Does it bug you when a writer makes a dumb car reference?

The media is so inept anymore I cant take anyone seriously. Having been involved in incidents at work in the past and then watching the report on TV it really makes you wonder how they can get things so horribly wrong so consistently.
Good writing isnt easy and easy writing isnt good. Its like Youtube owns the realm.
 
Just heard a good one today on Jalopnik.
It seems that Elizabeth B. wrote an article about her new (used) Firerbird. She is hoping to learn to drive a stick shift, which I'm sure many people don't know how to do today. Great, at least she is willing to learn. Kudos also to her not knowing how to check the oil, brake fluid level, and power steering fluid level, but willing to learn. OK, her husband, who is away, walked her though all those things, and they seemed to manage fine, except for the part about opening the brake fluid reservoir, but hey, they managed.
The part that bothered me was that her husband had her looking for a dipstick to check the transmission fluid.
OK, OK, I could be wrong here, but when was the last time you heard of a transmission dipstick UNDER THE HOOD to check the trans fluid level....ON A MANUAL TRANS CAR?
 
Just heard a good one today on Jalopnik.
It seems that Elizabeth B. wrote an article about her new (used) Firerbird. She is hoping to learn to drive a stick shift, which I'm sure many people don't know how to do today. Great, at least she is willing to learn. Kudos also to her not knowing how to check the oil, brake fluid level, and power steering fluid level, but willing to learn. OK, her husband, who is away, walked her though all those things, and they seemed to manage fine, except for the part about opening the brake fluid reservoir, but hey, they managed.
The part that bothered me was that her husband had her looking for a dipstick to check the transmission fluid.
OK, OK, I could be wrong here, but when was the last time you heard of a transmission dipstick UNDER THE HOOD to check the trans fluid level....ON A MANUAL TRANS CAR?
Last summer I told my neighbour about this w.r.t. his daughter's MT Honda, and he was astounded that the check method was so primitive.
 
It's not just cars. My degree in Journalism makes me point out everything wrong in the newspaper, and be pedantic over stuff like poisonous vs venomous ( big difference by the way.)
 
I remember when my friend and I went and saw the first Fast and Furious movie. We were cringing at all the dopey tech that they either created in their heads or got wrong. Neither of us ever saw another one.
I like it when they at least try to get it right. My favorite is Marissa Tomei in my cousin Vinny. Her character nailed it.
 
I remember when my friend and I went and saw the first Fast and Furious movie. We were cringing at all the dopey tech that they either created in their heads or got wrong. Neither of us ever saw another one.
I like it when they at least try to get it right. My favorite is Marissa Tomei in my cousin Vinny. Her character nailed it.
This thread really isn't about fantasy. I believe the OP is talking about actual tech writing. Writing that is meant for serious subjects. I can't imagine dissecting every cornball movie as if it's supposed to equal reality.

Last summer I told my neighbour about this w.r.t. his daughter's MT Honda, and he was astounded that the check method was so primitive.
I am amazed she owned a MT!
 
...... but when was the last time you heard of a transmission dipstick UNDER THE HOOD to check the trans fluid level....ON A MANUAL TRANS CAR?
Aren't there some that have a short stubby little dipstick that you unscrew from the case to check the level? Perhaps it might be more likely on a FWD than a RWD due to access issues. I might be mis-remembering, but for one of the old cars I owned, the stick-shift version of it had such an arrangement. I had the automatic version, so I never got to see one in person. I need to see if I still have the owner's manual.
 
Aren't there some that have a short stubby little dipstick that you unscrew from the case to check the level? Perhaps it might be more likely on a FWD than a RWD due to access issues. I might be mis-remembering, but for one of the old cars I owned, the stick-shift version of it had such an arrangement. I had the automatic version, so I never got to see one in person. I need to see if I still have the owner's manual.
Yes, my Cadillacs had them, but not only were they automatics, but both were front wheel drive. There may also be some on the transmission case of a manual, but not under the hood.
 
This thread really isn't about fantasy. I believe the OP is talking about actual tech writing. Writing that is meant for serious subjects. I can't imagine dissecting every cornball movie as if it's supposed to equal reality.


I am amazed she owned a MT!
I was referring to fiction (though not fantasy). With a novel, a good writer creates a believable world, which falls apart for me with an error such as a non-existent car.

Regarding the MT car, yes, I too was impressed. The car is an upscale Civic, branded as an Acura. Her dad recently traded his CVT Nissan for a MT Subaru, so they now have two MT cars in the driveway.
 
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