On Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:53:23 -0600, Dave Kelsen
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 2/2/2008 6:45 AM Jeff spake these words of knowledge:
>
>> Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
>>> In article
>>> <bcb7635f-309c-4f6f-8bb2-37f4e8bfd320@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
>>> mindfulnessnow@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
>>>> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
>>>> work today.
>>>>
>>>> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
>>>> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
>>>> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
>>>> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
>>>> into reverse or drive.
>>>>
>>>> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
>>>> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
>>>> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
>>>> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
>>>> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
>>>> long has this been going on?
>>>
>>> Um....let's see.....over 20 years now, ever since 60 Minutes
>>> manufactured the Audi "problem" so they could sell advertising.
>>
>> They didn't manufacture the problem. They reported it. And, I think,
>> having the lock is a good idea.
>
>I personally owned a 1979 Audi 5000S, and a little later a 1980 Audi
>5000S. As a result, I got to know a fair number of other Audi owners
>and drivers. I never once had a problem, nor did I ever hear of anyone
>else who had a problem with 'unintended acceleration' outside of the
>news stories.
>
>This is anecdotal, I understand. But it seemed clear to me that there
>wasn't any problem with the cars; the problem, if it existed, was with
>the drivers. It seemed to me.

It may well have been the drivers - probably was. But that is scant
consolation when you just crushed your kid to death.

Based on the frequency which this type of accident occurred with the
5000, something was wrong with it. Might have been 100% ergonomic but
there was a problem and it wasn't unique to Audi. The shift interlock
was a good solution. Cheap, effective and it in no way interferes
with normal operation of the car (barring mechanical failure which can
occur with any system in the vehicle). Note that unintended
acceleration accidents have practically disappeared from the news. How
many lives have been saved by the 60 Minutes expose, even if the
actual cause was not strictly mechanical?

Some people just like to bitch and moan about how this is
idiot-proofing, but as long as we are allowing idiots to drive cars...
If this (idiot-proofing) is really such a problem, we should ban
automatic transmissions altogether. If you are too stupid,
incapacitated or uncoordinated to drive a manual transmission, take
the bus.