City kids do not leave keys in vehicles. . . It’s different out here...

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^
Some people aren't happy unless they're sticking their noses into somebody else's business... usually because it distracts from their own mistakes.

 

[twowoode]

There used to be a company that sold a device , installed to replace the ignition switch, which you punched in a code to start your equipment. Not sure if they are still around. I first came across them for forklift access so only your trained operators could drive them.

 

[KilroyJC]

In the seventies, I was home sick and my wife tried to drive my manual choke pickup to work. About twenty minutes after leaving, she came walking back home. The truck had quit on her. Naturally, this was my fault. I'd told her to pull the choke out to start the vehicle. I didn't think too tell her to push it back in.

Did you tell her to check the 710? Or just to check to oil?

 

[IrishLoader]

^^^^^
Some people aren't happy unless they're sticking their noses into somebody else's business... usually because it distracts from their own mistakes.

Brother, let me enlighten you. Tweekers don't give a crap. Don't care a bit. Or care about property. They take a bit, carve out alot and don't care about $6&&1.

 

[rontaki]

A couple of stories from Me Olde Daze -

VW Bugs had 4-speed sticks, then came out with the "automatic stickshift". This was a manual shift gearbox with a vacuum-servo clutch that activated when the stickshift was moved to shift gears. It had no clutch pedal, and a wider brake pedal as was common in cars with auto trans at the time.
I hopped into it, and when it was time to shift, per habit my left foot came down forcefully on the "clutch pedal" which wasn't there.
Pressed the wide brake pedal instead, locking the wheels. Surprise! Fortunately we were wearing seat belts and didn't launch our melons into the windshield.

Another time, in an old Bug I had, the ignition switch failed. Being a cheapskate, I set up a couple of house-style light switches in the cutout meant for the radio, one switch for the starter and one for the ignition. This worked well, but a neighborhood ne'er-do-well couldn't resist the easy steal. Once recovered near his house, I installed a proper switch.

My Vanagon Syncro Westphalia is a five-speed, the lowest being a granny gear not used in regular driving. Goes anywhere and gives good bed!

 

[SamO]

I leave the keys in my hunk of crap hoping someone will steal it as it's covered by my home owners insurance. But out here I would never be that lucky and if someone did try to steal it they probably couldn't get it started anyhow. Sam

 

[jyoutz]

Neither do smart country kids. My brother in law had his truck stolen last year from his ranch in a very rural Wyoming location. Because he left the keys in the vehicle.

 

[dwm1026]

We only lock our house at night while we're all sleeping. Only out of paranoia, no one's ever been on my property at night (to my knowledge).

Tractors and small stuff get the keys left in them. All road-going vehicles get left unlocked, but the keys do come inside. Easy to find and use if someone wanted to try.

I have friends who live in the city come over to hang out or play outside, and they step out of their cars and then lock them with a beep as they walk towards me or the house. I can't help but ask "what the heck is wrong with you" each time. They usually just shrug and leave them locked.

Just out of habit

 

[JBF43]

I do miss a good 4 or 5 speed manual truck at times. I learned how to drive on an old c20 with a 3 on the tree on a farm. Dang thing would always jam up shifting into 3rd.

"I do miss a good 4 or 5 speed manual truck at times."
This reminds me of a car I used to have. It was a '78 Ford Fiesta. They only came with 4 speed manual transmissions. Funny thing was that if I left it parked in front of the garage and it needed moving when I was asleep or not home, it took two to move it. My father could drive standard but couldn't get the car in reverse. Reverse was under 4th gear. Put it in neutral, push straight down and then shift to 4th gear position. My second older brother could do that, just couldn't work a clutch. So it turned out to be a 2 man job to move that little car. Pretty comical to watch actually.

 

[JBF43]

I've still got my 6 speed stick in my F350.

My work truck now for pulling the tractor is a 1976 Chevy C60, 350 engine, 4 speed tranny, 2 speed rear end. Need to move a large building, get a long chain and wrap it around the building, hook to the truck and pull it away.