File photo courtesy of CorvetteImages.com

by Keith Cornett

Here’s another reason for automakers to keep manufacturing cars with manual transmissions: They can keep your pride and joy from being stolen.

At least when the would-be carjackers don’t even know how to drive a six-speed!

That’s what happened to Randolph Bean recently as he was sitting outside Orlando Regional Medical Center in downtown Orlando, Fla., minding his own business in his bright yellow Corvette.

Bean probably realized these were not ordinary-intelligence thieves when they couldn’t even open the door to the Corvette as the crime began to unfold.

One of the men who had a gun ‘started yanking on the door and made me open the door,? Bean related to MyFoxOrlando.com. ?He kind of flung it open and dragged me out and demanded that I get on the ground?face down, so I couldn’t look at him, of course.?

The 51-year-old Bean cooperated with the thieves as they struggled to get the ?Vette going.

?They apparently couldn’t start it,? Bean said. ?I had to tell him four different times to push in the clutch, because it’s a standard transmission.?

If they couldn’t even crank the car, it sounds like they don’t have any business behind the wheel of a stick Corvette, huh?

Apparently, they decided to go elsewhere and look for easier pickin? – maybe an automatic Prius?

?My first thought was I guess we don’t have driver’s ed in school anymore because no one knows how to drive a stick,? Bean said. ?And my second thing was, don’t shoot me because you can’t start the car. I’m trying to help you out here.?

Bean took the incident in stride, but we do feel sorry for him since the crooks did take his wallet, phone, and house keys.

Maybe they could use the phone to call for some driving lessons.

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