Can you "drive stick"?

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Or as it's also known, drive a manual car? Very different to an automatic.

 

[Silver saucer]

Absolutely. I learned on a manual transmission and have always had one until my last car. I miss shifting. Automatics are boring to drive!! LOL

 

[SM1992]

I tried just once a long time ago. My friend had an MG roadster, and I drove for about 30 minutes, back roads, highway and did fine-until we got stuck at a red light on an uphill incline. I couldn't get the brake/clutch/gas pedal sequence just right and kept stalling. Had to let my friend take over after 3-4 tries. It was a pretty cool car, but I'll stick to automatic! (unless I get called to be on a certain race-around-the-world t.v. show, then I'll learn manual)

 

[EACarlson]

Yep, I learned to drive on a manual in the mid 90's. Wouldn't mind having one again just because so few people can drive them. There was a story out of Milwaukee a couple years ago about a county commissioner that was being carjacked, they left him alone and ran off when they saw the car was a manual.

 

[nw6675]

Yes. Loved them until cell phones became a thing and you could not do both

 

[lanejudy]

Yep. I wish I still had one but many modern family cars are only available as automatic.

 

[design_mom]

Yes. My father insisted that I learn because I might need to at some point. By the time my sister learned to drive 3.5 years later, he decided it wasn't that important of a skill after all, I guess, so she never learned.

My sister's husband owned a sports car for a while. She couldn't drive it, but I could (and did).

 

[nene0182]

Nope. I’ve never know anyone that owned a manual so I never learned. My 19 year old son knows how since his best friend has a manual.

 

[barb969]

Yes. Driver Ed had a stick shift and my family had an automatic. My first car was a VW beetle.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Yes. My last car was manual. I had it for about 12 years.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Nope.

 

[fly girl]

Yes. I had a manual car in the mid 90's. When I met dh his car was manual too.

Funny story. When I was a bridesmaid at a wedding (out of town, I took a flight in) I had to drive the bride's car because she had left early to the salon and they wanted the car at the hotel the next morning. I was the only one in the wedding party that could drive stick.

 

[disneychrista]

I could if I had to but I don't see a need for it in my future.

 

[E&Cmom]

No

 

[tvguy]

I can drive a stick shift. There was one stick shift car in Driver's Training, but we never got to use it. Never owned one. I worked two places in 1977 and 1978 and the company cars were mostly stick shifts, so I can get around.
To be honest, almost every stick shift car made in about the last 40 years has a pretty forgiving clutch. It is almost like driving an automatic. Now trucks can be tougher. A friend had to get rid of her 1996 Ford F150 pickup because it was a stick shift. Doctor's orders. She had surgery and as she approached 60 years of age, just didn't have the strength in her legs to operate the clutch.
Only stick shift I couldn't drive was a friend had a 1948 Willy's Jeep and the clutch on that was IMPOSSIBLE to engage without stalling it. Even he frequently stalled it.

 

[cmarsh31]

Of course. Taught my DH when we started driving. 2 out of 3 cars are manuals now - and it's what my DS learned on as well.

 

[Meriweather]

no.....no need too.
DH can. DS can. DD can't

 

[morgan98]

Yes, I learned on a stick shift car and had one until 2018. Unfortunately, a true manual is getting very hard to find.

 

[xipotec]

Yes , but it turns me into a jerk driver.

 

[JaxDad]

Yes. Loved them until cell phones became a thing and you could not do both

I often joke they should get rid of automatic transmissions and power steering to make people concentrate on actually driving their cars. I cringe when I see these ads with people clapping their hands while riding down the highway or having the car brake for them to avoid a collision. I know those systems should improve safety, but it will also make drivers less attentive. Scary.

But yes, I can drive manual transmission cars.