Should Men Be Able To Drive Stick?

randallscott35 · #1 05-26-2011, 07:59 AM

I can't and I don't want to learn. It seems very busy to me. I like to space out when I drive.

Meanwhile my wife can drive stick but she is from Vermont and it is a Suburu cult up there so it is kind of a must.

At times I felt like less of a man because of this....but I've come to grips with this.

GPK · #2 05-26-2011, 08:21 AM

Your slip is showing, Rand.

randallscott35 · #3 05-26-2011, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GPK

Your slip is showing, Rand.

Will be interested to see how many others have it showing as well...or admit it.

MaTH716 · #4 05-26-2011, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randallscott35

Will be interested to see how many others have it showing as well...or admit it.

I'll let my slip show, I don't know how to drive it and have no intrest in learning. I grew up in Staten Island (one of the five boroughs of N.Y., for any of the hayseeds who might not know where it is) and it was pretty populated, a lot of stop and go traffic. Even the highways don't move like they should, so driving stick really would have been nothing more than a gigantic pain in the ass.

randallscott35 · #5 05-26-2011, 09:12 AM

No question where you live makes a huge difference in this.

randallscott35 · #6 05-26-2011, 09:24 AM

Figures show that only about 10 percent of the cars on the road in the United States are manuals, and an even smaller percentage — only about 6 percent — can be purchased new with sticks, Mr. Alterman said. “Even Ferrari’s sportiest model, the 458 Italia, doesn’t come with a stick,” he added as a point of emphasis.

OldDog · #7 05-26-2011, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randallscott35

No question where you live makes a huge difference in this.

True, but one of my rides is a stick and I don't mind driving it in traffic - but then I don't drive in traffic much. I learned to drive as a kid in a Ford pickup with "3-on-the-tree." Trucks have a heavy duty clutch and those are no fun in stop and start traffic. My truck today is an automatic, and I like it that way. But I like sporty cars, too, and to me an automatic takes the "sports" out of sports cars.

Bigsmc · #8 05-26-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaTH716

I'll let my slip show, I don't know how to drive it and have no intrest in learning. I grew up in Staten Island (one of the five boroughs of N.Y., for any of the hayseeds who might not know where it is) and it was pretty populated, a lot of stop and go traffic. Even the highways don't move like they should, so driving stick really would have been nothing more than a gigantic pain in the ass.

That explains a lot.

I've owned two different cars and an F150 that were manual shift. That first time your sitting at an uphill stoplight hoping you don't roll backwards into the guy that is 6" behind you when you start again, can be a bit intimidating, but as Santana said, it becomes second nature even in stop and go traffic. When the right foot goes for the break, the left foot automatically starts for the clutch to begin downshifting.

MaTH716 · #9 05-26-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

That explains a lot.

I've owned two different cars and an F150 that were manual shift. That first time your sitting at an uphill stoplight hoping you don't roll backwards into the guy that is 6" behind you when you start again, can be a bit intimidating, but as Santana said, it becomes second nature even in stop and go traffic. When the right foot goes for the break, the left foot automatically starts for the clutch to begin downshifting.

I think Vic must be from the Rock also, cause the first response that came into my mind was..............

Bite me!

Danzig · #10 05-26-2011, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

That explains a lot.

I've owned two different cars and an F150 that were manual shift. That first time your sitting at an uphill stoplight hoping you don't roll backwards into the guy that is 6" behind you when you start again, can be a bit intimidating, but as Santana said, it becomes second nature even in stop and go traffic. When the right foot goes for the break, the left foot automatically starts for the clutch to begin downshifting.

i fell into the habit of putting my left foot on the clutch even when there wasn't one...it because automatic, you get so used to it.

as for downshifting, never really do that. coming to a stop, i just put it in neutral.

AeWingnut · #11 05-26-2011, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

That explains a lot.

I've owned two different cars and an F150 that were manual shift. That first time your sitting at an uphill stoplight hoping you don't roll backwards into the guy that is 6" behind you when you start again, can be a bit intimidating, but as Santana said, it becomes second nature even in stop and go traffic. When the right foot goes for the break, the left foot automatically starts for the clutch to begin downshifting.

I still remember the 1st time I had to do that. When I went from manual to automatic... I pushed in the phantom clutch constantly
oh the good ole days

Antitrust32 · #12 05-26-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GPK

Your slip is showing, Rand.

great picture Kev... she's almost as tall as you already!

randallscott35 · #13 05-26-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

great picture Kev... she's almost as tall as you already!

GPK · #14 05-28-2011, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

great picture Kev... she's almost as tall as you already!

Thanks LF. She's amazing.

I learned to drive both at the same time. My old man was a hunter for a long time and I remember growing up, he had an old '77 Dodge 4x4 with 3 on the wheel. In '85, he bought a Toyota 4X4 and that was the stick I learned to drive. He put 33's on it, and it was flat bad ass. I used to get home from school on Fridays and wash it so he would let me drive it for the weekends to football or basketball games.

Ok, the redneck is leaving now...

hi_im_god · #15 05-28-2011, 05:22 PM

i don't think it's any less manly to drive an automatic but you're really missing out on a joy. sticks are fun. that's why people like them. downshifting into a turn and accelerating out of it makes you smile.

and while we're on the subject of driving, rear wheel drive rocks. but even if you have front wheel drive, manual is more fun than auto.

GPK · #16 05-28-2011, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hi_im_god

i don't think it's any less manly to drive an automatic but you're really missing out on a joy. sticks are fun. that's why people like them. downshifting into a turn and accelerating out of it makes you smile.

and while we're on the subject of driving, rear wheel drive rocks. but even if you have front wheel drive, manual is more fun than auto.

I drove a Honda S2000 for a little while (divorce present to myself

) and it was 6 speed. I couldn't imagine driving a car like that with an automatic. Would have been incredibly boring.

Danzig · #17 05-26-2011, 08:48 PM

i learned to drive a standard shift in a one ton chevy c-30 pickup, 1984 model, with no power steering. love driving a standard, and hate that my current car only came in automatic.

our truck is a standard, so i love driving that. f250 long wheel base four door. and you should see the faces when i back the trailer down the boat ramp for tony. yeah, i do that.

geez randall, turn in your man-card!!

AeWingnut · #18 05-26-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randallscott35

I can't and I don't want to learn. It seems very busy to me. I like to space out when I drive.

Meanwhile my wife can drive stick but she is from Vermont and it is a Suburu cult up there so it is kind of a must.

At times I felt like less of a man because of this....but I've come to grips with this.

inattentive drivers are the number one reason for accidents/ road rage