Not a big deal.  I leave the farm tractors in neutral and the motorcycle and
always start those as well as the VWs with the clutch in (meaning
disengaged); however, contrary to my motorcycle class, when I'm stopped at a
light or stop sign, I pull the clutch in and do not put it in neutral (as I
do in my VWs).  Just the way I drive; you all may have been taught
differently or just do it differently.  I will note that having been to a
lot of antique tractor shows I notice many people will lean over and start
the things or just jump on and start them; perhaps there's a good reason my
family leaves them in neutral.  Both my husband's family and my father's
family have farmed ever since they came to America, so I just run the
tractors how they did it.

Donna, long-time Route 66 rider/driver

On 1/2/07, Allen Hill <route66rider@knology.net> wrote:
>
> OK, so what is the big deal here? What is the issue with parking in gear?
> For the last 45 years I have driven (and flown) all makes & models of
> planes, trucks, cars, motorcycles, and yes farm tractors.  The only thing
> I
> didn't leave in gear was my Cessna!  Other than that we always left our
> vehicles parked in gear with no known ill effects.  Generally speaking, if
> you left a farm tractor sitting around NOT in gear it was possible that it
> would roll off somewhere.  I always felt that the same was likely to
> happen
> leaving a standard transmission vehicle out of gear (in neutral).  When
> you
> get in (or on) the vehicle, push in the brake, then the clutch, take the
> trans out of gear & start. A, B, C & D - as simple as that.  Just my 2
> cents
> worth, until someone enlightens me as to why.
>
> Route 66 Rider!
> Ramon Hill
> Live Long and Be Free
> ======================================
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Donna Skarloken
> Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 5:49 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: women and standard gearbox
>
> I was taught to leave my vehicles in gear, but after I married and began
> driving farm tractors and motorcycles I always need to remember to park
> those in neutral.  I always have to think about it - kinda funny, but the
> older I get the more paranoid I am about forgetting things!
>
> Donna, 87 Syncro, etc.
>
>
> On 1/2/07, Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > The problem was personal.......cranking the starter with it still in
> > gear.  We went through several starters in short order until we figured
> out
> > the problem.   Haven't needed a starter since.
> > Anthony
> >
> >
> > "Anderson,Chuck" <CAnderson@UA.COLOSTATE.EDU> wrote: That's
> > interesting. I always purposely leave my vehicles in gear when parked.
> > Chuck Anderson
> > '86 GL
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> > Behalf Of Anthony Egeln
> > Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 9:27 AM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: women and standard gearbox
> >
> > When I married my wife she already knew how to drive a stick....so her
> > transition to my then ride...... '73 911T Porsche Targa, and later the
> > vangons, was not an issue.  I did have to break her of the habit of
> > leaving it in gear when parked....went through several starters first.
> > Anthony
> > '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
> >
> >
> > chris jackson  wrote:
> > It was a women who help get hooked on busses. A friends mother got me
> > driving her 1958 green on green splittie no syncro for first come to a
> > complete stop then go into 1st gear. This was back in 1967 she then
> > pick up an 1968 westy with less than 20k. It still looked & smelled
> > new; I loved that bus.
> >
> > Out of all my friends on all the long trips in the many busses I have
> > owed the two best driver have been women.
> >
> > Chris
> > 82 diesel westy
> > sf bay
> >
> >
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