Do your teens know how to drive a stick shift?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. They also can't churn butter or send Morse code.

Haha, this. Anyone saying it's a life skill better also be teaching them to ride a horse to work, since both have the same amount of relevance today.

I actually tried to buy my last car as a manual (I don't live in the DMV, traffic there is awful and i never would drive it there) but it cost more, was going to take longer to get, and it took 4 dealerships before one said they could do it. It is absolutely not relevant except "for fun" today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. They also can't churn butter or send Morse code.

So.... come the zombie apocalypse, they'll just be food.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Yes. DH loves driving a manual transmission so insisted on it when he last bought a car. Fine by me since teaching driving is 100% his responsibility.

[Anonymous]

No, it's 2021. I don't know how to drive a stick shift. We live in an urban area, why would anyone need that knowledge? Having a stick shift around DC is a terrible idea. If you live in Montana or something with lots of open roads, okay, but not in a city or dense suburbs. What's the point?

I grew up in similarly dense suburbs, and I didn't know a single person who had a stick shift, and no one I was friends with knew how to drive one - and this was back in the 90s. I can't imagine it's become more widespread, unless you're like a committed car enthusiast.

[Anonymous]

No. Not needed in US. Most rental companies in Europe are stick shift, in some
Smal places all you can get is a manual. But Uber, the bus, metro work to get around these days.

[Anonymous]

No, not inan urban area in 2021. There is no need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. They also can't churn butter or send Morse code.

Haha, this. Anyone saying it's a life skill better also be teaching them to ride a horse to work, since both have the same amount of relevance today.

I actually tried to buy my last car as a manual (I don't live in the DMV, traffic there is awful and i never would drive it there) but it cost more, was going to take longer to get, and it took 4 dealerships before one said they could do it. It is absolutely not relevant except "for fun" today.

We call it Earth Survival class with our kids, and it’s fun! They can change a tire, start a fire, drive a stick, change the oil, etc.

And rent a cheap manual car in Europe and S America!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, it's 2021. I don't know how to drive a stick shift. We live in an urban area, why would anyone need that knowledge? Having a stick shift around DC is a terrible idea. If you live in Montana or something with lots of open roads, okay, but not in a city or dense suburbs. What's the point?

I grew up in similarly dense suburbs, and I didn't know a single person who had a stick shift, and no one I was friends with knew how to drive one - and this was back in the 90s. I can't imagine it's become more widespread, unless you're like a committed car enthusiast.

My stick shift Honda on Capitol Hill never gets stolen. Street parking.

All the automatic Honda’s, stolen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's so fun to drive a manual! I feel like Mario Andretti.

And brake PDS last forever with the downshifting.

Much more control of the vehicle than lame automatics that constantly shift at too weak of RPMs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. They also can't churn butter or send Morse code.

Haha, this. Anyone saying it's a life skill better also be teaching them to ride a horse to work, since both have the same amount of relevance today.

I actually tried to buy my last car as a manual (I don't live in the DMV, traffic there is awful and i never would drive it there) but it cost more, was going to take longer to get, and it took 4 dealerships before one said they could do it. It is absolutely not relevant except "for fun" today.

Hahaha and yes it depends where you live. We have lived and been on vacation in countries where every car we borrowed, bought, drove for work and/or rented had a manual transmission. I agree in the US it's often for fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's almost impossible to find a manual in the US, and even in Europe most new purchases are automatics. I think it's a useful skill, but if I ever decide to give up my Mini Cooper, I will have almost no options (beyond maybe Subaru and VW) for a manual transmission in a daily driver.

Honda and Toyota also make them. I test drove both and bought the Honda.

[Anonymous]

No, he can't. His father and I can. I learned to drive in Europe in 1995 when most cars had stick shits. My ex is a redneck American who car drive a stick. We went to Europe and they were ready to make fun of him. He told them the first car he stole was a stick shift.
I don't need my kid to know how to drive one. I need him to know that there are stick shifts and they are different. I think my ex has a stick shift used Civic right now. good thing is that nobody asks to borrow the car.

[Anonymous]

Not yet, but we’re hanging on to our stick shift Honda so DC can learn to drive it in a couple years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. They also can't churn butter or send Morse code.

Haha, this. Anyone saying it's a life skill better also be teaching them to ride a horse to work, since both have the same amount of relevance today.

I actually tried to buy my last car as a manual (I don't live in the DMV, traffic there is awful and i never would drive it there) but it cost more, was going to take longer to get, and it took 4 dealerships before one said they could do it. It is absolutely not relevant except "for fun" today.

This is funny! I know tons of kids who ride horses. Nobody drives manual though.