3 Pedals: Can you REALLY drive??

Hi folks,

It's funny how some parents could care less about their children knowing some really important things, ie. survival skills. Learning to swim for example. Learning to drive is another example.

Maybe you even heard someone say "Why bother to learn a stick-shift? Who needs that, anyway??" Most Americans would agree with that attitude.

That's all fine and dandy until you get ready to TRAVEL OVERSEAS! That's right: In Europe many of the rental cars will be manual shift and you will be screwed if you don't have the skills to cope. Sometimes that's all the rental agency will have.

You also might find yourself in an emergency, using a stranger's vehicle, and that's all they have.

Anyway, here's a funny story to read, and you can also take a poll if you like.

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Caution: Student Driver
Can I learn how to drive a stick shift?

By Emily Yoffe
Updated Monday, Oct. 24, 2005, at 8:49 AM PT

The large sign on the back of my white Chevy Cavalier read, "Student Driver." I discovered that, perversely, this was as alluring as a shiny set of whips and chains to the many sadomasochists on the road. Drivers loved to get right behind my bumper as if we were in a funeral cortege then honk maniacally when I stalled—which I did an average of four times per intersection.

Yes, I know how to drive. I've been driving for 30 years, and I have an impeccable driving record. This is not because I'm a good driver, but because I'm such a lousy driver that I try to drive as little as possible. I would rather read a book titled The Collected Letters of Harriet Miers than merge onto a highway. But what I don't know how to do is drive a stick shift, so I went out on the road with my instructor, Bill Barnes, to learn. And it turned out that this was my first Human Guinea Pig in which dying, not just humiliating myself, was a possibility.

Mastering a stick shift has joined the list of disappearing milestones that once marked every young person's march to adulthood, like learning the foxtrot, or getting your first set of monogrammed handkerchiefs. Even if you want to learn to drive a stick shift these days, it's not easy to do. I called about a dozen local driving schools and only two offered courses on manual transmission. Why should they? About 90 percent of vehicles sold in the United States are automatics.

At our first meeting, Barnes placed me behind the wheel and offered this cheery introduction: "Last year a driving instructor and two students were killed. Don't think the risk factor is zero." Then he assured me that in only a few hours I would not only master manual transmission, I would find driving it fun....

[continued] http://www.slate.com/id/2128407/

My first car was a stick (VW bug). After it got destroyed in a crash (fault of other driver who was driving an automatic station wagon), I have since driven automatic vehicles (small pickup truck followed by the Honda Accord I have now). I just find automatic easier to use in heavy urban traffic--negotiating this with a stick is like rowing a boat!

I could pick up stick shift driving again pretty quickly. I'd just need to practice a bit and get the feeling back, using streets with low traffic because I'm sure I'd kill the engine a couple times before catching on.

Since the poll was for Americans (US persons) I did not vote, but I can see that here in Panama less and less people, specially women, know how to drive stick shift. My first 3 cars were manual transmission. They are a pain in heavy traffic. But if your battery runs dry, you can start it by rolling it. This you cannot do with an automatic car.

I am a stick shift driver. Both my cars are sticks. I learned to drive in a 1979 MGB, four speed manual. If you can drive an MG, you can drive ANYTHING. The clutch is VERY finicky. LOL. I've owned three automatics in my life and hated them all. It wasn't driving. I had to fight for four days to get my Xterra in a stick.

The difference between the two is huge, in my humble opin.

Both my children will learn to drive in a stick shift car. I've taught two adults how, as well. I never plan on OWNING a non-stick shift automobile again... ever. And I drive in very, very urban bumper to bumper traffic quite often... no way would I give up my clutch foot again. I love the control over the vehicle. I love the downshifting. I love the feel of a manual trannie...

Automatics get you from point A to point B. Sticks are DRIVING. In the same way that a 1942 Piper Cub J3 is FLYING and taking a jet is like taking a bus with wings... you don't get any of that one with the vehicle kind of sensation... adventure... or thrill!!

~phos

Being from Europe, I always drove a stick shift. I have been living in the US for ten years now and have been very surprised at how many young folks don't know how to drive a stick shift. I had to teach my YM :)

I had my license in the U.S. when I was 16 and only drove automatic for a fw years and had to change to stick shift later on.

Now I only feel comfortable with a tick shift and each time I drive an automatic I can't help but use both feet, one for the accelerator and the other for the break :eek: dangerous. So I have to sit on the other foot ant it gets numb. Awful

LOL Loucine....I thought I was bad with automatics - but at least I don't have to sit on my foot.

I've always driven standard, well except for the truck I learn't to drive on. It was an old Chevy, and the only way to keep it from stalling was to always keep one foot on the gas so I'd have to use my clutch foot if I wanted to brake.

The only other automatics I drive are fire trucks, but it's so different than driving a car anyhow, that I adjust to it fairly quickly.

I too like the feel of a manual tranny, I like the control and I like being able to roll-start a vehicle. I drove a car for months that had a shot battery or alternator by just rolling it. I got so good at it I could start in reverse! :D

I learned how to drive a stick as a teen and I can still do it. My current vehicle is a stick, I love to shift. ;)

I learned how to drive a stick as a teen and I can still do it. My current vehicle is a stick, I love to shift. ;)

Ditto, 1love. :) My wife, however, has moved into auto-land.

Like LADAve, I first learned on a little VW Bug.

funny story! me completely ;)

I'll only have a standard transmission.

Funny, most of the people who responded are stick-shift people. The rest must fall into that "I could care less,"option.

I learned on a Chevy Nova, friend's car; then moved to my VW Bug.

When I took defensive driving...the only cars my parents had were both stick shift. Plus my dad wanted me to learn in case I was ever in a situation where I need to have this knowledge.

I drive automatics...I hate stick shift...but my little sister loves to drive stick. I can do it...I just prefer not to. I'm a little rusty. But its like riding a bike...it never leaves you.

Nadine.

When I took defensive driving...the only cars my parents had were both stick shift. Plus my dad wanted me to learn in case I was ever in a situation where I need to have this knowledge....

Smart approach, in my opinion. It's like learning how to swim. You never know when it will be urgently needed.

BTW, how come people who don't know sticks are not admitting it in the poll? Have we made them feel bad somehow?? :p

Believe it or not...It has come in handy. I had a friend who was too drunk to drive...and I was the only sober person in the car who knew how to drive stick. I was never more thankful for that knowledge than that night.

I'm not sure about the non stick drivers....maybe they're all out there trying to learn now! :D

Nadine.

I drive a stick shift BMW convertible. The control you have over a stick shift car is the neat part of driving.

My youngest daughter learned how to drive using a manual transmission. The person who taught her to drive said he wouldn't teach her unless she learned how to drive a manual transmission. She still drives one now, three years later. All the cars in my home were manual transmission.

One of the benefits of having young people like her drive stick shift as they learn, is that they do learn how to control the car more closely and have to pay attention more at first. Also, most of their friends don't know how to drive stick so they can't drive their cars, either.

It's a skill that people should know, IMHO.

Drove one a few years back ONCE.. LOL it was my late boyfriends he was teaching me... I HATED IT.. to much work I'd rather pay the extra 500 bucks or so for automatic!!

Although I'm not an American,I do want to reply.

We learn how to drive a stick.That's just the way it is in Holland.Most cars are just that way.

You can buy an automatic car but for me it takes the fun out of driving.But that's just because I'm used to doing it all ;)

Additionally, in some countries it means driving on the left side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right side of the car. My American Wife was a little apprehensive of the idea, but picked it up very quickly.

My reason for learning to drive a stick shift was cuz as a little kid I always wanted to be a F1/Le Mans racecar driver (or Annie Oakley) - I knew I had to learn to drive a stick "just in case"........so voila - now all of my cars (and my new Nissan Frontier) are stick - and 2 of the 3 sports cars are stick shift except for one of the M3 beemers, which has a SMG transmission and shifts entirely different (for those ppl who know what that means.)

I have three new "auto" goals - 1.) to happily wind out all six gears of sumthin' fast on the Autobahn. 2.) To visit any country where I can drive on the wrong side of the road - with the wheel on the wrong side of the car...in crazy traffic....cuz that's gotta be a rush!....just seems so "right" cuz it's all so "wrong".... :D 3. Suffice to say goal #3 shall remain my secret - but I did kick its tires yesterday - :p - and yea...it's definately got a stickshift.

Stick shift trivia of note (feel free to use it at your next ****tail soiree or golf outting... :rolleyes: : Mercedes is planning to phase out stick shifts entirely on their passenger cars they are going AMG.

Hi Gang,

If its not too late,would like to add my .2cents.
Both my trucks are automatics.Ones a 3sp heavy duty(C-6),and the other is a 4sp with lock-up(AOD).Yes I do drive with both feet.

LOL,even my 4-wheeler is a automatic.Has dual ranges,low range for hard pulling(tops out at about 10mph)and high range for all out(been clocked at 55mph).It not realy a automatic pre-say...it's realy called a CV-T.CV-T means Continual Varible Transmisson,or as they call the'res a PV-T...Polaris Variable Transmisson.Its quite,interesting to watch work.If anyone is interested,will xplain basicly how it works.It realy quite simple,but well thought out design and well proven.


The Shadow