Dogs ...and slippers

A dog's teeth won't bite until its jaws come together. It’s the same with the teeth in cars' gears.

If the dog has been enjoying chewing a slipper, its teeth have been grinding against it. (That's what chewing is). If you try to pull the slipper out, the dog stops chewing but it's stationary teeth are still gripping the slipper. It's hard to get it out.

That's what happens if your engine stalls. The teeth on the gear cogs stop moving, because the engine has stopped pushing them round. It's hard to move the gear lever back to neutral because the teeth are still gripping each other.

Push the clutch to make that easier … like opening the dog's jaws before sliding out your slipper.