OK talk to me about stupid flappy handbrakes?

[lorca]

I'm looking to buy a new (to me) car - I'm looking at 2016 ish models.
I test drove one yesterday which had a little flap for the handbrake. Apparently you push it down to turn handbrake on - but then what? The salesman said tap the brake pedal and the handbrake goes off.

Luckily I didn't have to do a hill-start - how does that work? I usually hold the car on the clutch/accelerator bite point (and release the handbrake handle) - I haven't got 3 feet to be tapping the brake pedal too?

Apparently all newer cars have this flappy thing.

Hired one of those.... smashed into a small hill
Never again!
I have a van with an actual hand brake
Lovely 😊

My last three cars (so for around 10 years) have had electric parking breaks. I love them! My first one to be put on but released automatically if in gear and accelerator depressed. Next one put it itself on if you pressed the brake and put car into neutral. Current one is an automatic gearbox and the parking break applies itself when you bring car to a standstill. I love it. Hill starts are an absolute breeze.

The car does everything for you. Just drive as normal and the handbrake holds for you on hill starts just to clarify - is this a Manual gearbox? I won't be driving an automatic (which I think makes it impossible to roll back anyway) it's a manual.
So is the electronic handbrake 'on' all the time in case of a hill start? I've also been told by a garage that you have '5 seconds' after tapping the brakepedal to get your foot from the brake to the accelerator...?

I have driven manual and automatic VW Golfs with an electronic handbrake. With both I could switch the handbrake to default “on” unless driving.

Thanks - I get that. What I mean is, is the Handbrake 'on' all the time (when Driving) and only comes into use when faced with a Hill start?

That are great until your battery dies and your car is on a hill

I wonder if this stupid idea has come in because of shit driving and zero mechanical sympathy ? People who 'wrench' the handbrake on ( no, you pull it up with the button pushed in) ride the clutch or hold the car on the clutch in a hill start.

Kids should not be able to touch the brake when the car is being driven. If you leave them in the car,leave it in gear. And as someone else on here didn't know the other day, put on the child locks until they reach the age of trust. Stops them flinging doors open.

All that is needed has been around for decades.