In an age when the manual transmission seems to be going the way of the typerwiter, it’s refreshing to see that many of our countrymen can still operate three pedals with skill and poise. But one driver has taken the whole shifting gears thing to a whole new level.
In a viral Facebook video posted by Giancarlo Dones, a jeepney driver from Pampanga demonstrates a hands-free method of operating a stick. Check it out:
Yup, Manong Driver is shifting using his right foot. As he buries the clutch with his left foot, he simultaneously removes his right foot from the throttle to nudge the stick in place. All the while, he’s turning the wheel and talking to incoming passengers. The fact that he’s doing all of this in Crocs is mere icing on the cake. Bravo, sir!
What seems to be making this possible is the way the shifter is set-up. A story by Jalopnik hypothesizes that because of the stick’s long shift and improper geometry, Manong Driver is able to easily work it without using his hands.
However, we should remind you not to try it for yourself. First of all, it’s likely that your car’s shifter is mounted on a center console, so you might not even be able to reach it with your foot. But even if you have a floor-mounted gear stick, shifting with your foot isn’t something we'd recommend.
