POLL: Can you drive a manual transmission?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

LOL there have been two attempted carjackings in our vicinity where the would-be carjacker left the car and fled down the street to try elsewhere

Manual transmission

Didn't know how to start it

 

When we told my kid (teenager) we had identified a suitable used car we intended to buy for her use, she gave us "the look" and said "it's a Manual, isn't it?"

Kid knows us well. 

4 months later: "When Dad borrows my car.  he ruins my gas mileage.  He waits too long to shift" 

LOL

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 hours ago, Fan in Chicago said:

I learned to drive stick shift in the streets of Mumbai. Does that pass your criteria ? 

Wow! It most certainly does!  ?

57 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

LOL there have been two attempted carjackings in our vicinity where the would-be carjacker left the car and fled down the street to try elsewhere

Manual transmission

Didn't know how to start it

 

When we told my kid (teenager) we had identified a suitable used car we intended to buy for her use, she gave us "the look" and said "it's a Manual, isn't it?"

Kid knows us well. 

4 months later: "When Dad borrows my car.  he ruins my gas mileage.  He waits too long to shift" 

LOL

 

Ha!

 

I think My son rolls all the way to Iowa in neutral... "Hyper-miling."

 

Yes... That's a real technique/practice... Hyper-miling! /smh...

 

?

[rockpile]

I can drive a manual transmission but in 1959 I was only six years old.

 

[rockpile]

23 hours ago, GoBills808 said:

7% seems ridiculously low, cite your sources asap.

 

I can drive a damn rig w/a 16 speed gearbox, who are these 93%ers who can't find 1st?

 

I used to drive a freezer delivery van. It had a two speed axle and eight total gears. I rarely needed more than four gears.

[keepthefaith]

4 minutes ago, rockpile said:

 

I used to drive a freezer delivery van. It had a two speed axle and eight total gears. I rarely needed more than four gears.

 

I owned a Plymouth Champ in the mid 80's.  Very small car and it had a 2nd manual gear lever to change the axle ratio.  On 0-60 runs you could open your hand and in a single quick motion move both levers to go from 2nd-high to 3rd-low.  Quick and very good handling car.  It was a blast. 

Edited February 16, 2019 by keepthefaith

[Greybeard]

      You didn't say whether it was on the column or the floor.   I have never driven a manual on the column, so I don't know the pattern.   Also, you should have asked how many manual drivers had to go up a steep hill with a stoplight on it.  Always a joy.

 

     I did have on experience where I rented a car in France in  1977.   The girl said at the counter said "Oh your an american, so you need an automatic transmission.

Of course I said, "no I can do a manual."   So I got in the car to drive it and it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how to get it into reverse.   I thought all cars were the same and assumed it was like my Opel.  The Opel had a ring on the shifter just under the knob you had to pull up.  The rented car did not.  I must have pushed and pulled on every knob and switch in the car with no luck.  I finally pushed down on the shifter. Voila.

[DrW]

1 hour ago, Greybeard said:

     Also, you should have asked how many manual drivers had to go up a steep hill with a stoplight on it.  Always a joy.

 

 

Growing up in Germany, driving a manual came naturally. And yes, starting on a steep hill required a carefully choreographed interaction between clutch, gas, and hand brake (for those of you who do not know, a manually operated parking brake). When I last went back to Germany several years ago, the rental car (a manual) had a foot-operated parking brake, Thus, I was not sure how starting on a hill would work. But, to my surprise, the car did not roll backward when I released the clutch before hitting the gas pedal. They must have found a solution to this problem, but don't ask me how it works... 

Edited February 16, 2019 by DrW

[Nextmanup]

22 minutes ago, DrW said:

 

Growing up in Germany, driving a manual came naturally. And yes, starting on a steep hill required a carefully choreographed interaction between clutch, gas, and hand brake (for those of you who do not know, a manually operated parking brake). When I last went back to Germany several years ago, the rental car (a manual) had a foot-operated parking brake, Thus, I was not sure how starting on a hill would work. But, to my surprise, the car did not roll backward when I released the clutch before hitting the gas pedal. They must have found a solution to this problem, but don't ask me how it works... 

It's an anti-roll feature that is increasingly common on modern cars.

 

Computer senses wheel rotation combined with zero percent throttle opening, and gently applies the brake for you.

 

I'm sure drivers who know how to driver a manual tranny are diminishing, but it's not because we are a soft nation.

 

It's because the technology is being pushed out of the auto industry with increasingly more complex automatic and semi-automatic transmissions.

 

For example, for quite some time now you haven't been able to buy a new Ferrari with a manual transmission.  Even German manufacturers who used to be reliable in offering a manual transmission in things like a BMW 3 series or Audi A4 have ditched the technology in favor of semi-automatic paddle shifters.

 

One of the very few holdouts left who is insistent on offering a manual tranny is good old Porsche.

 

It's the same with really cheap cars too.  They used to come with manual transmissions to save money; now they just aren't offered anymore b/c as a rule, Americans don't want to buy such vehicles.  Over time the option has been deleted.

 

You can't really ask young kids to know how to use technology that is fairly difficult to find these days.

 

 

[DrW]

2 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

I'm sure drivers who know how to driver a manual tranny are diminishing, but it's not because we are a soft nation.

 

It's because the technology is being pushed out of the auto industry with increasingly more complex automatic and semi-automatic transmissions.

 

 

Interesting point. What about motorcycles? Honda had an automatic a long while ago, but that did not last too long. In the future, will we get automatic Yamahas/Kawasakis/Suzukis/...?

Edited February 17, 2019 by DrW

[meazza]

Yes every car I’ve owned was manual.

 

im 38

[Marv's Neighbor]

Learned in a 3 speed Chevrolet.  It's along time ago, but like riding as bicycle, you never forget.  Couldn't be bothered now.  

[ExiledInIllinois]

6 hours ago, DrW said:

 

Growing up in Germany, driving a manual came naturally. And yes, starting on a steep hill required a carefully choreographed interaction between clutch, gas, and hand brake (for those of you who do not know, a manually operated parking brake). When I last went back to Germany several years ago, the rental car (a manual) had a foot-operated parking brake, Thus, I was not sure how starting on a hill would work. But, to my surprise, the car did not roll backward when I released the clutch before hitting the gas pedal. They must have found a solution to this problem, but don't ask me how it works... 

Hill assist.  I think VW or Subaru came up with it in the 70s or 80s.  On the MINI/BMW... It gives you about 2 seconds to get from brake to accelerator before rolling.

 

Back in late 1990s...We were coming back from the mountains in New Hampshire to Boston...  I was driving my sister inlaw's 1990's Toyota Camry... Stick.  We get to a red light that is way on top of hill and my SiL is like: "Oh, I just wait at bottom of hill for the light, this is a real scary light!!!"  I said: "That's insane!  That's like 200' feet away... Don't you piss off the drivers behind you?... We will wait at top of hill at light where you are supposed to!"

 

A flatlander in New England teaching them how to drive manual... Go figure!

1 hour ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Learned in a 3 speed Chevrolet.  It's along time ago, but like riding as bicycle, you never forget.  Couldn't be bothered now.  

On the column or floor?

 

My father had a 1970s Chevy truck... Shifter was on column.

6 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

It's an anti-roll feature that is increasingly common on modern cars.

 

Computer senses wheel rotation combined with zero percent throttle opening, and gently applies the brake for you.

 

I'm sure drivers who know how to driver a manual tranny are diminishing, but it's not because we are a soft nation.

 

It's because the technology is being pushed out of the auto industry with increasingly more complex automatic and semi-automatic transmissions.

 

For example, for quite some time now you haven't been able to buy a new Ferrari with a manual transmission.  Even German manufacturers who used to be reliable in offering a manual transmission in things like a BMW 3 series or Audi A4 have ditched the technology in favor of semi-automatic paddle shifters.

 

One of the very few holdouts left who is insistent on offering a manual tranny is good old Porsche.

 

It's the same with really cheap cars too.  They used to come with manual transmissions to save money; now they just aren't offered anymore b/c as a rule, Americans don't want to buy such vehicles.  Over time the option has been deleted.

 

You can't really ask young kids to know how to use technology that is fairly difficult to find these days.

 

 

MINI (BMW) is still offering classic manual.

[Marv's Neighbor]

9 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Hill assist.  I think VW or Subaru came up with it in the 70s or 80s.  On the MINI/BMW... It gives you about 2 seconds to get from brake to accelerator before rolling.

 

Back in late 1990s...We were coming back from the mountains in New Hampshire to Boston...  I was driving my sister inlaw's 1990's Toyota Camry... Stick.  We get to a red light that is way on top of hill and my SiL is like: "Oh, I just wait at bottom of hill for the light, this is a real scary light!!!"  I said: "That's insane!  That's like 200' feet away... Don't you piss off the drivers behind you?... We will wait at top of hill at light where you are supposed to!"

 

A flatlander in New England teaching them how to drive manual... Go figure!

On the column or floor? 

 

My father had a 1970s Chevy truck... Shifter was on column.

MINI (BMW) is still offering classic manual.

3 on the tree!

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

FB must be watching 

 

[RochesterRob]

1 hour ago, ShadyBillsFan said:

FB must be watching 

 

  I can only think of the Kirk-Spock exchange when they commandeer the 1920's flivver (car) in "A Piece of the Action."

[BeginnersMind]

19 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

 

MINI (BMW) is still offering classic manual.

 

Not a lot but still a few are. Subaru and VW at the lower consumer level and still offer manual. Mini as you noted.

 

The VW GTI is a really fun affordable car, cheaper by a grand in manual. 

 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

On 2/16/2019 at 11:23 AM, Hapless Bills Fan said:

LOL there have been two attempted carjackings in our vicinity where the would-be carjacker left the car and fled down the street to try elsewhere

Manual transmission

Didn't know how to start it

 

When we told my kid (teenager) we had identified a suitable used car we intended to buy for her use, she gave us "the look" and said "it's a Manual, isn't it?"

Kid knows us well. 

4 months later: "When Dad borrows my car.  he ruins my gas mileage.  He waits too long to shift" 

LOL

 

To my daughter’s credit, the first car she bought was a manual because that was the only one on the dealership lot she could afford.  The salesman took her to a church parking lot down the street for some prepurchase practice.  I actually drove it home at delivery.  There’s a quiet area a few miles away with a moderate hill where we perfected her technique.  The faithful little standard lasted 15 years before a rotted frame sent it to the junkyard.

*

A few years back, the automobile critic for Artvoice was relating a story about a test driver who showed up at a dealership to road test and rate a model, but being unable to drive a standard.  Time for that dolt to get a new career.

Edited February 18, 2019 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[Kirby Jackson]

On 2/15/2019 at 1:39 AM, ExiledInIllinois said:

I was reading somewhere that around 7% of the US driving population knows how to drive a manual transmission (ie: "Stick Shift) vehicle.  I figured a poll of the board can be asked to see what the percentage here is.  I expect the numbers to be higher than 7% of the drivers here.

 

This is NOT a public poll. If you want to divulge who you are, you can in a post.

 

I added the 1959 profiency requirement because we all know how soft we've become.  Back then they actually failed people for driving like poo.  LoL... Long story for possibly later in this thread (if this thread even goes anywhere before the usual suspects wreck things). 

 

Feel free to critique my poll-making skills/methodology.  This is one of the few polls I have ever done. Go easy on me.  Also, free-form... Add anything you want (within reason people! ? )... Stories, crashes, rolling back into another vehicle, stalling on train tracks and running from your vehicle the wrong way while a speeding train is approaching, stories about learning, starting the vehicle without clutch pedal pressed down (pre-safety days) and almost crashing through garage door, etc... etc... You know, "good stuff."

 

Only one rule:  @BringBackFergy and his ilk are NOT allowed to wreck this thread and all my not so hard work.

So 7% of the US can drive a stick but 83.52% of TBD claims to be able to? I’m not surprised.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Kirby Jackson

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

46 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

So 7% of the US can drive a stick but 83.52% of TBD claims to be able to? I’m not surprised.

We’re a talented bunch.  Plus, we’ve learned how to ‘massage’ the truth, thanks to Dunkirk Don, and the idiot who bet $5K on the Vikings.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

So 7% of the US can drive a stick but 83.52% of TBD claims to be able to? I’m not surprised.

 

Also, if you read this board you will see that 83.52% of TBD have wives/girlfriends that look just like 21-year-old supermodels.