Re: UI Comment

["Robin Samms" <striker@accessone.com>]

Al Powell <APOWELL@agcom.tamu.edu>
Wrote

> Dunno.  I heard that the #2 car for reports of UI was the Nissan 
> 300ZX.  Here's what I note they have in common - they are both cars 
> with very nice heel-and-toe pedal positioning.  At the time, these 
> cars were the status models which were being bought by people 
> graduating from cars like Olds Cutlasses....and my theory is that in 
> the automatics, these drivers simply were not AWARE enough of their 
> cars' design to hit the correct pedal.  More aware drivers don't do 
> this - but the classic US dufus driver who only knows the general 
> location of the ignition key and steering wheel is fully capable of 
> hitting the wrong pedal.  I find this behavior more LIKELY to have 
> occurred in drivers moving from "ho-hum" cars into status models 
> which had cpabilities which they as drivers were not competent to 
> exploit.

I agree, I also submit the following for the group's consideration:

The UI incident occurred during the time I owned my first Audi, an
83 4KQ.  As we all know, that was a 5 speed (not available any other way)
My Audi dealer used to periodically lend customers a spare car during
services.
On occasion, when loaned a 4000 FWD Auto model, OR a loaner VW,
I found that the engines of these cars under cold start conditions would
race..
very unlike my 5 speed Quattro.  I also travel and rent cars, and have
found 
that this racing on cold start seems to be fairly prevalent in Auto
transmission cars.

With no shift+brake interlock, what happens if you, as a habitual user of
auto transmission,
shifts into drive while your engine is still in it's cold boot routine at
2500rpm ? 
And like 90% of habitual auto transmission drivers, do not routinely use
your
hand or, parking brake ?  

II !    IDIOT ACCELLERATION !


It should be noted that this was during the same period that Japanese
motorcycles
were surcharged to fund the recovery of Harley Davidson.

Robin