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Shift Guard

 Punch knees no more.
 
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Most everyone who's driven a car with a floor-mounted manual transmission sooner or later has this problem: the person riding in the passenger seat is too inconsiderate, or too stupid, to keep their knee out of the way of the shift lever. You either punch them in the knee while shifting (possibly even missing the gear in the process), or have to get them to move their leg before you can even grab the lever at all. Besides being incredibly annoying, it can also be a safety problem, particularly if you're trying to make a quick maneuver in traffic.

The Shift Guard is a simple solution - a small railing between the shift lever and the passenger seat's footwell. The only requirements would be that it allow enough room for the driver to shift freely, and be strong enough to withstand the weight of a passenger who decides to use it as a leg rest.

—redshift9, Dec 19 2002

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       Or you could punch their knee BEFORE you need to change gear.   

       Or you could politely ask them to remove their leg from the controls of your vehicle, all hoity-toity like.
—egbert, Dec 19 2002
   

       //Or you could politely ask them to remove their leg...//   

       (sigh) If only they would listen.   

       The first idea I came up with involved a gearshift knob covered in spikes, with a steel gauntlet for the driver to wear. I thought that might be a tad extreme, though.
—redshift9, Dec 19 2002
   

       So the electric cautery idea went down in flames too, I suspect.
—linguist, Dec 20 2002
   

       I do'nt have this problem with my stickshift. I only allow left leg amputees ride in the front of my car.
—SOPSALSO, Dec 20 2002
   

       /(sigh) If only they would listen./   

       Stop the car. I've found this to be effective for all sorts of transgressions. It reminds people who is/should be in control. Even more so if you don't pull over to the side first!   

       (+), BTW .
—egbert, Dec 21 2002
   

       //Try fondling their knee next time you change gear//   

       /Heh. I might just try that./   

       Me too! I guarantee it would have worked last time. I might have gotten a punch in the face, but it would have worked.   

       /Couldn't people be bisected or otherwise vivisected by the shift guard in a collision?/   

       [ugly joe] It's not some wrought-iron Medieval cage, just a small bar that's no higher than the shift lever. I don't see it posing any more of a threat than a door handle.
—redshift9, Dec 22 2002
   

       I *knew* dem pedal cars were getting smaller, I *knew* it.
—po, Dec 22 2002
   

       Nice one. You have ensighted a riot of knee fondling at the bakery. Croissant.
—waxingpoetic, Dec 23 2002
   

       get a freakin' automatic
—imthatwillguy, Dec 23 2002
   

       Slightly more uncomfortable than having your knee fondled is having to sit in the middle with the shifter between your legs.
—goober, Mar 26 2003
   

       > Or you could politely ask them to remove their leg   

       Legs are removable? I thought they were attached. Would you remove just one leg or both? And where would you store the legs? Would you just lay them on the floor? They could slide around and get under the brake pedal. I suppose they could be stowed in the roof rack, but how would you stand to get them up there?   

       > I have had this problem many times, my solution, which is based largely on the situation is to get the person to spread their legs then I proceed to do all oh my shifting in their crotch area ( sometimes it makes them nervous though....).   

       Is this the shift on the fly 4 wheel drive I've heard about? Seems more distracting than the knee fondling that was discussed before.
—ThunderBunny, Mar 27 2003
   

       People who drive with me often have learned to become one with my engine's rpms. 5th gear can hurt on a short-throw shifter.   

       +
—rapid transit, May 24 2003
   

       Why not just use an automatic?
—Almafeta, Nov 26 2003
   


 

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