30+ years ago, taught a girlfriend how to work the 3-pedal varient in her first car: VW Beetle! (what else?) Must have done something right: have only had sticks (VWs, Hondas, Fords)and each other since...
Can you drive stick?
06/30/2010
My first car was a 69 Volkswagen Bug, and I also learned to drive on my Mom's 88 Volkswagen Vanagon... So I had no choice but to learn how to drive stick. However, both cars that I have purchased myself have been automatics. Mostly because they don't come in a manual.
Come to think of it, both me and my boyfriend know how to drive stick, but all of our cars and trucks are automatic. If I had a car where I felt a manual transmission would be beneficial (like a Mustang Shelby, anyone?!), I wouldn't hesitate to get it.
Come to think of it, both me and my boyfriend know how to drive stick, but all of our cars and trucks are automatic. If I had a car where I felt a manual transmission would be beneficial (like a Mustang Shelby, anyone?!), I wouldn't hesitate to get it.
06/30/2010
I just love the feeling of control when using a stick shift...must have a phallic implication for me.
06/30/2010
I'm female and prefer to drive a stick. I feel safer knowing that I have more control over the vehicle. -
However, that said. There are times and places I would NOT want a standard transmission. Lots of hills where I am stopping and going uphill - its VERY tricky not to rollback and of course, this is a "Your fault" accident situation because you couldn't control your vehicle (( Many people don't know what a standard transmission vehicle looks like when parked 3 inches away from them.))
I also would not want one long distance.
I do prefer a stick to an automatic - but our current vehicle is automatic and its great for me too. I would honestly say my preference only slightly outweighs the "I don't give a .. I mean. I don't really have a preference" vote. My first car was a stick, they are cheaper, they give you greater control over what your vehicle is doing. ((However, you do have to learn about engines and how they function and what they sound like to know WHEN to shift. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature/old hat very quickly - and then you enter the stage that you begin to play with the clutch and brake as you wait at a stop light.. I've noticed if you play with it a little, any cars coming up behind you - tend to stop further back.. they don't understand what your doing but they don't want to be right up against you.
Optimally - I would have one of each vehicle. A stick in my truck, and an auto on the car. Trucks don't make for great road trip vehicles anyway... (( What about an SUV? Auto baby... I won't do road trips without that cruise control anymore!))
However, that said. There are times and places I would NOT want a standard transmission. Lots of hills where I am stopping and going uphill - its VERY tricky not to rollback and of course, this is a "Your fault" accident situation because you couldn't control your vehicle (( Many people don't know what a standard transmission vehicle looks like when parked 3 inches away from them.))
I also would not want one long distance.
I do prefer a stick to an automatic - but our current vehicle is automatic and its great for me too. I would honestly say my preference only slightly outweighs the "I don't give a .. I mean. I don't really have a preference" vote. My first car was a stick, they are cheaper, they give you greater control over what your vehicle is doing. ((However, you do have to learn about engines and how they function and what they sound like to know WHEN to shift. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature/old hat very quickly - and then you enter the stage that you begin to play with the clutch and brake as you wait at a stop light.. I've noticed if you play with it a little, any cars coming up behind you - tend to stop further back.. they don't understand what your doing but they don't want to be right up against you.
Optimally - I would have one of each vehicle. A stick in my truck, and an auto on the car. Trucks don't make for great road trip vehicles anyway... (( What about an SUV? Auto baby... I won't do road trips without that cruise control anymore!))
07/01/2010
Quote:
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by
P'Gell
Kind of funny story. A few months after My Man and I got legal, we decided to get rid of my crappy 1979 Mustang (Ford at it's worse) and got a tiny little imported car with stick. Did I mention that it was 100 degrees in the shade that day? Did I
...
more
Kind of funny story. A few months after My Man and I got legal, we decided to get rid of my crappy 1979 Mustang (Ford at it's worse) and got a tiny little imported car with stick. Did I mention that it was 100 degrees in the shade that day? Did I mention that I was 8 months pregnant? Did I mention that we had brought his truck, which was stick, and traded my Mustang, and that I had NEVER in my life ever driven stick before?
I had to follow him home with only about a 5 minute lesson from him on how to drive stick, too far from the pedals, because of my huge Baby Belly, and crying, because I couldn't get the thing over the crest at the end of the parking lot, trying to rock the car over the crest onto the....street...... and people were honking at me, AND I WAS PREGNANT and it was HOT and the car kept dying, and then rolling backward and my HUSBAND was standing across the road, next to his truck, just LOOKING at me!
I went into labor a few days later, never having driven the car again, after my traumatic experience.
I did learn on my own, AFTER the baby was born. (After crashing the damn car into the garage door and destroying it, because I put the car into NEUTRAL when it was turned off and SOMEBODY decided to leave it in 1st gear, and I started it, with a newborn BABY in the backseat and it crashed right through the garage!!!!
I then calmly backed the car up, left the garage for dead, and Baby and I went to my lunch date with a friend.
I eventually learned how to properly drive stick and I don't mind it at all. But, I advise, NEVER have a near Ausperger's man, who already KNOWS how to drive stick, can't understand why you DON'T know how, has no patience and absolutely is bereft of teaching skills "teach" you how to drive stick. (Basically, in this scenario, you teach yourself, when he isn't home and casually mention, "Oh yeah, you left the fucking car in gear, so I destroyed the garage when I turned it on and it snapped into First. I think the car needs a new bumper, too. Have fun fixing it. I'm taking the baby and going shopping, now that I mastered the thingy. ") less
I had to follow him home with only about a 5 minute lesson from him on how to drive stick, too far from the pedals, because of my huge Baby Belly, and crying, because I couldn't get the thing over the crest at the end of the parking lot, trying to rock the car over the crest onto the....street...... and people were honking at me, AND I WAS PREGNANT and it was HOT and the car kept dying, and then rolling backward and my HUSBAND was standing across the road, next to his truck, just LOOKING at me!
I went into labor a few days later, never having driven the car again, after my traumatic experience.
I did learn on my own, AFTER the baby was born. (After crashing the damn car into the garage door and destroying it, because I put the car into NEUTRAL when it was turned off and SOMEBODY decided to leave it in 1st gear, and I started it, with a newborn BABY in the backseat and it crashed right through the garage!!!!
I then calmly backed the car up, left the garage for dead, and Baby and I went to my lunch date with a friend.
I eventually learned how to properly drive stick and I don't mind it at all. But, I advise, NEVER have a near Ausperger's man, who already KNOWS how to drive stick, can't understand why you DON'T know how, has no patience and absolutely is bereft of teaching skills "teach" you how to drive stick. (Basically, in this scenario, you teach yourself, when he isn't home and casually mention, "Oh yeah, you left the fucking car in gear, so I destroyed the garage when I turned it on and it snapped into First. I think the car needs a new bumper, too. Have fun fixing it. I'm taking the baby and going shopping, now that I mastered the thingy. ") less
the thingy. ")
[/quote]
EPIC WIN P'Gell!!!
07/01/2010
I deliberately learned on a stick because then I could pretty much drive any vehicle. I also ride a motorcycle and it transfers easily.
I guess I have a thing about limiting myself Control freak? Me?
I guess I have a thing about limiting myself Control freak? Me?
07/04/2010
I learned to drive automatic because it was what my parents had when I learned. I had a quick crash course for manual transmission once with a friend and I understand the basics, but not enough to be really comfortable with it.
07/04/2010
I voted that I didn't know how and wanted to learn, but I kinda don't want to either. Confusing, I know. lol It's just I hear what a pain in the ass it can be and that scares me off. And when I hear someone skip or gear or do something else bad, it sounds so horrible and I'd hate to screw up like that. For now, automatic is the way to go for me.
07/09/2010
Quote:
It's really not so bad. My first time out in traffic I kept stalling out and traffic kept backing up behind me and honking til I eventually just floored it and screeched away from the light.
Originally posted by
gone77
I voted that I didn't know how and wanted to learn, but I kinda don't want to either. Confusing, I know. lol It's just I hear what a pain in the ass it can be and that scares me off. And when I hear someone skip or gear or do something
...
more
I voted that I didn't know how and wanted to learn, but I kinda don't want to either. Confusing, I know. lol It's just I hear what a pain in the ass it can be and that scares me off. And when I hear someone skip or gear or do something else bad, it sounds so horrible and I'd hate to screw up like that. For now, automatic is the way to go for me.
less
Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
07/09/2010
I learned on a stick and can actually drive one. I prefer a stick because I think it's fun, but since kids it's almost impossible to drive one and lean back to give a sippy or some other thing that the kids need! LOL
07/09/2010
My family only had manual transmission cars so I learned on a manual and have driven one ever since. It's not that difficult to do once you've made it through the first learning period of getting used to coordinating the gears. I greatly prefer manuals now and definitely find it weird not to be able to control shifting when I do happen to drive automatics on those rare occasions.
07/13/2010
I learned to shift gears when I was about 6, I learned the clutch and gears when I was 16. I'm not going to lie, I love driving a straight shift. But my hips and back will not allow it. If they did I would be driving one now, they save so much on gas.
07/21/2010
I learned when I was 15 to drive a stick shift car or not go home and then I would have really gotten beat lol... My friend and I were out in her car and she was beyond the point of driving becuase she was highly intoxicated .. so it was drive or sit on the side of a really dark road.
07/21/2010
I learned kind of how to drive a stick in a 1990 mitsubishi eclipse turbo boost and all and well late at night in a city i dont know with my boyfriend at that time whose car it was and his baby. he was trashed and could not drive so i had to drive and his car did not have interior lights so i had to learn how to shift by sound and i didnt do extremely bad he said i was better then his last ex who he let drive which is a rare thing for him to let someone drive his car. but i have no clue if i can do a stick again i have not tried since then.
09/04/2010
I cant drive a stick, tried and didn't work out. Automatic is much better because I can use things like cruise control.
09/04/2010
I love my stick shift, I've been driving one since I was 15
09/04/2010
My stick-shift driving ability is like my chess playing ability. I know how to in theory and have done it, but I'm very bad at it in practice.
09/04/2010
I would love to learn and my Dad just bought a car with a manual transmission so looks like I might get my chance! Yay!
09/06/2010
Quote:
Cruise control totally works in stick shift cars, you just have to have that option
Originally posted by
Avant-garde
I cant drive a stick, tried and didn't work out. Automatic is much better because I can use things like cruise control.
09/06/2010
I can't drive at all, let alone drive stick....
09/07/2010
I'm a gamer give me a freaking keyboard and mouse setup and I will wtf pwn the highways with my leet driving skills... A G19 keyboard would work great, it could have all the traveling speeds and distance logs and other things right on the "Dash". It would be an appropriate name for a "dashboard" for once...
I could be the newest product from Microsoft. If you crash it just roll down your "windows" to let the car cool off and push the restart button.. And it should work again. Be sure to disable any user controls that ask you "Are you sure you would like to deploy your airbags at this time."
Alright, alright I'll tell ya. I don't know how to drive either type of car.
I could be the newest product from Microsoft. If you crash it just roll down your "windows" to let the car cool off and push the restart button.. And it should work again. Be sure to disable any user controls that ask you "Are you sure you would like to deploy your airbags at this time."
Alright, alright I'll tell ya. I don't know how to drive either type of car.
09/07/2010
Quote:
Haha that's like me with Mario Kart. I'm damn good, but for real driving? I'm too damn scared.
Originally posted by
sry
I'm a gamer give me a freaking keyboard and mouse setup and I will wtf pwn the highways with my leet driving skills... A G19 keyboard would work great, it could have all the traveling speeds and distance logs and other things right on the
...
more
I'm a gamer give me a freaking keyboard and mouse setup and I will wtf pwn the highways with my leet driving skills... A G19 keyboard would work great, it could have all the traveling speeds and distance logs and other things right on the "Dash". It would be an appropriate name for a "dashboard" for once...
I could be the newest product from Microsoft. If you crash it just roll down your "windows" to let the car cool off and push the restart button.. And it should work again. Be sure to disable any user controls that ask you "Are you sure you would like to deploy your airbags at this time."
Alright, alright I'll tell ya. I don't know how to drive either type of car. less
I could be the newest product from Microsoft. If you crash it just roll down your "windows" to let the car cool off and push the restart button.. And it should work again. Be sure to disable any user controls that ask you "Are you sure you would like to deploy your airbags at this time."
Alright, alright I'll tell ya. I don't know how to drive either type of car. less
09/07/2010
I don't really want to learn, but I think I'm going to have to. When I move abroad and I am suddenly sitting on the other side of the car, I may as well learn then because everything is going to be up in the air. Learning curve, indeed!
09/07/2010
Quote:
Its funny that this post came up!!.. My guy and I have been arguing over whether or not it is ridiculous that I refuse to drive a stick. My parents taught me, at 15, 16, 25, last year..and my guy taught me last year also... but I still have problems switching from 1st to second. I get the idea of it.. and in an emergency I could probably do it.. but I just think it is an unnecessary headache LOL. My guy prefers driving a stick.. and is demanding that I get more comfortable with it so I can be designated driver in his car. SMH.
Originally posted by
LikeSunshineDust
My stick-shift driving ability is like my chess playing ability. I know how to in theory and have done it, but I'm very bad at it in practice.
We have agreed that I will at least practice.
UGH!
I dont want to!!!!
09/07/2010
Quote:
It's really easy once you get the hang of it, don't worry!
Originally posted by
petite-n-sweet
Its funny that this post came up!!.. My guy and I have been arguing over whether or not it is ridiculous that I refuse to drive a stick. My parents taught me, at 15, 16, 25, last year..and my guy taught me last year also... but I still have problems
...
more
Its funny that this post came up!!.. My guy and I have been arguing over whether or not it is ridiculous that I refuse to drive a stick. My parents taught me, at 15, 16, 25, last year..and my guy taught me last year also... but I still have problems switching from 1st to second. I get the idea of it.. and in an emergency I could probably do it.. but I just think it is an unnecessary headache LOL. My guy prefers driving a stick.. and is demanding that I get more comfortable with it so I can be designated driver in his car. SMH.
We have agreed that I will at least practice.
UGH!
I dont want to!!!! less
We have agreed that I will at least practice.
UGH!
I dont want to!!!! less
09/08/2010
I grew up learning about cars and such. My ex knew about that and said that my life would be incomplete if I have never tried driving a stick. He taught me and now I want to convert my car with a manual transmission haha.
09/10/2010
LOL! I love how "That Weird Guy" is the only one who answered "I refuse to answer your silly question." The irony.. it kills me.
09/14/2010
I wish I knew how to drive stick. If I ever have to drive while I am in Europe, I'm screwed.
10/15/2010
The first time I drove, I learned on a stick, but forgot in about five minutes. To this day, I still can't!
10/15/2010
I can't drive a stick. I want to learn but kinda scared lol. I don't want to mess the car up, but when the cance comes I will definatly learn.
10/15/2010