We only buy manual cars. It’s gotten harder to find, especially in larger cars. I rarely valet though. We’ve been car shopping and every car salesman has known how to drive a stick shift. The cars are hard to find on the lot though and we really only want to test drive manuals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All five of my kids know how to drive a stick. I think it’s really important. I would hope that most valets know how to drive a stick. Aren’t most sports cars still manual transmission?

Why is it so important? Like some post apocalyptic event occurs and the only escape is a stick shift?

I’ve driven many a manual in my life as a co driver on long trips back in college. But never had any other event which required that skill.

Have you ever rented a car overseas? In many countries, manual is your only option.

Or best option. Got a great upgrade for taking a manual in South America when others were being "American" about the shortage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All five of my kids know how to drive a stick. I think it’s really important. I would hope that most valets know how to drive a stick. Aren’t most sports cars still manual transmission?

Why is it so important? Like some post apocalyptic event occurs and the only escape is a stick shift?

I’ve driven many a manual in my life as a co driver on long trips back in college. But never had any other event which required that skill.

Have you ever rented a car overseas? In many countries, manual is your only option.

Anonymous wrote:All five of my kids know how to drive a stick. I think it’s really important. I would hope that most valets know how to drive a stick. Aren’t most sports cars still manual transmission?

Why is it so important? Like some post apocalyptic event occurs and the only escape is a stick shift?

I’ve driven many a manual in my life as a co driver on long trips back in college. But never had any other event which required that skill.

All five of my kids know how to drive a stick. I think it’s really important. I would hope that most valets know how to drive a stick. Aren’t most sports cars still manual transmission?

I have two cars with manual transmission. I would not risk having some strangers messing with them. Nope.

Two out of our three cars are manual but we don’t valet often. I am starting to get irked because it takes forever to get my car out of service at the dealership. Even the Audi dealer we go to only has like one guy who can bring it around to the front.

Anonymous wrote:As someone from a country outside the US, I have to laugh at this thread.

#1 reason I encouraged DW to learn

Yes and no, just depends on my mood at the moment and if I feel like making a joking "hey, you can drive this, right?" type comment or not.

I have never learned to drive stick shift. I'm 50 and briefly attempted to learn on my brother's new car when I was in the market for my own. Ended up buying automatic again and again.

My two teens haven't learned, either.

As someone from a country outside the US, I have to laugh at this thread.

Yup. We have one automatic and one standard transmission in our household. Normally we take the the automatic if we think we'll need to valet. Last year we had the standard. Same place we've gone many times. Pulled up, gave them the keys, didn't think much about it. Until, after a few minutes, the valet guy got back out and was like "there's a non-valet spot over there if you'd like to use it...."

Anonymous wrote:I had a car salesman who needed me to get the car I was interested in out if a tight spot behind several other vehicles. The salesman couldn’t drive a standard transmission.

A few months ago, AAA came to my house when one of my vehicles had a dead battery. The guy who came to replace the battery tried starting the car after the new battery was installed and said the car’s failure to start must be due to another issue. He was turning the key and nothing was happening.

I noticed he was not pushing in the clutch (which is necessary to start the car) Told him to push the clutch in and then turn the car on. He said “what’s the clutch?”

Once it was explained to him, he was able to start the car successfully

I am OP. Your AAA thing would have made me crazy. I would have called in and reported that a service person they sent to work on my specific STANDARD car did not know what a clutch was. You have much more patience than I.

I had a car salesman who needed me to get the car I was interested in out if a tight spot behind several other vehicles. The salesman couldn’t drive a standard transmission.

A few months ago, AAA came to my house when one of my vehicles had a dead battery. The guy who came to replace the battery tried starting the car after the new battery was installed and said the car’s failure to start must be due to another issue. He was turning the key and nothing was happening.

I noticed he was not pushing in the clutch (which is necessary to start the car) Told him to push the clutch in and then turn the car on. He said “what’s the clutch?”

Once it was explained to him, he was able to start the car successfully

All of the family/ personal cars in my lifetime have been stick/ manual except for one automatic that was passed down from a relative (that I ultimately gave to another relative, who preferred automatic).

I do valet parking rarely, maybe twice/ year. I always mention that the car is a manual because more than once, I have been asked to pull over until the one person who can drive it is available to park the car. I understand, it's fine, manual is not common these days.

Last night I attended a work function with valet parking, mentioned the manual/ stick shift, and the parking attendant seemed flummoxed. Then he said he could drive it, no problem, his first car was a manual. I was a smidge worried, yes. My car was returned in fine condition though, and I have no reason to believe there was any issue.

My question- has anyone who drives a standard/ manual transmission had issues with parking, either valet or in a garage? Do you even mention it, or just assume the staff can drive it? I don't want to assume that no one can drive it if they can, but I get that manual transmissions are not common these days.