Can You Drive a Stick Shift?

[lambdaboy]

We once moved to a rural area and only had my car a stick shift. My partner was going the next Saturday to buy a new car for himself. Around 10pm on a Sunday he said I will drive you to the Train Station and pick you up when you get home. I looked at him I said you never drove a stick. We went out to a nearby empty parking lot and in less than one hour he was doing perfect. After that both of us only bought stick shift cars

 

[Corny]

I never get why anybody would want to drive an automatic. You give up a lot of control over your car and it takes the fun out of driving. The only excuse for an automatic is when you're stuck in a traffic jam on a daily basis.

 

[Alistair]

The only excuse for an automatic is when you're stuck in a traffic jam on a daily basis.

Or when you're driving in a high density urban area.

In my 5 mile daily drive to work, I go throw 4 stop signs and 13 traffic signals. All the traffic signals are supposed to be timed so once you get a green light driving at proper speed you're able to travel through all of them. But they're not. I usually get stopped at every light every day.

I don't think it's a matter of laziness but of practicality.

That all said, I would love to have a car with the automatic/manual with the flappy paddles on the steering wheel. That would be fun to drive. Obviously I'm talking about a expensive sports car

 

[bankside]

I'm bi. I can drive both comfortably. I really don't care which. I don't find one to be more fun or more effort or more responsive. I drove an old 1980's automatic once and I found a new manual to be more responsive, but that's hardly surprising.

 

[gsdx]

I never get why anybody would want to drive an automatic. You give up a lot of control over your car

Indeed. You can't beat a standard in slippery conditions (rain, snow, ice, etc.)

 

[glasvegas]

I can, but poorly. If the car doesn't help with a reminder to shift, chances are I will forget. I also tend to have 'foot placement' trouble, when on an incline...As such, I'm always the idiot who slides back a bit when shifting from a stop on an incline to drive...

As such, I'll spare myself the trouble (and potential accident) and stick with an automatic.

I have that trouble when I am driving automatic because I am so used to clutch, when i am trying to brake, I tend to step on both brake and gas at the same. The reason I drive manual it's because the only car we have is manual. I love driving manual, yes, it is crap when you stuck in a traffic but it's really cool when you're driving and shifting gears especially when you're accelerating and cutting lines.

 

[redfox70]

Likewise.

Very few .za cars are automatic. And, if you pass your licence in an automatic, you are only allowed to drive an automatic here.

-d-

Same here in the UK.

 

[HoodedRat]

I can't drive.

I was never able to get the hang of turning the wheel, pressing the pedals, working the gear stick, and shoveling coal all at the same time.

 

[gsdx]

I also tend to have 'foot placement' trouble, when on an incline...As such, I'm always the idiot who slides back a bit when shifting from a stop on an incline to drive...

Here's the secret. Depress both the clutch and the brake. Forget about the accelerator for the moment. Keeping the brake depressed, slowly release the clutch. Listen to the sound of the engine. When the clutch begins to engage, the engine will begin to work harder. You can hear it clearly. At that point, stop your 'clutch' foot where it is and keep it there. The clutch will hold the car in place. Now, slide your other foot off the brake and onto the accelerator. At this point, you continue to start the car as if you were on a flat surface.

 

[EJMichaels]

I don't like driving and prefer that the car makes the decisions. Even so, I've driven what I vaguely remember being semi-automatics (made by Honda and Volkswagon - no clutch pedal, but you still had to do something) and I learned the basics of operating a manual transmission, possibly enough to drive in an emergency without ruining it.

 

[jensu846]

i had an old pickup that had something called "3 on the tree" which was a stick shift attached to part of the steering wheel. You dont see those anymore. Anybody remember them?

 

[Beachguyj]

No, and I've also never driven a car that you have to crank to start.

But recently I was thinking about how they drive on the wrong side in England and it must be a bitch to shift with the opposite hand.

I didn't even know until a few years about that you had to down shift to slow down.

 

[gsdx]

Anybody remember them?

Oh, yes. The old Studebaker Lark was '3 on the tree'. Reverse was in and up. First was in and down. Second was out and up. Third was out and down.

I loved that car.

 

[OPHELIA_HARDIN]

Oh, yes. The old Studebaker Lark was '3 on the tree'. Reverse was in and up. First was in and down. Second was out and up. Third was out and down.I loved that car.

I can drive those! A friends '57 Chevy PU had one. I'm a stick guy myself, 5 speed, and HATE automatics.

I think the Morris had a 3-on-a-tree, didn't it? A friend has her grandfather's rotting away, but we've vowed to restore it -- someday....

 

[windsors]

I learned to drive a stick shift. I love driving one, but now I really get tired shifting all the time in town traffic. I drive an automatic, and it's a Mustang. I bought used.... I thought it would have been a stick. but a lot of todays young people don't know how to drive a stick.

 

[drewthesaltyboy]

Yes I can drive stick very well.

 

[syoBsUtsuJ]

I can drive a manual transmission rather well ... now. I failed my very first driving test when I was 16, because of extremely extenuating circumstances I was forced to take my test in a car that had a stick; I got a whole 2-hour crash course prior to my exam to learn this particular art. Obviously, I failed, but it did serve to ignite a desire in me to not only learn how to, but to MASTER this ability. Now it's just like riding a bike (or so I believe). Both of my vehicles are automatic, but I do miss driving a manual transmission.

 

[Solid Gold]

i had an old pickup that had something called "3 on the tree" which was a stick shift attached to part of the steering wheel. You dont see those anymore. Anybody remember them?

Yes,in highschool I had a 48 chevy pickup with three on the tree...I loved that truck and would still have it had the floor not rusted out but did sell it for $900 to a kid who thought he would restore it...it's still sitting in his parents back yard.

 

[TheLyingGame]

Yes.

And at traffic lights? arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

[Falcon16]

i had an old pickup that had something called "3 on the tree" which was a stick shift attached to part of the steering wheel. You dont see those anymore. Anybody remember them?

Absolutely! My college roommate had a '69 Chevy Chevelle with a 3 speed on the steering column. Fucked up way to drive a car, imho.