They'll Have to Pry the Stick From My Cold, Dead Hands

The VW foils thieves who don't use a
stick. Also, there's no gas in the tank.

I have been thinking of selling the 1967 VW bug because modern cars are safer and more practical.

However, the rationale for keeping it, which I wrote about in 2020, has grown stronger:

A 2016 survey revealed that only 18% of Americans know how to drive a stick...Periodically one hears of a car hijacking that is foiled because the thief can't operate a manual transmission.

Other advantages of driving an ancient automobile:
1) no GPS for Big Brother to track;
2) A terrorist EMP attack would cripple newer cars only;
3) No biennial smog check.

The escalating costs of gas and car repairs are added reasons:

Manual-transmission cars are also easier and cheaper to repair. Although the latest automatic transmissions are more fuel-efficient than older versions, Consumer Reports suggests that manual transmissions can improve gas mileage by 2 to 5 miles a gallon, partly from the decreased weight of the car. The purchase price of a new car often runs $800 to $1,000 lower.

And for those who are prone to distractions, having to keep both hands and legs occupied focuses the mind:

Using a manual transmission might even make you a safer driver. A study from the National Institutes for Health found that manual transmissions enhance the attention and driving performance of adolescent males with ADHD. The study concluded that “objectively, participants drive safer in the manual transmission mode.”

Safer, cheaper, simpler, and the kids can't steal it. Guess I'll hold on to it for a bit longer....