Driving

So, I've realized that I haven't written a word about one of the things which has been consuming a good bit of time and effort lately:
Driving.
No, this isn't a post about how people are retarded and shouldn't be allowed to drive. (although most of them are, and they shouldn't)
This is about *me*, and *my* car, and *my* leg (or rather, the lack thereof).

See, when I learned to drive, the first car I legally drove was my mom's Honda Civic sedan, which is a 5-speed manual. It was tricky, but I picked it up and started liking it. The used car I had in high school was a 1994 BMW 325is, also a 5-speed manual, and I really loved that car.
So now, sitting here at Walter Reed and looking at what car I want to purchase, I started looking into vehicles. I was looking for something reasonably efficient, useful, but sporty and fun. I narrowed it down to the 2013 Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S (they're the same car, really) and the 2013 Ford Focus ST.
I deliberated and argued and wasn't sure for quite a while, but I went with the Focus because it's the more well-rounded car, it's *far* better equipped, and it's more... useful. More utilitarian. I'm still tormented by the thought of 2 doors, rear-wheel drive, and the tight, small look of a Japanese sports car.... but I recently sat in an FR-S, and my legs barely fit under the steering wheel without moving them (and a manual trans requires quite a bit of movement), and it's very bare and simple inside, and while I still want the two doors and the rear-wheel drive, I'm sure that I made the right choice.
Now, the Focus ST *only* comes with a 6-speed manual transmission. No dual-clutch paddles; good, old-fashioned clutch and stick, which made me more interested in it because if they're *only* offering the manual, it's more likely to be a good transmission.
But then came the problem: my leg was severed below the knee on February 29th, 2012. (I was looking at a car around October of 2012) So I would have to be able to drive a manual with my prosthesis. Well, that's fine- except that, because I still have my right foot and I don't want to buy 2 pairs of shoes in different sizes every time I buy shoes, I wear a Size 12 (US) shoe. And my left ankle doesn't flex much- it's made of metal and carbon fiber- so I can't point my toe at all. I got in a few cars and tried, and sure enough, my left foot couldn't depress the clutch all the way (or the brake) without hitting the floor and/or the bottom of the dash. So I needed a smaller foot.
Again, I didn't want to buy 2 pairs of different-sized shoes every time I bought shoes, so I talked to my prosthetist, and between us we designed *this*:

 

Yes, that's a dark photo and it's not completely clear, but that's what I have; I'll explain:

This is a straight metal shaft which attaches at 90* to a piece of carbon fiber, which is straight for about 2", then bends to about.... I don't know, 20*? And on the bottom, he cut out and has glued the bottom of a running shoe for grip. The socket of my prosthetic leg has a piece in the bottom from which my walking foot unscrews, and this one screws in, and I can push the clutch all the way in with it.

Now, this has a few.... problems. Problems I knew to expect, but which are complicated by the sporty clutch in the Focus ST and its... odd... release. See, I still don't have an ankle, or toes, so *all* control of movement is from my knee and hip. Your knee and hip apply force in much larger motions than your ankle and toes do; as such, it's very difficult to come off of the clutch smoothly. This is, as I said, further complicated by the fact that the clutch in my car sort of "pops" out- it gives a little bit, then will hold with very little pressure, then as you continue to move your foot off of the pedal, it will suddenly come further out. To negate this, normally your ankle would act as a shock absorber and your foot would flex accordingly, making the entire motion one smooth arc.

Again, I don't have an ankle.

So this is an... interesting problem. It's tricky. I have to focus pretty hard so that I don't stall when starting- even on flat or slightly downhill grades.

All in all, I do love my car. While I do love only having 2 doors- it makes the car smaller, both in appearance and reality, and it makes it look younger and sportier- four doors is definitely useful when moving a number of people or items. It's quite comfortable inside, and I *love* the seats- the Focus ST comes with Recaro seats, and I have mine done in the top trim level, so I have a full-leather interior.

I'm not *crazy* about the Ford SYNC; it's invaluable at times while you're driving, BUT it's also very frustrating. For instance, if you say something it doesn't recognize or if you simply ask it, "What can I say?" to get a full list of menu options, the voice begins speaking... and there is no skipping it or cutting it short. Modern recorded-voice answering machines on the telephone, when they're reading your list of options, you can usually cut them off; if they say the thing you need, you can say it right then, and they'll stop talking and accept your voice. The SYNC doesn't do that. So make one mistake in what you're saying, and you get to listen to 30 seconds (I have no idea how long it really is, I just know it's way too long!!) of the automated voice saying that you've made a mistake, and you can do ___ if you like, or ____, and if you need assistance, please call _____....... it drives me insane. So that's not awesome, but I'd heard that SYNC wasn't exactly most people's favorite. I don't rely on it, I don't need it most of the time, so I just keep in mind that it's annoying and clumsy and work around that.

Anyway. I'm finished now.... I'm kind of tired of typing.

I'm *trying* to make posting on here more regular, but mostly I just post when something comes to mind to post, and that isn't every day- or even every week- so for now, I'll try to keep updating this, but it's going to be spotty.