Driving with a Sporran on

[Riverkilt]

I'm an old geezer. Was tought to drive by my father, an old fighter pilot in War 2 and a traveling salesman with lots of highway time.

At age 55 I wound up with the Phoenix Fire Dept riding their crisis wagons. Part of the training was to be taught how to drive THEIR way.

I loved it. Learned lots I'd never known.

Key is driving with my hands on the bottom of the steering wheel, in my lap, and spinning the wheel from hand to hand to make turns, while the hands stay down in my lap.

This was for their 9 passenger vans, not for fire trucks.

Anyway it worked so well its become the way I drive without thinking about it for the past 6 years.

I'm finding that when I wear my sporran while I'm driving my hands frequently bump into the sporran, or even hang up on it.

Guess I could pull the sporran to one side when I drive.

Anyone else out there get what I'm talking about? Hosehead? Any other fire/police/emergency types taught to drive like that and have a similar problem with their sporran?

Ron

[CameronTaylor]

I too slide mine to the left, it makes it easier with the seat belt as well.
My friend Chris plays drums with his slid the same way.



CT - can you kilt me now? good.

[Southern Breeze]

I've never really thought about it or had any problems.I just push it to the side. The only trouble I've ran into is operating a skid-loader,the restraint bar comes down on top of where my sporran lies.

[GlassMan]

I spent 5 years in two different fire departments and by my time, even the ambulances had been upgraded to full Class B truck chassis so the steering wheel is horizontal to the body. And turning that wheel usually involved a whole body motion because it was so big and those things handle like a barge.

But, since the advent of airbags, it is now recommended that you keep your hands at the 7 o'clock & 4 o'clock positions instead of at 10 & 2. The reason? If you are in an accident with your hands at 10 & 2 and your airbag deploys it frequently breaks both of your forearms. Since airbags deploy up towards your face hands held at the lower position usually doesn't result in the same injury.

Yet, even knowing that I find that I usually wind up at the old familiar position.

[bubba]

I just slide my sporran to the left. No problem.

[Avonlea22]

Unless I have a Super Big Gulp between my legs, my sporran stays right where it's meant to be.

[Blu (Ontario)]

I just slide my sporran to the left. No problem.

Ahhhh..... southpaw, ehhh?? I prefer the right side. (When I wear a sporran that is.)

[prattw]

I spent 5 years in two different fire departments and by my time, even the ambulances had been upgraded to full Class B truck chassis so the steering wheel is horizontal to the body. And turning that wheel usually involved a whole body motion because it was so big and those things handle like a barge.

But, since the advent of airbags, it is now recommended that you keep your hands at the 7 o'clock & 4 o'clock positions instead of at 10 & 2. The reason? If you are in an accident with your hands at 10 & 2 and your airbag deploys it frequently breaks both of your forearms. Since airbags deploy up towards your face hands held at the lower position usually doesn't result in the same injury.

Yet, even knowing that I find that I usually wind up at the old familiar position.

I was taught to drive, by my highschool driving instructor in 1960, with my hands in the 9 or 10 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions for control and my thumbs out of the wheel, tucked alongside the forefinger, to keep them in the event of the wheel whipping in an accident. Later lessons in military offroad driving reinforced the bit about the thumbs. That's a good idea about the airbag, I'll try to move my left hand to the 7 or 8 position.

Thumbs out of the wheel sounds awkward, but actually you have quite a good grip with the thumb pressed firmly against the wheel. Even though my hands wouldn't often hit my sporran, I always slide it to the left side, since it interferes with the lap belt.

Will Pratt

[Hosehead]

At age 55 I wound up with the Phoenix Fire Dept riding their crisis wagons. Part of the training was to be taught how to drive THEIR way.

Key is driving with my hands on the bottom of the steering wheel, in my lap, and spinning the wheel from hand to hand to make turns, while the hands stay down in my lap.

Anyone else out there get what I'm talking about? Hosehead? Any other fire/police/emergency types taught to drive like that and have a similar problem with their sporran?

Ron

Ron,

That does not surprise me at all about PFD, since Chief Brunacini has always done things a little differently (and as a result, we have all learned from him how to do our job better and more safely). I started driving in EMS before the fire service and everyone seemed to have their own little way of doing things. I cannot say that I was ever taught that way, but I have used it at times. It is a useful technique when in a parade or a long straight road, for example. I will have to give it a shot.