h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Once or twice I've had clutch problems - (broken clutch cable or bad throw-out bearing on the clutch fork if you want to know the details.) But of course you can still drive without a clutch... But try to navigate a way home avoiding stops. It helps to have a good starter motor and battery too, because basically you need to use the starter motor to pull you into motion in first gear. Then once you're moving you can change gear by pulling the gear into neutral and then matching the speed of the gears before pulling int into the desired gear. It takes some nerve and practice, but it's good to know that you can do it if you need to.

I had a clutch slave cylinder fail on me once... had to drive across town with no clutch. What a hassle... It was an 1988 Chevy with a starter lock-out switch on the clutch. (The clutch had to be fully depressed for the starter to work.)

Every traffic light involved a very awkward lurch as the starter pushed the car and the motor to an abrupt start.

Yes... it can be done. Doesn't matter if it's a cable or a hydraulic clutch. But, if your clutch does fail, make every effort to have it serviced immediately!

I had a slave cylinder fail once. It was, I am pretty certain, the first time I had ever driven a car on the road other than with a drifving instructor; it was certainly before I had passed my driving test. I had gone out with my dad for some practice in his old Mini van (later my first car) and when I tried to stop at a busy junction the clutch failed completely. Luckily nothing was coming! I managed to get back home by pumping the pedal.