Seattle car thieves left keys in ignition and ran away because they couldn't drive manual
- Fewer US drivers are learning to drive manual transmission
- That’s why would-be car thieves in Seattle, America, were forced to flee
- They were unable to get to grips with the stick shift
Published on Jul 16, 2024 at 2:23 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jul 16, 2024 at 7:05 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
With fewer and fewer US drivers learning to drive manual transmission, thieves in Seattle, America, were forced to flee when they were enable to get to grips with the stick shift.
The three teenage would-be carjackers left the keys in the ignition and ran away.
And the car owner was able to have the last laugh.
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The thieves were foiled by manual transmission
Back in 2014, 70-year-old Seattle motorist Nancy Frederickson had gone to the car park to grab something from her trunk.
Three would-be teenage thieves held her at gunpoint demanding her keys.
“I thought it was a joke,” Ms Frederickson said to Komo4TV.
However, after handing them over she was pleased to have the last laugh when they were stumped by the car’s manual.
“I got a five-speed in there, and they couldn’t figure out how to get it going,” Fredrickson said.
She stood and watched the wayward youths try – and fail – to get the manual vehicle started.
The three boys then abandoned the keys in the ignition and fled on foot – and there’s CCTV evidence to back up Ms Frederickson’s incredible story.
While she could see the funny side after the fact and is actually a black belt in martial arts, Ms Frederickson admits that she was initially upset and shaken when she first spoke to the cops.
“You learn that if someone is trying, the best thing you can do is be still. And it’s not easy for me to be still at times, but in that situation yes,” she said.
“It was quite an interesting day. Let’s put it that way.”
‘Stick’ vs automatic cars in the US
So why the confusion?
Only around 1 percent of new cars sold in the U.S. came with three pedals and a stick shift.
As a result, an estimated 97 percent of Americans drive automatic vehicles.
And even more car drivers in America are predicted to go automatic.
In fact, many US drivers seem ‘baffled’ by how a stick shift actually works.
These aren’t the first unfortunate car thieves.
Some unfortunate thieves stalled a Porsche twice and were forced to give up because they couldn’t drive a manual.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
