I travel a lot in Europe, and automatics are making big inroads. The reason people used to be against automatics was they got worse gas mileage (gas it a lot more expensive there), but the technology has advanced so an automatic now gets slightly better mileage than most people driving manual.

Now when I rent in Europe, if it's a mid-sized car or larger, it's always been automatic even if I don't request it. Only the smallest cars seem to be commonly stick these days.

Back to the question -- I have a manual but it's a rare sports car, so usually the valet agrees to let me self-park it, often right in front. They don't want to risk driving it themselves and messing it up.

I've never owned a manual, but I could drive one back in the day, no problem. My son is 18 and has shown an interest in learning how to drive one. I'm curious how I would fare if confronted with a stick shift now, 30 years or so after my last encounter. Is it like riding a bike?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only mentioned it when I used to have a odd stick shift.

It was a three speed stick in classic H style where up to left is reverse.

No matter how much I told them they thought up to left was first

What kind of car?

Jeep CJ7 - older American cars with a three speed stick - H style often had R up to left.

That Jeep was last true stick I owned. It had the long stick to shift as not hydraulic assist. So had to jam it into gear.

I loved that truck. Still a ton of CJ7s on road.

If you love sticks they are fun. Newer sticks are almost to easy to shift

Anonymous wrote:I only mentioned it when I used to have a odd stick shift.

It was a three speed stick in classic H style where up to left is reverse.

No matter how much I told them they thought up to left was first

What kind of car?

Subaru stopped making manuals. Our new Outback has the paddle shifters, but it's not the same thing.

Our 2nd car is a 1999 Forester in manual transmission. I'm keeping it running just for errands and to eventually teach our son how to drive. I just need to keep it running for another 12 years lol

I only mentioned it when I used to have a odd stick shift.

It was a three speed stick in classic H style where up to left is reverse.

No matter how much I told them they thought up to left was first

Driving a manual is so simple and I love it. I don’t understand why people are so averse to learning it. If you rent a car abroad, you’d better be ready to drive a stick.

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.

It's also great cognitive training for understanding what is supposed to be going on in your automatic transmission (ex. why to downshift to 2 or L when attempting to start in snow).

And it's impossible to text and drive a manual transmission car. So I will definitely be putting my kid in one, when the time comes.

Anonymous wrote:I just assumed that all valets would need to know how to drive a manual as part of the requirement for the job.

It baffles me that is not the case.....

This is why you ask or, better, valet only where you know the valet.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of cars don't even offer a manual anymore. Anything with CVT for example. In this area they are hard to sell since they can be a pain in stop and go suburban traffic.

Given that a CVT is a different type of transmission ....

Anonymous wrote:I just assumed that all valets would need to know how to drive a manual as part of the requirement for the job.

It baffles me that is not the case.....

Being a parking valet isn't exactly a job for which the boss is going to invest in training you for all eventualities.

And as noted in earlier posts--in the US there are fewer and fewer manual transmission cars for sale. That's been the case for many years now. I would not assume anyone already knew how to drive one.

My DH always rents a manual when we travel to his home country because he wants to keep up his skills at driving stick shift, and that's fine. But despite the fact that he loves them he agrees with the PP earlier who said that in stop and go heavy traffic, they can be less than ideal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Sucks that Audi isn’t making more manual transmission vehicles...

Audi dealer PP and I totally agree. Would have bought a new one already if they did. Holding on to our 2011 with 65,000 miles for a while.

I just assumed that all valets would need to know how to drive a manual as part of the requirement for the job.

It baffles me that is not the case.....

Anonymous wrote: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.

Sucks that Audi isn’t making more manual transmission vehicles...

A lot of cars don't even offer a manual anymore. Anything with CVT for example. In this area they are hard to sell since they can be a pain in stop and go suburban traffic.