On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 11:43:02 +0100, Conor wrote:



So you can't drive either.

Oh FFS. I've not put my foot on the floor or the 'rest' for close of 50 years
and I think I've had one clutch and I generally keep my cars for a long time.
Keeping your foot covering the pedal DOES NOT wear the clutch. Pressing it down
sufficiently will. Being a pedant doesn't make you right.

Andy C

In article , Andy Cap
says...

On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 11:43:02 +0100, Conor wrote:



So you can't drive either.

Oh FFS. I've not put my foot on the floor or the 'rest' for close of 50 years
and I think I've had one clutch and I generally keep my cars for a long time.
Keeping your foot covering the pedal DOES NOT wear the clutch. Pressing it down
sufficiently will. Being a pedant doesn't make you right.

I guess you don't drive much or very far then.



--
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams

Heds wrote:
Thanks everyone, some good replies there.

The matter was brought up recently as she has just swapped over to a
hire auto after yet another idiot drove into the back of her. We seem
to have the worlds first fully working car cloaking device as it is
hardly ever out of the repair shop.

Do the brake lights work? :-)

Heds wrote:

She drives with her left foot covering the clutch and says that she
was taught this technique as the correct way to drive and it helps her
if she needs to stop quickly.

I prefer to use the brake to stop quickly :-) In an emergency stop
situation I don't really care if I stall the engine in fact it can be
quite a good thing to do in some situations.

Tony

Heds wrote:
Hi,

I wonder if you could help settle an argument between my wife and I
(at least this one is related to cars!).

She drives with her left foot covering the clutch and says that she
was taught this technique as the correct way to drive and it helps her
if she needs to stop quickly.

I on the other hand say that if you need to stop quickly it is the
brake pedal she should be worrying about and that her left foot should
be flat on the floor or on the purpose built foot rest, unless she is
in the process of changing gear.

She insists that her foot is not on the clutch and just above it so is
hovering and therefore not causing the clutch any problems.

If anyone could help settle this friendly discussion I would be most
grateful. Especially if I could be proved right :-)

thanks
H Phillips

IME driving schools teach some absolute rubbish. It is extremely hard to
find a good instructor that will teach you to 'drive' rather than just how
to pass a test.

Why not get her to enrol on an advanced driving course such as the IAM, it
is enjoyable and rewarding (and not expensive) and leads to a test which can
give you a good insurance discount.

Trying to correct a relative's driving habits is best done by a third party.

To answer the question: covering the clutch in normal driving is not an
advisable habit ( I have never heard it being recommended by anyone before)

"David Hearn" wrote in message
...
Heds wrote:
Hi,

I wonder if you could help settle an argument between my wife and I
(at least this one is related to cars!).

She drives with her left foot covering the clutch and says that she
was taught this technique as the correct way to drive and it helps her
if she needs to stop quickly.

I on the other hand say that if you need to stop quickly it is the
brake pedal she should be worrying about and that her left foot should
be flat on the floor or on the purpose built foot rest, unless she is
in the process of changing gear.

She insists that her foot is not on the clutch and just above it so is
hovering and therefore not causing the clutch any problems.

If anyone could help settle this friendly discussion I would be most
grateful. Especially if I could be proved right :-)

thanks
H Phillips

When driving down the motorway? I see no problem with putting your foot
in a comfortable position, quite possibly on the 'foot rest' (if the car
has one, a recent Fiesta I drove has no space to the left of the clutch
pedal at all!).

However, having your foot on the 'foot rest' is incompatible with your
suggested approach of "if you need to stop quickly it is the brake pedal
she should be worrying about". A few times I've caught my foot under the
clutch pedal when taking it off the rest and trying to get to the brake.
It's a lot further from the rest to the brake (plus involves two
movements - up and across), than from hovering over the clutch to the
brake (one movement - across).


Am I reading you correctly? You appear to be using your left foot to brake
with. I make this deduction because you say you get it stuck under the
clutch pedal when you move it from the footrest to the brake.

Whatever else you do, you shouldn't be using your left foot to brake with.
So you shouldn't be hovering it over the clutch pedal.

Or are you resting your right foot on the left footrest???

Rob Graham

On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:41:52 +0100, robgraham
wrote:


"David Hearn" wrote in message
...
Heds wrote:
Hi,

I wonder if you could help settle an argument between my wife and I
(at least this one is related to cars!).

She drives with her left foot covering the clutch and says that she
was taught this technique as the correct way to drive and it helps her
if she needs to stop quickly.

I on the other hand say that if you need to stop quickly it is the
brake pedal she should be worrying about and that her left foot should
be flat on the floor or on the purpose built foot rest, unless she is
in the process of changing gear.

She insists that her foot is not on the clutch and just above it so is
hovering and therefore not causing the clutch any problems.

If anyone could help settle this friendly discussion I would be most
grateful. Especially if I could be proved right :-)

thanks
H Phillips

When driving down the motorway? I see no problem with putting your foot
in a comfortable position, quite possibly on the 'foot rest' (if the car
has one, a recent Fiesta I drove has no space to the left of the clutch
pedal at all!).

However, having your foot on the 'foot rest' is incompatible with your
suggested approach of "if you need to stop quickly it is the brake pedal
she should be worrying about". A few times I've caught my foot under
the
clutch pedal when taking it off the rest and trying to get to the brake.
It's a lot further from the rest to the brake (plus involves two
movements - up and across), than from hovering over the clutch to the
brake (one movement - across).


Am I reading you correctly? You appear to be using your left foot to
brake
with. I make this deduction because you say you get it stuck under the
clutch pedal when you move it from the footrest to the brake.

Whatever else you do, you shouldn't be using your left foot to brake
with.
So you shouldn't be hovering it over the clutch pedal.

Or are you resting your right foot on the left footrest???

Rob Graham




Left foot braking's a very usefull skill :-) Although not really on the
public highway.

Duncan Wood wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:41:52 +0100, robgraham
wrote:

Left foot braking's a very usefull skill :-) Although not really on
the public highway.

Depends how much of an understeering tank your road car is .

I guess you don't drive much or very far then.

About 10000/year. I've just tried putting my foot on what I take is
intended to be a rest position and the pedal catches my shoe on the way
up. Couldn't be doing with that. I do now recall having a bearing fail a
long time ago, so I may have contributed to it, but certainly not a
major issue IMO.

Andy C

"Andy Cap" wrote in message
o.uk...

I guess you don't drive much or very far then.

About 10000/year. I've just tried putting my foot on what I take is
intended to be a rest position and the pedal catches my shoe on the way
up. Couldn't be doing with that. I do now recall having a bearing fail a
long time ago, so I may have contributed to it, but certainly not a major
issue IMO.

Not a very relaxing way to drive IMO.
Even under comparitively light braking one tends to move forward in the
seat, especially if the brakes are particularly light, as they are in my
car.
Easily counteracted if ones left foot is on the rest or floor. It also helps
with accelerator control, as ones body is more stable.
A heel on the carpet certainly wouldn't prevent me sliding forward in my
car.
Mike.