I was raised to acknowledge setting the parking brake as part of the procedure for parking a car, regardless of what transmission the vehicle was equpiied with. I was taught that it's a safety factor, and honestly believe that it's better to have two systems (the transmission in Park or 1st and the brake set) keeping your vehicle from rolling than it is to only have one; that way, if one fails for any reason, the other will still keep the vehicle from moving. Furthermore, if you use the parking brake on a regular basis, it keeps the system from freezing up, making it more likely to be effective if it becomes necessary to use the brake for emergency stopping.

And yet it seems like there are people who don't even know what that pedal on the far left (or that handle behind the gearshift lever) is there for. My girlfriend was one of these before I met her (I changed that real quick ). There are also people who think that setting the parking brake is an option to be done at their convenience. Why is this?

It'll be interesting to hear everyone's comments on this...and, if you never set it, why not? I've noticed that it seems like people who are driving company vehicles (LEO's especially) never touch the brake...

__________________
2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999