Manual | Pad Patter 9.8

[IntenseMagic]

I just had this image pop up in my FB feed

and I saw something that said only 18% of Americans can drive a manual transmission vehicle. That's hard for me to believe because just about everyone I know (around my age anyway) can drive a manual/stick shift. My oldest son can drive one, but my daughter cannot.

So, inquiring minds want to know...can you drive a manual?

I actually prefer a manual transmission over an automatic. When my dad was teaching me to drive one, he took me out on a steep hill, put me in the driver's seat, and said "now, go". It didn't go so well and I basically taught myself how to do it in a flatter area!

 

[umyesh]

I am happy to say I can! My dad made me drive one to work as a teenager and I HATED it so I didn't drive one again until my husband bought one. I had to learn all over again and I was terrible for awhile but now it's the car I prefer to drive because it's small and easy to park anywhere. I want my kids to learn how to drive one too so hopefully the one we have lasts that long.

 

[amien1]

My first car was a manual. My dad said I had to be able to drive anything to get myself out of a bad situation if I ever needed! It was probably the easiest manual ever- you could look at the clutch & shift! I really like manuals still to this day- they are fun to drive- but just not an option with electric motors (Hubby has one & my next new car will be an electric vehicle.)

 

[HavaDrPepper]

I never learned. The vehicles that I used when first driving were all automatic. Only Dad's pickup was manual and he wouldn't let me drive it. Mom couldn't drive it either.

However, I did test drive a manual transmission car once in my late 20's and when I got out of the car, I could hardly walk. I had injured my left knee twice in my teenage years and have osteoarthritis in it. It got swollen from having to use the clutch. So ended my experience driving manual transmission vehicles.

 

[cookingmylife]

Yep, I have a manual and have loved it until recently. My 2002 VW Golf is a 5 speed manual, diesel and it has been a wonderful workhorse. But...I'm finding that when I'm in heavy traffic, and it's stop and go for long periods of time, my 'new' knee aches as does my right arm. I never thought I'd go to an automatic - only had a VW Bug for a couple months until my new husband traded it in for a manual while I was having our first son! I never learned to drive a manual until about 15 years later when a friend taught me in Malawi. No traffic and barely any roads there...lol.

I may be in the market for a new VW Golf this fall and yes ...sigh...automatic.

 

[StefanieS]

Only ever had and driven manuals.
Not even sure I could drive an automatic.
Hubby makes the transition from the right hand side to the left hand side of the road and cars, and he can do both manual and automatic.

 

[IntenseMagic]

I am happy to say I can! My dad made me drive one to work as a teenager and I HATED it so I didn't drive one again until my husband bought one. I had to learn all over again and I was terrible for awhile but now it's the car I prefer to drive because it's small and easy to park anywhere. I want my kids to learn how to drive one too so hopefully the one we have lasts that long.

I feel like I've failed as a parent because I didn't make my daughter learn how to drive one lol. I already told the youngest that he will learn.

My first car was a manual. My dad said I had to be able to drive anything to get myself out of a bad situation if I ever needed! It was probably the easiest manual ever- you could look at the clutch & shift! I really like manuals still to this day- they are fun to drive- but just not an option with electric motors (Hubby has one & my next new car will be an electric vehicle.)

Hmm never even thought about it not being available on electric motors. Makes sense I guess. But they are so fun to drive!

I never learned. The vehicles that I used when first driving were all automatic. Only Dad's pickup was manual and he wouldn't let me drive it. Mom couldn't drive it either.

However, I did test drive a manual transmission car once in my late 20's and when I got out of the car, I could hardly walk. I had injured my left knee twice in my teenage years and have osteoarthritis in it. It got swollen from having to use the clutch. So ended my experience driving manual transmission vehicles.

My mom quit driving a manual when she started having trouble with her knees (rheumatoid arthritis) and she was super sad about it. She always drove a VW Bug and had to get rid of her baby.

Yep, I have a manual and have loved it until recently. My 2002 VW Golf is a 5 speed manual, diesel and it has been a wonderful workhorse. But...I'm finding that when I'm in heavy traffic, and it's stop and go for long periods of time, my 'new' knee aches as does my right arm. I never thought I'd go to an automatic - only had a VW Bug for a couple months until my new husband traded it in for a manual while I was having our first son! I never learned to drive a manual until about 15 years later when a friend taught me in Malawi. No traffic and barely any roads there...lol.

I may be in the market for a new VW Golf this fall and yes ...sigh...automatic.

My mom always had a VW, mostly Bugs and drove a manual most of her life. She was super sad to give it up when her knees got bad. To this day she drives with her left foot on the brake because she says she can't get out of the habit of using that foot for the clutch. I learned to drive one in a cemetery lol Not much traffic there, either Good luck with the car shopping!

Only ever had and driven manuals.
Not even sure I could drive an automatic.
Hubby makes the transition from the right hand side to the left hand side of the road and cars, and he can do both manual and automatic.

I still hold the shifter in my automatic because it's habit and I like to feel like I'm doing something lol.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

That's what I learned to drive on - my grandfather, who provided me with my first car, said everybody should know how to drive a manual. It's come in handy several different times since.

 

[IntenseMagic]

That's what I learned to drive on - my grandfather, who provided me with my first car, said everybody should know how to drive a manual. It's come in handy several different times since.

I agree. I think everyone should know how! It came in really handy for me when I got a job at a car wash during summers in college. We had to pull the cars out after they came through the machine and I was one of the very few who could actually drive anything that came out of there. Others would get in, see it was a manual, and then have to yell for me or someone else to come and pull it out.

 

[Tree City]

When I first met DH, he was driving a manual truck. Like others have mentioned, he thought that everyone should know how. He was aghast that I didn't know how to drive manual, so he took me to the small cluster of like 4 cul-de-sacs behind my parents' home and said "We're going to teach you." That lasted until the first stop sign on a teeny, tiny bit of a hill... where we had to wave a guy around us because I could NOT get the stupid truck from "stop" to "over the hill." I was so worried I'd either floor it and hit the house across from the T-intersection or roll backwards and hit something behind me (car, person, biker, etc). He said "Okay, never mind. We're done." He's never tried again.

 

[IntenseMagic]

When I first met DH, he was driving a manual truck. Like others have mentioned, he thought that everyone should know how. He was aghast that I didn't know how to drive manual, so he took me to the small cluster of like 4 cul-de-sacs behind my parents' home and said "We're going to teach you." That lasted until the first stop sign on a teeny, tiny bit of a hill... where we had to wave a guy around us because I could NOT get the stupid truck from "stop" to "over the hill." I was so worried I'd either floor it and hit the house across from the T-intersection or roll backwards and hit something behind me (car, person, biker, etc). He said "Okay, never mind. We're done." He's never tried again.

Hahaha my dad had a similar reaction, which is why I ended up teaching myself . Hills are not so fun, especially when someone gets right up on your bumper when you need to pull out. There are certain places around here I will not go (anywhere there's a traffic light at the top of a hill) in a manual for that reason.

 

[Iowan]

The Seattle hills cured me of driving manual transmissions. I was taking my life, as well as those in cars behind me, in jeopardy. Add a sprinkling of rain, yikes, no way. We taught both of our daughters on manual transmissions, a good skill to have!

 

[IntenseMagic]

The Seattle hills cured me of driving manual transmissions. I was taking my life, as well as those in cars behind me, in jeopardy. Add a sprinkling of rain, yikes, no way. We taught both of our daughters on manual transmissions, a good skill to have!

I totally get it! I don't mind driving on the mountains and hills, but I don't like to get stopped on them! You can burn out a clutch really quick, too. I agree, it's a good skill to have.

 

[staciahall]

My grandfather owned an automatic transmission repair shop so it's funny that I had probably 5 or so manual transmissions growing up. Somehow he always ended up with cars with broken transmissions that he fixed up and then gave to me. I probably haven't driven one in 15 years but I'm sure I could if necessary. My son in law just bought a manual (and had to learn to drive it) so I'm guessing my daughter has at least tried it. I'm pretty sure my son has never driven one.

 

[bestcee]

Pretty sure the parental units of my friend group in high school would be appalled to learn that we all learned to drive manual. Why? Because there was 1 of 2 cars we used, and yes, both had to have the clutches replaced!
My boyfriend taught me on his car. But the clutch(?) was so loose, you didn't have to be great at shifting and clutching at the same time. Halfway was good enough for that car!
Now, my other friends car you had to be much better. Which considering we started on car A and "graduated" to car B might explain the clutch replacement!

Totally honest? I learned the basics of how to drive a manual in one of these:

Yep! Farm girl all the way! The car was different though, so it was like learning it all over again.

 

[IntenseMagic]

My grandfather owned an automatic transmission repair shop so it's funny that I had probably 5 or so manual transmissions growing up. Somehow he always ended up with cars with broken transmissions that he fixed up and then gave to me. I probably haven't driven one in 15 years but I'm sure I could if necessary. My son in law just bought a manual (and had to learn to drive it) so I'm guessing my daughter has at least tried it. I'm pretty sure my son has never driven one.

It had been probably 10 years or so since I had driven one, then my DH bought a truck for winter driving last year that's a manual. I was a little nervous the first time I drove it, but it all comes back to you.

Pretty sure the parental units of my friend group in high school would be appalled to learn that we all learned to drive manual. Why? Because there was 1 of 2 cars we used, and yes, both had to have the clutches replaced!
My boyfriend taught me on his car. But the clutch(?) was so loose, you didn't have to be great at shifting and clutching at the same time. Halfway was good enough for that car!
Now, my other friends car you had to be much better. Which considering we started on car A and "graduated" to car B might explain the clutch replacement!

Totally honest? I learned the basics of how to drive a manual in one of these:

Yep! Farm girl all the way! The car was different though, so it was like learning it all over again.

Ohhh I Bobcats! My dad owned a construction company, so we were always around the equipment. Bobcats were my favorite .

 

[cfile]

When I bought my 1983 Nissan Sentra it was a manual and I couldn't drive it out of the showroom. My Dad had to drive it home and then my brother gave me lessons to learn how to drive it, in the local church parking lot before going out on the road.. I laughed as I almost gave him whiplash one time with the bucking as I forgot to push on the clutch LOL I picked the car up on Friday and I used the weekend to learn.. then on Monday morning to get on to the parkway so I wouldn't get run over my father drove behind me to allow me to get onto the parkway.. after that i was good to go. I got rid of that car in 1996 but if I had to I could drive a manual again. I do prefer automatic especially as I am getting older

 

[cfile]

I actually prefer a manual transmission over an automatic. When my dad was teaching me to drive one, he took me out on a steep hill, put me in the driver's seat, and said "now, go". It didn't go so well and I basically taught myself how to do it in a flatter area!

Oh the steep hills.. LOL the scare of possibly rolling backwards.. I do say you have more control in a manual and I did love it when I drove it, but yup I remember the hills

 

[IntenseMagic]

When I bought my 1983 Nissan Sentra it was a manual and I couldn't drive it out of the showroom. My Dad had to drive it home and then my brother gave me lessons to learn how to drive it, in the local church parking lot before going out on the road.. I laughed as I almost gave him whiplash one time with the bucking as I forgot to push on the clutch LOL I picked the car up on Friday and I used the weekend to learn.. then on Monday morning to get on to the parkway so I wouldn't get run over my father drove behind me to allow me to get onto the parkway.. after that i was good to go. I got rid of that car in 1996 but if I had to I could drive a manual again. I do prefer automatic especially as I am getting older

Same here. I bought a 1985 Pontiac Fiero that I couldn't drive and my dad brought it home for me. We lived in the middle of a big cemetery, so I learned on those roads.

 

[IntenseMagic]

Oh the steep hills.. LOL the scare of possibly rolling backwards.. I do say you have more control in a manual and I did love it when I drove it, but yup I remember the hills

Yep, we have a few places in town where there are traffic lights at the top of a hill and I avoid those if I possibly can. I can do it, it's just the cars behind you like to get right up on your bumper and I need a little bit of roll room lol. I try to remember that when I get behind cars on hills and leave them a little room, just in case.