Letting other people drive
 

I love my mom, but I'm not happy. I'm down visiting and the last time I was here I let my dad drive it, since I trust him and I know he's a good driver. He had no problem handling the Z. So then my mom found out and got all mad that I didn't let her drive, and today I could tell she was going to throw a tantrum if I didn't let her. She used to drive stick but hasn't for years, but my dad picked it up like riding a bike. So I took her to a parking lot and the first thing she does is take off with the parking brake engaged... She gets all defensive about it so I let it go. She drove around the lot for a while and then wanted to take some back roads to the grocery store. I figured it was probably fine but I was really uneasy. She manages to get there fine but as she's parking she chooses a spot that's at a sharp angle and slightly uphill. She is approaching too slow and the engine is lugging and somehow we start to roll back so she panics and revs up to like 5-6k with the clutch burning to all hell. I could smell it burning from the inside with the windows closed... Not to mention we were a couple feet away from the curb and she was at 6k and if she would have dropped the clutch we could have rocketed over the curb and hit a tree. I made her clutch in, shift to neutral and turn the car off and then we switched and I drove from then on. She was pretty shaken up and I didn't want to yell because she is pretty sensitive, but the more I think about it the more I'm upset. Oh well.... Guess that teaches me not to let anyone drive the Z.

I don't even like the mechanics at the stealership to drive my Z.

I honestly think its wrong on her part to kind of force it onto you to let her drive. Personally my mom knows she can't handle the car so she actually is the one that doesn't want to drive it. But either way I'd never trust someone to drive my car if I knew they weren't capable of handling it.

Moms gottal love em !

One of the reasons I buy manual is so my parents can't drive my car... Look at the bright side though, she didn't crash and destroy your baby.

I let my mother drive my Z all the time, shes a champ at it. Of course it is a 7AT :D

Yeah I think the biggest reason they both wanted to drive is because thy haven't driven manual in years. I think they got it out of their system though so I won't have to tell them no next time, haha.

If they ever do want to drive your Z again, buy them a beater car and have them practice on that, when they are good enough and get the basic idea of MT then if they want they can drive your Z. That way you sacrifice the beater instead of the Z if anything goes wrong :icon17:

Sounds like your gut was right, it usually is. Learn from it, and recall how you feel today the next time someone tries to guilt you into doing something you feel isn't right. Sounds like you got lucky.

No one has driven my '34 ford yet, it's quite a handful. I'd feel irresponsible if I let someone else drive. I did let a woman drive my Chevelle, but only if she she was topless.

I'm picking up my Z on Monday, I think I'll let most good drivers drive it, even if fully clothed, but I won't start the negotiations there.

I let my wife drive the Z once. She did just fine, and I'd be ok with her driving again. I just won't make a habit of it.

Nobody else drives my car. I just don't want to deal with the hassle of any potentially incurred damages.

meh, everybody in my family can drive well enough that I would trust them to drive.

Luckily I needed my mom to move my s2000 once, and it scared the snot out of her...she has no interest in driving anything I own ever again.

i bet you did worse than that to her over the years...

(but i share your feelings)

Reason I wouldn't trust anyone is because the low front end and the 19 inch rims(pot holes and curb rash).

Your parents need to respect the fact it's your car, and as much as you would love to share the joy of it with them, if it makes you uncomfortable, then I'm sure they'd understand -- if not, it's rather selfish of them to impose.

Shoot I don't even let the valet parking guys drive my baby I always tell them I pay you where do u want me to park lol and my parents well my dad has driven stick all the time and I tell him drive it and he rather not. And besides that no one else drives my baby =))