Who says kids today aren't as smart as they used to be?! You mean to tell me that after probably THOUSANDS of hours of playing Grand Theft Auto, these Einsteins couldn't even drive a stick?! Pathetic.

Yes, Rob. That description makes me wonder why exactly he was stopped near them.

That does sound fishy. Usually not what you notice about a guy holding a gun on you and stealing your wallet

Sounds like another gay guy trying to hide it with marriage to a female. Come on out dude.

Most likely sarcasm

Really? Focusing on "handsome young men"? Not the fact that most young people can't drive a stick shift, and the take rate for manual transmissions in the US is well south of 10 percent?

I find it sad that most people I know under age 30 can't drive a manual

I can see why the driverless car is going to be popular. Wall-E, anyone?

"Handsome young men" that can probably pull off a twenty hour "special ops mission" on some online war game, but couldn't open a school bus door from the inside if it were on fire! Ha!

And Lokay, leaving in a smokey tire haze, and bubbling asphalt in third gear is FAR from gay. Sounds like someone has Blazer envy? Go Bowties!

"The only thing gayer than a Corvette is a Harley, and he probably has one at home."

Spoken like a true unich. How emasculated are you?

Mitch, let's just say he's probably holding a flush.

What the hell is a unich? Mitch, do you mean eunuch?

I wish that they the auto makers would bring back stick shifts/manual operation.

They are more efficient as far as wear and tear and they do use less gas.

I have an SUV, 21 gallon and I have a little ranger stick shift pick-up, 12 gallon and believe it or not although it cost less to fill the pick-up I get just about the same amount mileage out of both with full tanks.

The dumbshlts can't drive a stick, but I'll bet they're a whiz on the old iPad games. What a pathetic generation of useless losers!

What has this world come to..............now the beautiful people are committing crimes............it truly is the end. SARCASM

rtwngrsrchcknsht

Just another failure as a thief,poorly prepared and poorly executed thief .

Well-prepared thieves have a computer instead of a gun.

This sounds like something Virgil Starkwell would do

This is why Florida's school systems are ranked 48th in the nation

The Florida school system is actually ranked 5th in the nation. It only ranks 48th in teacher pay thanks to out TP governor... now he wants to add 2500 dollars to teacher's pay to move that rank up a couple of notches like teachers won't remember that he took away the money in the first place.....But he may be right since most Florida teachers are republicans and they elected him against their best interest in originally

The typical unfactual fact checker. I have live in Orlando since the 70's son and read the paper every day...

This made me laugh out loud.

It was an alligator wallet, she probably wrestled them for a living..

doctor jim59 -(His wife made his wallet? WTF? Did they meet at summer camp?)

With the cost of fine leather wallets running into the hundreds in most cases, his wife could have been handy enough to design one specifically to his tastes and needs,while saving great deal of money. There are leather supply stores which help one created gorgeous items of all types, from wallets to saddles.

I've no doubt this man really treasures what his wife created for him. As many people appreciate what loved ones have created for their needs.Even if they didn't look perfect like in a store or magazine. It;s the thought that counts.

Let's hope these two bungling thieves are caught soon, before they hurt somebody. Who knows, the unique nature of that wallet may be what helps catch them in the end.

She made it out of his scrotum the night before they wed.

Ban hands!

Ban idiots, starting with takenaka....

Make guns with stick shifts!

Dana, you beat me to it!

soon there will be drones in the sky that will track them and us. And u worried a gun?

Dana is Boss

They're mare too many of them, they're too easily available and a danger to society.

Ban Corvettes.

Mare to many of them lokay5? I guess that's where the horsepower comes from :)

If the driver had been armed with the gun in his hand and his finger on the trigger, this wouldn't have happened. May be kind of difficult to shift and steer also.

Yes, everybody should have a gun, finger on the trigger, safety off, ready to blow away the next SOB who cuts in line, looks too long at your girlfriend or fails to use a turn signal. Of course it's hard to drive a stick and still keep your gun primed, but maybe if you switch your cell phone to another appendage...

This story ended quite nicely, doncha think? The dimwits (aren't All Corvettes stick shift?) didn't hurt anybody and the car owner is alive, walletless, but alive. They shouldn't have had guns, and neither should he.

I was thinking the same thing...

Oh Florida. Oh Illinois. Oh New York. Oh New Jersey. Oh Michigan. Oh, Oh, Oh, California.

The Honda Accord is the number one stolen vehicle in the United States.

That's because you can start a 1994 Accord with a screwdriver.

All Hondas are automatics?

-Sam Adams

They make varieties of the Civic in manual don't know about Accord.

I think accord and above (all acuras) is the level where they stop offering manuals.

This was one of the advantages of driving a manual for 26+ years - I knew it would be less appealing to car thieves. Now if I want to drive a standard, I'm much more limited in the models available for purchase. Because I live in the Northeast, driving a standard is safer. It gives you much more control in bad weather. I have literally stopped my cars on ice without ever touching the brake, just downshifting to a stop. Automatics drive me crazy- they shift terribly inefficiently.

My Honda is an S2000 (manual is the only way they come) & yellow. I think this article has given me a false sense of security.

My Honda was a stick, too & the whole family loved it. 30 mpg around town and 39-40 on trips. Never had any problems with anyone trying to steal it. I guess if anybody did ever covet it, that piece of metal sticking out of the console put 'em off.

Sad to say, stupidity IS the reason we no longer have the car. All it took was one red light and one clown who believed he was talented enough to text and drive at the same time...

That makes SO much sense.

redondo you fit right in!

And your point is?

And New York City is the safest big city in the country, with some of the strictest gun-control laws.

How is this comment relevant?

Well, I guess Mike P and LI Mom are saying that it would be relatively safe to drive a Corvette with an automatic transmission in NYC, but if you're going to drive a Corvette in DC, makes sure it has a stick shift (???).

I laughed out loud. Thank you, from one granny to another. You and I probably learned either four on the floor or three on the tree. Of course, we'll probably need to explain that to the younger crowd, but that's okay, too.

I was trying to explain double clutching the other day. It didnt go well. ;)

Hated "three on the tree" - give me four (or five or six) on the floor any day.

yup, all of the above plus people who drive a stick tend to be much better drivers because it forces you to be much more aware of what you're doing on the road.

they are also way better to drive in the snow than an auto.

lot more fun to drive too.

Plus if you can text while driving one, you really rock!

plus they're cheaper. and more reliable.

What are you dummies smoking? Stick shift cars ride better? They're cheaper? More reliable?

My Porsche costs $105,000. So much for cheaper. More reliable? A new clutch in my car costs about $3,000. Only need to change tranny juice in the PDK tranny every 100,000 miles. Clutch will not last that long.

But it is nearly theft proof. Most would be carjackers have no idea where the ignition switch is

tackandcover- yes, stick shift cars are more reliable and cheaper than an auto. using the words "porsche" and "cheaper" in the same sentance is pretty silly. 3 grand for a new clutch? did that include a happy ending? in my last vehicle i replaced the clutch for a grand total of $225.00 including a new clutch and gear oil since i flushed the trans when i did the clutch. if i would have had a shop do it for me it would have been $700 more in labor. if you're handy with a socket set you can replace a clutch yourself, but even most mechanics cant rebuild an auto trans unless they have experience doing it.

if your clutch doesnt last past 100,000 miles you must really beat the crap out of your car when you drive it, or you slip it WAY too much. my last one lasted 230,000 miles.

I think we can all agree where you can "stick" the porsche tackandcover.

I agree american! If you burn out a clutch in 100,000 miles, buy an automatic because you don't know how to drive a stick.

Not only are you talking about a 100K porsche (which if it comes in an automatic would probably be more expensive than that), but it also happens to be a German 100K car, and German cars are easily the most expensive to work on. They require all sorts of specialized tools that American and Japanese don't. Let me tell you, I worked on my sister's VW and that was a huge hassle, had to go out and buy a special tool for doing the brakes, and another one for removing the oil filter. Crazy Germans.

Also, I agree that $3000 is excessive for a clutch, you should probably have done it yourself, but if you have $105,000 to spend on a car, why would you be surprised when they gouge you for another $3000 to do a clutch? Also, for that kind of money I would have bought the GT-R. I'm loyal to Nissan myself, but the GT-R is clearly the best bang for the buck on the road.

The cheaper angle is obsolete. For normal drivers, the automatic does a better job. Manuals are definitely more fun though.

Even if you considered economy equal there is still the matter of long term costs. Repairs and maintenance are less on a standard. Automatic just has more parts and wears down quicker. I wouldn't quite say ATs are equal to a MT, but they are certainly closer than they used to be.

CVTs however, do for the most part match a standard in economy, but break even easier than an automatic.

All but impossible to shift, steer and talk on a phone for me, let alone text!! Ha! Had a standard for the last 30 years now and would not even consider anything else. Fuel efficiency, more power, handles better (esp. in the snow) and when I read stories like this from time to time I am reminded how many fewer people (criminals in this case) know what a standard is let alone how to operate one. Guy at the dealership thought I was crazy when standard was number one on my list of things I wanted in my first, and only new car. He had exactly ONE on the lot, and it's been in my driveway ever since.

I had the same issue when I was looking for my truck. Amazing how hard it was to find a mid-size pickup with a standard transmission. After three days of looking, I found two trucks with MTs, a 1995 Ford Ranger and a 2007 Dodge Ram. I don't think I will every buy a car with an automatic transmission again, I just don't like the way they drive.

If you have to rent a car outside of North America you're likely to find out real fast how important it is to be fluent in stick shift. One of my prize memories is being at an Avis facility in France and hearing another American voice from the other side of the lot - "Oh my God Lucille, every one of them has a stick! What are we gonna do?"

I asked the agent how many speeds my rental had, got in, and drove off. No idea what happened to the other guy. Maybe they found him some luxury model at twice the price ;)

Not if I were the driver.

Forget banning guns.

Ain't gonna happen.

Viewer_Ready

I was thinking the same thing. I carry concealed and if they had jacked me there would be a different ending to this story.

Ok, somebody tell me how dead I would be. Prove you don't know jack about me or my capability to handle a firearm.

Ban unrelated comments, pusher.

So Okeeboy some guy pulls a cocked, loaded gun on you as you text. You sitting in a Vette, I want to see you get the drop on them.

Okeeboy. Another legend in his own mind. But of course he is safe. No one wants to jack a Dodge minivan

You are missing VR's and Okeeboy's point. They both probably know what and who are around them and don't let themselves get into a situation like this in the first place.

Stonepipe2 you restore my faith after reading the two comments above yours.

First, I don't text. Ever. And a Dodge mini van? really?

See, I told you there would be those that know absolutely nothing about me, yet the are happy to tell the world that they do.

For the record: 20 year combat veteran, trained to kill. Expert marksmanship with .45 cal pistol and M16 assault rifle. 7 years in law enforcement. Proficient in hand-to-hand combat.

Now come sneak up on me while I sit in my Dodge mini van texting like a teenager.

Spot On Okeeboy!

Welcome Home, Brother!

Thanks Jack. Good to know there is still hope for America despite some of it's citizens.

Nevermind.

Yeah and a time when you could hang someone for being black or Chinese. You could beat your wife to death and people would feel sorry for you for having married badly. So what was the point of your statement other than to point out that you've seen to many Clint Eastwood movies or that you missed the one where he was hanged by a bunch of morons who mistakenly blamed him for murder and stealing cattle.

You want to be a rough tough cowboy? Get a horse.

How many horses were under the hood?

Hpw many horses have a stick..er, nevermind...

Only the stallions.

I remember if you wanted an automatic transmission for your new car you had to order it, at an extra cost of course !

It wouldn't surprise me if it was the other way around now.

It is. I had to wait an extra month for my car from the factory because I wanted a stick. It was still cheaper, but the salesman couldn't believe I wanted a stick and not an automatic.

Manuals are also popular bait and switch cars at dealerships now. Sucks you in then you discover its a manual......

The car is already steel.

Dana-

No its not...its a corvette (fiberglass)

I think Darwin would have spelled it "effect" and "steal" and he didn't even have the benefit of a spell-checker.

Once again, it's the victim who is being blamed and at fault. Why don't we just punish car thieves instead? We've got to change the way we think.

The wonderful thing about being old(er), I can drive virtually anything--this includes big rigs, a tank (once), motorcycles, and even a train (once), just to name a few. Experiences such as these can be fun (and legal). Too bad crooks ruin it for so many.

I hope they catch these dweebs. We certainly don't need anymore thieves on the streets.

Another clown who thinks guns are the answer to whatever the question is.

Good point, Kevin. I stand corrected.

Not to mention you won't have to be a victim. Rememeber when having a gun, being on the porch and cleaning it, when the boyfriend came over, was EXPECTED. It sent a clear message..... and it was typically recieved loud and clear!

Still waiting for the better answer to guns though.....superior force will always win.... so unless you are ok always being the victim, and working hard to have anything you EARNED stolen or "redistributed".... there is no better answer.

And don't say the police. Rarely do the police stop a crime in commission, but are responders after the fact (after you have been robbed, stabbed, raped, or whatever). They are sorely underfunded, under manned, and their big revenue generators are all the traffic violators they catch. Not any fault of the police individuals, but of all the lawyers that have decided criminals rights trump anyone elses, making the police ineffective in their jobs for PROTECTING.... and not just responding.

" I was driving an '86 LeSabre, and while it wasn't stick shift, it didn't have fuel injection."

Oh yes it did.