had driven it.

It’s not my fault that the brakes need changed on your car she said, that’s the breaks when you have a car that old, no darling when I see the taillights burning and smell that smell I say That’s The Brakes, and it wasn’t the cars fault.

Left foot or right, which do you use on the brake pedal?

28 comments:

  1. I'm a one footer (right) like most of us (I think) but I know my grandmother uses both. Although I don't think she holds down the brake. I asked her about it once and she said she learned to drive tractor's on the farm growing up and they used 2 feet and it just carried over to a car.

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    1. I can see how your Grandma carried the habit over to a car, I think my wife just rests her foot on the brake, not really applying the brake but just enough to heat them up and keep the light burning.

      She is getting better though.

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  2. You mean there is a brake pedal in cars??? :-) Right foot....if i must.............

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    1. Yep they actually add those brake pedals as standard equipment now Ha Ha

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  3. What is the point of breaking if your foot is on the gas? Right foot!

    I used to have clutch problems due to a wife that rode the clutch at stop lights...They just will not listen!

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    1. Hey Joe, Sounds like the exact same cause as my Brake problems :)

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  4. I feel your pain Jimmy! I also fought that battle in a former life with a former wife. She SWORE that she never ever did that... Yeah right!

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    1. Hey Pat, Sure sounds like a familiar answer, I guess like any addiction the hardest part is admitting it :)

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  5. Hilarious post, Jimmy! Miss you when you are away!

    The first time I witnessed someone who was a two foot driver, I was shocked. That takes more coordination than I can manage! One foot here!

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    1. Hey Bijoux, I learned to use the right foot for the brake and gas, and the left foot for the clutch, do you ever reach for the clutch with your left foot after getting back into an automatic after driving a standard for a while Ha Ha, I know I do.

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  6. Right foot for the gas and brake pedals. Left foot is for the clutch (I always have and still do drive a stick shift).

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    1. When I taught the Daughter to drive I did so in a truck with a standard transmission, she cried and complained until she got the hang of it but swore that she would never own anything but an automatic, still to this day she drives a stick Ha Ha

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  7. I've had manual transmisson cars so of course the left foot was for the clutch. But now I'm driving an automatic and I go against the grain and brake with my left foot, BUT I do not ride the brake. I had my brakes changed not long ago for the first time with 83K on the odometer.

    Good post. Glad you're back! ;)

    S

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    1. 83,000 until your first brake job is a testament in not riding the brakes, if you can brake with the left but keep your foot off the pedal until needed I say well done :)

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  8. Glad to see you again! I have proof that I never use the brakes. Lots and lots of "Rolling stops" tickets. It never helps when I explain I don't want to wear my brakes out by using them too much.

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    1. Sounds like they have no sense of humor at all, you should get some kind of award rather than a ticket for saving wear and tear on your brakes :)

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  9. I'm a right-foot man.

    But I think over the years at times I've been guilty of resting my left foot on the clutch pedal.

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    1. Hi Bryan, that was a common problem with the Daughter, rather than wearing the brakes I did replace the clutch more than once in her car, maybe I should have gotten her an automatic and her Mom a standard transmission :)

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  10. Lol... loved this post, Jimmy. I'm okay with the brake... but I have noticed that sometimes (not always) my left foot hovers over the clutch instead of resting on the floor. I suppose it's a just-in-case habit I've got into.

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    1. Hi Valerie, Sometimes just in case comes in handy, funny the habits we get ourselves into at times.

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  11. I do the one-footer thing as taught to me by my driving couch, his name was Dad.

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    1. Hey Rachael, Sounds like you had a fine driving coach :) and the fact that you paid attention is a good thing.

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  12. My son tells me all the time that I ride the brake. This isn't true---a damn lie--- and he should just replace my brakes every year like a good son.

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    1. Hey Stephen, I agree with you, he should do a yearly brake job like a good son and not resort to a damn lie like accusing you of riding the brakes, just keep an eye on him if next year he brings a nail gun along Ha Ha

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  13. Right. BUT I do prefer standard and have a tough time going back if I have to drive a standard for a few days. AND when I had to deliver mail out of my car (sitting in the middle) I had to do everything with the left foot.

    I know... weird.

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    1. Hey Juli, I can just picture you sitting in the middle delivering mail, gas, clutch and brake all with the left foot, you are way more talented then me my friend :)

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  14. I've always driven an automatic. Maybe that's why I'm perfect like you in every way and leave my left foot ON THE FLOOR (CINDY! :)

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    1. Hey Anita, I rode with Cindy today and made a point to watch her feet, the left foot remained on the floor the whole time, wonder if this post had anything to do with that Ha Ha

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