Stick Shift

[Face&Head]

I got my driver's license in 1967, a year after I started shaving regularly. My dad handed off his four year old Karmann Ghia to me, which remains a handsome car to this day although wrapped around a decidedly weak VW Bug chassis and drive-train (even for then). In the intervening 45 years I've never owned a car with an automatic transmission that was my daily driver (former spouse had an auto). Both my son and daughter (now 20 & 22) learned to drive on a stick. So last night I pulled into a restaurant parking lot that requires valet parking (I much prefer to park myself) and hand my keys over and start to walk inside when the attendant tells me he can't drive the car. Apparently there's only one guy on their staff who can and he was off that night. Again, I prefer to park myself but was more than a bit sad that this seems to be a disappearing skill. My daughter loves rowing her own on the hot little WRX hatch she drives so I'm surprised the younger generations don't have more interest. Love to hear from younger members about their preferences.

[drocu]

I originally learned to drive an automatic. Shortly after getting my license, I switched to another used car that was stick; I purposely chose it because I wanted to learn to drive stick. Since then, I've been driving stick and love it. It's more fun to drive and that alone is worth it. The only issue I have, like you, is that other people can't always drive my car. It's definitely an art that's being lost which is too bad. I do have friends that would like to learn to drive stick but never had the opportunity. If you go to a dealership, few of their cars even have manual transmission. And don't get me started on those automatic cars with the ability to "shift"...

So did you end up parking your car yourself? Probably better than to let someone try to drive it and ruin the clutch.

[Agravic]

I faced the same issue recently at an upscale hotel resort. I gave my tag to have my car retrieved (2012 VW 6-speed manual). The flustered attendant came back after 25 minutes and apologized...he was trying to find somebody who could drive it. My first car in 1990 was a stick-shift and after that I drove automatics exclusively. I recently got the VW, in part because of the manual transmission. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer cars available with manual transmissions, and not many people interested in driving them. It's sad, because this is not the case in other parts of the world.

[mayhem]

I will soon be teaching my sons to drive, and want them to learn on a stick like I did so that they have the skills to do it if needed. I can't even find a vehicle with a manual transmission to teach them with..

[Krona Kruiser]

I just purchased a Chevy Cruze and it's manual. I learned how to drive using a stick and it's been so much fun driving that little car around (much more economical than my old V8 Durango). My only complaint is how annoying it is to drive stick in stop and go traffic. Otherwise, I've got control of the car. It's somewhat of a lost skill.

[maxman]

I learned to deive a manual when I bought my last car.
yes, i didn't know before then. I asked the salesman to show me how.
he took me out a few times and i bought the car.
i would not advise doing this. Its an expensive way to learn!

I was 29 when i did this. Its not hard to learn.

[bmathe02]

Well back in 2005 freshmen in college I got a 2006 Honda civic automatic. Another 6 months later the family got a civic si which only comes in a manual. I learned on the si and was fun for about a year but then just ended up letting my brother drive it exclusively. It was getting more and more annoying with the whole designated driver thing and just wasn't all that fun anymore. Flash forward to 2012 I don't even drive unless I have to due to moving back to city now unlike the suburbs where I went to college

[Commander Quan]

My current ride, a Mazda3 5 door, is my first manual car. The three cars I drove before that were purchased out of convenience, because some family member was upgrading, so pickings were slim. After my last daily driver, a 95 GMC 1500 4x4 with a gutless V6, I swore I would get a vehicle that I wanted and it would be fun to drive. I still have the truck, it get driven in the snow, when I need to haul, something, or my wife drives it when her POS Nissan Sentra is in the shop (every other month) because she admittedly refuses to learn how to drive my car.

[legrandfromage]

I learned how to drive a stick on my wife's 1957 TR3, that if I remember correctly did not have synchro in first gear; very interesting learning experience. We then had a 4 or 5 speed 1965 Mustang for a year or so and then automatic cars until the mid 70's. Then had bunch of shift cars until the mid/late 80's when we went back to auto transmission cars and have been there ever since. Taught both my kids how to drive on a "72 MGB. The last shift car that we had was a Saab 900 Turbo; I got stuck in traffic on one of the NY bridges (going both uphill and downhill) for an hour or, moving a couple of feet at a time. The Saab had a pretty heavy clutch and after that episode, I swore off of manual transmission cars. They are a lot of fun to drive and a way to get the most out of an underpowered car, but are a real pain in traffic. Not surprised that the parking crew doesn't know how to drive one; try getting an SU carb tuned.

Way back when, the way to teach somebody how to drive a stick, was to have them rent a shift car for the purpose.

[nannahill]

In Oz there's a manual or an automatic licence. That sorts the men out from the girls.

[ImTheGluestick]

I can drive standard well enough that I could get someone to the hospital in an emergency, but probably not much beyond that. I'd love to get more practice, but if Mr. Gluestick had to choose between me and his car, I'd be searching for a new apartment.

[barrycv]

From when I was a kid to my early 20s, my family always had manual. My dad was a fan, so that's all we had (even w/ a station wagon). My first two vehicles were manual, also.

But, alas, the world (at least here in the US) is trending towards auto. The two vehicles I've purchased since getting married only came in auto. And to be totally honest, I don't really miss it that much. If you asked me 10 years ago, I'd probably have said the opposite. But the reality is now I don't. Manuals have come a long way in terms of efficiency, so that part doesn't bother me. I do occasionally miss it in the bad winter months where I can have more control during slick conditions, but that need is fairly rare.

[Legion]

A valet can drive a manual car?? Methinks he is in the wrong job.

I'd say the majority of people in Australia drive, or at least learned to drive, in a manual car. I've never owned an auto.

[Legion]

In Oz there's a manual or an automatic licence. That sorts the men out from the girls.

Yep. You would definitely get a lot of laughter from your mates when you are young if they saw you had an auto only licence. Or you would have in my day, anyway.

[Nanker/Phelge]

My first (and current) car is an '06 Mustang GT, 5-speed of course. I think the influx of SUVs for my generation has really killed the art. Sort of like the cartridge and DE dynamic.

[Bobbers]

For almost 3 decades I have only own trucks and they all have been stick shifts.

I used to work in an automotive repair garage as a salesmen in college and one of our top salesmen could not drive a stick shift worth a darn. So of every chance the rest of us had we would throw him the keys to cars with stick shifts.

[Haggises]

I learned on the default manual gears in the UK.
After 6 years driving there, I've had 12 years driving automatics here.
I can honestly say, you can stick your stick. I can still drive them, but see no point.

[COHunter]

I learned on both when I learned to drive. I enjoy a stick shift unless I'm stuck in traffic then it sucks. I drove a semi for a time, if you wanna shift some gears drive one of those! Nothing like going through 6 gears just to find out you're still only going about 30 mph...

[SmoovD]

How does one obtain a job without the necessary qualifications? Any job? Not being able to drive a stick as a valet would be similar to not being able to drive a nail with a hammer as a carpenter.

Growing up we never had manual transmission vehicles. My first real experience was learning to drive big trucks. It didn't take long to get it sorted out and from that time on I prefer to drive stick. More control is always a good thing.

[brianw]

Learned on a stick...1949 chevy PU, starter pedal on the floor. 1st auto was in 2006, a prius.