My first car was a '78 Honda Civic Wagon with a four-speed manual. That is how I learned to drive a manual tranny. My current car is a 2006 Honda Civic with a manual transmission. I bought it for two reasons: I like manuals and my wife does not know how to drive them.
I do. Well, I like to think.
In 1999 I was working the Willow Fire in the San Bernardino mountains. It came down into Apple Valley (where I lived at the time and was a Paid-Call firefighter) on a Sunday afternoon, and after driving home from Willow Springs Raceway (I worked as a medic for an ambulance company in Ridgecrest that had the EMS contract there-saw some great cars and racing), I was put on the line. The last AVFD engine was an old CDF Model Five brush engine we bought from Alhambra fire back in the day. It was a four-speed manual with the synchro shot to crap.
A few days into the fire the engine had a name: the "Little Engine" ( All we had to do was listen to the command traffic to know our next assignment: "Yeah, uh, Division ZZ, we have a smoke in the perimeter and it is kinda rough out there...Where is the "Little Engine"?)
It was a billy goat but slow as heck.
The third day in we in our Branch were re-assigned, Code 3, to Snow Valley Ski area. My engine and strike team were last to leave Lucerne Valley Park and head up the Cushenberry Grade (the "Back Way" to Big Bear and the mountain communities. As my rig was the slowest we led the strike team up the hill, 37 miles on mountain roads.
I got up the hill without braking once. I got past the Big Bear Dam without braking and even passed the first strike team to leave Lucerne Valley. I hit the brakes for the first time pulling into Snow Valley Ski area.
My captain gave me glowing praise for not making him grab the "Oh Shit" bar once and for getting us up there quickly.
My glowing moment as a professional driver.
I live in the Temecula area now and work in Gardena. I take the 91 but lately I have been diverting to the 5 south to Ortega Highway ( I call it "The Hump") and over to Elsinore. It is a few miles further but the drive is better and funner.
I tried, for weeks to go up the OC side and down the IE side without using the brakes. It took awhile for familiarization but I have finally done it! Twice! The IE side is tougher as it is steeper but it is manageable!
Average speed is about 35-45 on the down side and 40-50 on the up side. I go with the normal traffic flow and am usually faster than those that must use brakes.
My moment as a driver.
Let me hear yours....
I do. Well, I like to think.
In 1999 I was working the Willow Fire in the San Bernardino mountains. It came down into Apple Valley (where I lived at the time and was a Paid-Call firefighter) on a Sunday afternoon, and after driving home from Willow Springs Raceway (I worked as a medic for an ambulance company in Ridgecrest that had the EMS contract there-saw some great cars and racing), I was put on the line. The last AVFD engine was an old CDF Model Five brush engine we bought from Alhambra fire back in the day. It was a four-speed manual with the synchro shot to crap.
A few days into the fire the engine had a name: the "Little Engine" ( All we had to do was listen to the command traffic to know our next assignment: "Yeah, uh, Division ZZ, we have a smoke in the perimeter and it is kinda rough out there...Where is the "Little Engine"?)
It was a billy goat but slow as heck.
The third day in we in our Branch were re-assigned, Code 3, to Snow Valley Ski area. My engine and strike team were last to leave Lucerne Valley Park and head up the Cushenberry Grade (the "Back Way" to Big Bear and the mountain communities. As my rig was the slowest we led the strike team up the hill, 37 miles on mountain roads.
I got up the hill without braking once. I got past the Big Bear Dam without braking and even passed the first strike team to leave Lucerne Valley. I hit the brakes for the first time pulling into Snow Valley Ski area.
My captain gave me glowing praise for not making him grab the "Oh Shit" bar once and for getting us up there quickly.
My glowing moment as a professional driver.
I live in the Temecula area now and work in Gardena. I take the 91 but lately I have been diverting to the 5 south to Ortega Highway ( I call it "The Hump") and over to Elsinore. It is a few miles further but the drive is better and funner.
I tried, for weeks to go up the OC side and down the IE side without using the brakes. It took awhile for familiarization but I have finally done it! Twice! The IE side is tougher as it is steeper but it is manageable!
Average speed is about 35-45 on the down side and 40-50 on the up side. I go with the normal traffic flow and am usually faster than those that must use brakes.
My moment as a driver.
Let me hear yours....
. 
