$3.79

[littlebeast13]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

Neither I, nor my family when I was a kid, ever owned a car with a stick shift. Therefore, I never learned how to drive one because there was never any need to, nor was there a stick shift car available for me to drive.

I think there is a reason God invented automatic transmission....

lb13

[marrymeflyfree]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

No kidding. I was so impressed with a friend of mine recently because her two very young sons both had watches with hands rather than digital. And they knew how to use them even, too! Same sorta thing, isn't it?

The stick thing is funny to me. We drove the car down to TN to have my parents sell it precisely for this reason: I figured there were more people down there who knew how to drive sticks than there might be up here. Lots of farm kids driving tractors and whatnot. Bad assumption on my part. My mom commented that there were a LOT of young men who showed up to test drive the car, and didn't realize it was a stick until they sat down to put the key in the ignition. She said one guy even asked her what the third pedal was for and was that a funky Saturn thing?

Before my brother or I were ever allowed to drive a car alone, we had to pass certain tests. Change a tire. Know what to do in an accident. Understand how an oil change works. Drive a stick. The stick test involved my dad parking his big ol' truck on the steepest hill in town and having us drive off three times in a row without stalling and without cheating with the parking brake. If we could do that, we passed the test.

I'll do the same for my kid, even if I have to rent or borrow a manual car to teach it. It's just part of knowing how to drive imo.

[kayrharris]

You'd be surprised how many kids can't tell time from a regular "face" clock.
I have one my kitchen wall that's the old fashioned kind with Roman Numerals. 've had more than one young person ask me the time since they don't know how to read the clock on the wall.

When I was growing up, my dad never bought a car with an automatic transmission until I had been driving several years. I'm not comfortable with it anymore, but I could do it in a pinch if I had to.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

Jeff taught me how to drive on a Volkswagon with a stick. It's one of the most difficult cars to drive manually and he said that if I could drive it, I could drive anything.

We both have cars with automatic transmissions now, so I think that the girls won't ever learn to drive a manual transmission. It's probably better in a way. When they are learning to drive, there are fewer distractions when usuing an automatic transmission. Plus, in my opinion, it's more difficult for lefties to get the hang of shifting,

[TheCalvinator24]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

I will never voluntarily choose a manual transmission, but I could drive one in an emergency. Our farm truck when I was growing up was a manual transmission, so I learned the basics, but I have never driven one in traffic or on the highway.

[Bob Juch]

Every vehicle I had from 1968 to 1998 was a manual. I finally had to get an automatic because of pain in my left knee when I was pressing the clutch.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I drove my Miata for 15 years, straight drive, loved it, loved it, loved it.

[MarleysGh0st]

Before my brother or I were ever allowed to drive a car alone, we had to pass certain tests. Change a tire. Know what to do in an accident. Understand how an oil change works. Drive a stick.

There are many skills I don't have. Driving a stick is one of them. But saying you have to know how to drive a stick as a precondition for driving, even if all the cars you might have access to are automatic, is like saying you can't type on your computer unless you master the art of calligraphy first.

Using a quill-tip pen.

[peacock2121]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

Neither I, nor my family when I was a kid, ever owned a car with a stick shift. Therefore, I never learned how to drive one because there was never any need to, nor was there a stick shift car available for me to drive.

I think there is a reason God invented automatic transmission....

lb13

and digital clocks and remote controls and velcro and microwaves and so on ........

[dodgersteve182]

"She wears her "South Dakota" banner when eating out at buffets, does she? "

My kind of girl! Actually all of her competitors were there too, I really wanted to get a pic of me and Miss Florida (who made it to the Top 10!), but every other "geezergate" were all over her.

If you remember last year's Frampton Concert at Harrah's in San Diego, I was surrounded by the Miss Hawaiian Tropics contestants! I think my post retirement Job will be to Manage a Pageant Girl! As Mr. Jordan says in "Heaven Can Wait", "It is my destiny...".

[peacock2121]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

Before my brother or I were ever allowed to drive a car alone, we had to pass certain tests. Change a tire. Know what to do in an accident. Understand how an oil change works. Drive a stick. The stick test involved my dad parking his big ol' truck on the steepest hill in town and having us drive off three times in a row without stalling and without cheating with the parking brake. If we could do that, we passed the test.

I'll do the same for my kid, even if I have to rent or borrow a manual car to teach it. It's just part of knowing how to drive imo.

That is being unreasonable. I mean unreasonable like not having reasons stop you from doing what you think is best, what you said you would do or what you are committed to doing to raise your child!

Your child is already two steps ahead!

[peacock2121]

You'd be surprised how many kids can't tell time from a regular "face" clock.
I have one my kitchen wall that's the old fashioned kind with Roman Numerals. 've had more than one young person ask me the time since they don't know how to read the clock on the wall.

The sad thing is, I am no longer surprised.

[peacock2121]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

Jeff taught me how to drive on a Volkswagon with a stick. It's one of the most difficult cars to drive manually and he said that if I could drive it, I could drive anything.

We both have cars with automatic transmissions now, so I think that the girls won't ever learn to drive a manual transmission. It's probably better in a way. When they are learning to drive, there are fewer distractions when usuing an automatic transmission. Plus, in my opinion, it's more difficult for lefties to get the hang of shifting,

I totally disagree (what a surprise, right?)

Given you learned on the VW, given your husband had a purpose bigger than making things easier for you - seems to me you might be better off having the same for your girls.

Don't make their life easier - demand more of them - everywhere! I know you do that in the classroom and in educational arenas - do it everywhere!

[peacock2121]

I drove my Miata for 15 years, straight drive, loved it, loved it, loved it.

I still miss mine.

More than I miss my old kitchen.

[peacock2121]

Before my brother or I were ever allowed to drive a car alone, we had to pass certain tests. Change a tire. Know what to do in an accident. Understand how an oil change works. Drive a stick.

There are many skills I don't have. Driving a stick is one of them. But saying you have to know how to drive a stick as a precondition for driving, even if all the cars you might have access to are automatic, is like saying you can't type on your computer unless you master the art of calligraphy first.

Using a quill-tip pen.

You are so reasonable.

[marrymeflyfree]

There are many skills I don't have. Driving a stick is one of them. But saying you have to know how to drive a stick as a precondition for driving, even if all the cars you might have access to are automatic, is like saying you can't type on your computer unless you master the art of calligraphy first.

Using a quill-tip pen.

Nah...typewriter vs. modern computer analogy I can fathom. But the quill-tip pen might be more akin to an old crank engine.

The difference is that, like calligraphy, only enthusiasts still get into crank engine cars or old manual typewriters. But manual transmissions are still very much in use, and they're still quite predominant in many parts of the world. In many parts of Europe, you'd have to reserve it far in advance to rent an automatic car because there just aren't many of them around - and it will cost you double what a manual would!

[marrymeflyfree]

I drove my Miata for 15 years, straight drive, loved it, loved it, loved it.

My dad has an old miata...his toy car. Fun club to be in!

[silvercamaro]

My parents never owned a car with stick shift, but all of my favorite cars have had sticks, including past and current Camaros. I still get nostalgic over the old Opel GT, which looked like a baby Ferrari, but was totally impractical on almost every reasonable basis. (Never mind the lack of room inside. To change the oil filter required pulling the entire engine.) I was lucky, though, that one of my brother's friends taught me to drive in his car, an MG Midget with a stick, when I was 12.

I like to drive. A car with a manual transmission provides a ride. There's a difference.


Footnote: I just found a photo of my Opel GT's twin, down to the shade of paint. That fire-engine yellow may look like a horrendous color, but it is highly visible, and in a tiny car, being visible contributes to long-term survival.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_GT

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I have run into more and more people who can't drive a stick. Have I gotten so old that I am one of those people who say "How can you not know how to srive s tick? What if that is the only car available and you have to get somewhere?"

Is it like telling time on a clock that has a face and being able to tie your shoelaces?

Jeff taught me how to drive on a Volkswagon with a stick. It's one of the most difficult cars to drive manually and he said that if I could drive it, I could drive anything.

We both have cars with automatic transmissions now, so I think that the girls won't ever learn to drive a manual transmission. It's probably better in a way. When they are learning to drive, there are fewer distractions when usuing an automatic transmission. Plus, in my opinion, it's more difficult for lefties to get the hang of shifting,

I totally disagree (what a surprise, right?)

Given you learned on the VW, given your husband had a purpose bigger than making things easier for you - seems to me you might be better off having the same for your girls.

Don't make their life easier - demand more of them - everywhere! I know you do that in the classroom and in educational arenas - do it everywhere!

But then we would have to buy a car with a manual transmission for the girls to learn on. Our plan is to give Maddie Jeff's Malibu and get him a new car. I don't think that he wants a new car with a manual transmission.

[Appa23]

You'd be surprised how many kids can't tell time from a regular "face" clock.
I have one my kitchen wall that's the old fashioned kind with Roman Numerals. 've had more than one young person ask me the time since they don't know how to read the clock on the wall.

Interesting. As I discovered this year with my daughter, it is an Expected Learning Outcome for Kindergarten students to be able to tell time on a non-digital clock (15 minute increments).

As for learning Roman numerals, I imagine that is taught a few years later.

(Speaking of ELOs -- my son finally is taking the tests for the 1st Grade. They were supposed to take them at the beginning of April, but the tests were not done yet. So, TPTB decided to have the kids take the tests right after Spring Break. Still, he said that yesterday's test was "super, super easy." It could be code for "I really do not want to talk about school. I want to go play.")

[peacock2121]

Jeff taught me how to drive on a Volkswagon with a stick. It's one of the most difficult cars to drive manually and he said that if I could drive it, I could drive anything.

We both have cars with automatic transmissions now, so I think that the girls won't ever learn to drive a manual transmission. It's probably better in a way. When they are learning to drive, there are fewer distractions when usuing an automatic transmission. Plus, in my opinion, it's more difficult for lefties to get the hang of shifting,

I totally disagree (what a surprise, right?)

Given you learned on the VW, given your husband had a purpose bigger than making things easier for you - seems to me you might be better off having the same for your girls.

Don't make their life easier - demand more of them - everywhere! I know you do that in the classroom and in educational arenas - do it everywhere!

But then we would have to buy a car with a manual transmission for the girls to learn on. Our plan is to give Maddie Jeff's Malibu and get him a new car. I don't think that he wants a new car with a manual transmission.

No you wouldn't. There are many ways you could teach the girls to drive a stick, without having to buy one. You are being reasonable, you are letting reasons rule what you do, not what you want to do rule what you do.

Unless, you don't want the girls to learn on a stick, then your reasons don't matter - you just don't want to do that.

[tanstaafl2]

Jeff taught me how to drive on a Volkswagon with a stick. It's one of the most difficult cars to drive manually and he said that if I could drive it, I could drive anything.

An old Beetle or a newer VW? I learned on a 70's "bug". It was very forgiving. Other than maybe starting out you could pretty much change gears whether or not you bothered with the clutch! Probably not the best thing for the transmission but back in those days they weren't exactly complicated pieces of machinery.

If you travel much outside the developed world and plan to do any driving you just about have to be prepared to drive a stick. Often there is no other choice. Amazing Race typically has at least one leg where this becomes an issue for at least a few teams.

[kayrharris]

Yep, my two bored buddies Judy and Skoop both drive their cars. I forgot about that.

[ulysses5019]

An old Beetle or a newer VW? I learned on a 70's "bug". It was very forgiving.

I had a '67 bug (1500cc engine) and I found it easy to shift. In fact if you revved the car high enough you could shift it at just the right time without using the clutch. But I liked my '64 Triumph TR4 the best.

[marrymeflyfree]

An old Beetle or a newer VW? I learned on a 70's "bug". It was very forgiving. Other than maybe starting out you could pretty much change gears whether or not you bothered with the clutch! Probably not the best thing for the transmission but back in those days they weren't exactly complicated pieces of machinery.

My mom had an old beetle convertible when I was about 13 or 14, and used to let me shift gears for her from the passenger seat.

I wanted so badly for it to be my car when I was old enough for a license, but she sold it. She drove through a deep puddle in a bad rainstorm - when the engine flooded, it died and all the electrics went with it. She ended up stalled in the middle of the road, in the rainy dark, with no lights. Realizing it was probably not the best car for a new driver, it was gone well before I could legally get behind the wheel.

I miss that car.