Anybody Else Not Know How to Drive a Stick?

I love to drive a stick shift.

But I know you are definitely not alone. When we were selling my Mustang many people,men and women, had to pass it up because they couldn't drive stick and didn't want to learn.

Nope. I'm in the same boat. My husband has a standard and I don't care to learn. He wants me to. Oh well!!!

No, you are not the last. I can drive an automatic. I have had two people try to teach me how to drive a stick--without success. That was the end of my interest in that! I actually have zero interest in driving in general, I can walk or bus to everything.

I'm 45 and learned how to drive on a stick shift when I was about 11 and spent the summers at our family's ranch in MT driving hay wagons. I haven't driven one in years but am glad I "know" how. You never know if we are under attack by zombies that you will have to hop in whatever is available and get away. lolololol

Learned on a stick and that's all I drove for many years. Lots more fun than my boring automatic. I know the no clutch trick too and can't how many jump starts I'd made by the time I turned 25.

When your first car is a 1968 VW bug you learn all the tricks!

About 10 years ago I was in a car accident that totaled my automatic. The car I wanted as a replacement was brand new to the model lineup and only available in a stick shift (automatics were coming, but not for a few months and I needed a car ASAP). So...I bought it.

Plenty of people know how to drive a stick, right? Even teenagers. How hard could it be?

Uh, I quickly found out!

I started out doing ok. Then it seemed with each lesson, taught by my husband, I got progressively worse.

First we had a 30 minute drive where he got out of the car at the end and kissed the ground.

Then we had a moment in our neighborhood where I stopped at a red light, then missed three green cycles trying to cross the street, while my husband proclaimed he had never heard the car make a particular sound before (we swapped cars for everyday use while I was trying to learn), wondered what the weird smell was and took over as driver so we could finally cross the intersection and get home.

That was followed by me barely being able to switch the cars in the driveway one morning.

All of this fun "somehow" :) ruined something in the car. Of course, it was only a few months old and under warranty so Acura had to overnight FedEx a new engine, transmission and clutch from Japan. The service department knew I was learning on the car but didn't fathom I could do THAT much damage! Oh, little did they know me.

After another month or so of trying, failing and bringing the car back to the dealer to get fixed again, we all declared the experiment a grand disaster. The automatics were in and Acura offered me a straight up trade-in for another brand new model if I would please go back to driving what I knew how to.

Done.

And I've never regretted being 39 and still unable to drive a manual!

EDIT TO ADD:

To Bri's Mommy - All this fuss was over the RSX Type S! Had to swap for the automatic RSX. Loved that car, too and I also drive a 05 TSX now. Not nearly as awesome.

I was taught how to drive at 8 years old. My dad took me out and taught me. Strange, I know, but Southern kids learn how to drive tractors, etc. I learned to drive with a clutch.

I taught my son to drive with a clutch. It definitely takes some finesse.

I personally think everyone should be able to drive a stick shift. It may not be your preference, but you never know what situation might come up. A person should be able to drive whatever is available to them at the time.
I've had a broken leg and other injuries and thank heavens I taught my son to use the vehicle available to us. In an emergency, he can drive anything.

No offense, but I don't know why you wouldn't want to learn how to drive your husband's car. You should be able to hop into anything and know how to get yourself from Point A to Point B.

It's not rocket science. It just takes some practice.
Expand your horizons. Let your husband teach you.

Just my opinion.

My mother actually taught me on a stick. She didn't want me to ever be standed somewhere and the only way to leave was a stick and me not know how to drive it. I really enjoyed it and my first car was a stick that I drove for 6 years. I now drive an automatic but kind of miss the stick shift. Wouldn't hurt for you to learn especially for reasoning such as why my mom taught me. You may find you like it more. Even though I had a small engine guys would want to race me off the line and I always thought it was funny. I didn't have much under the hood but I could always get off the line a lot faster. I think it would hurt their ego so they'd give up but if they even tried they could have smoked me in the long run. Oh those were the days.

I taught my daughter how to drive a stick with a blindfold on and bare feet. I sat in the passenger seat and the car was in the middle of a 10 acre square. She learned how to "feel" the clutch action and after you feel that the rest is pretty easy.

The action of pushing in the clutch, changing the gear, and letting clutch back out all starts and stops with knowing when to go slower or release totally.

It's all about not letting go of the clutch so it bangs and the car hops around. It's really really easy once you feel that action. It is tension or something but you can feel it with your feet.

There may be a time when you're out traveling in this vehicle and he gets sick, needing medical attention as soon as possible. If you sit there because you just chose to not learn how to drive it then it may take too long for an ambulance to get to you. If you were able to drive the vehicle even a few miles closer to meeting the ambulance it might save his life. I would never just not want to be able to drive any vehicle.

My dad died in the Arbuckle Wilderness near Davis Oklahoma. Dad started having chest pains and put some Nitro under his tongue but it was very very old. My brother was doing CPR, my mom was a basket case, and my ex sil drove the van down the mountains to meet the ambulance. She didn't have the foggiest idea how to drive it but she got them rolling downhill. He still didn't make it.

Even though I was at home in OKC and didn't know until later that evening I know that if I had been there I might have been able to drive faster and got him help sooner. I still think he would have died though. When it's our time to go there isn't much that can be done about our "expiration date".

I have even had a friend teach me the rudimentary skills to drive a semi. It was over 25 years ago but I think if I had to I could drive it enough to get it on the road and moving.

So please just take some time and try it. There is no reason not to and it could be something that you pick right up. If it's not then at least you know the feel of the clutch grabbing and letting go and can drive it in an emergency.

hope you're not multitasking WHILE you're driving your automatic transmission car ;) lol.

stick shift driver and proud of it here...i have an independent streak. i love that i will never be "stuck" somewhere in some weird situation, needing to drive someone else's car, but unable to....you should learn! it's kinda fun :)

I think most people in america don't know how to, it's not taught in your driving classes, and most of your cars are automatic. Where I am from (UK) it is the other way around, we ONLY have manuals, automatics are considered for the lazy! I have an auto now, and I wouldn't go back. To me it frees your mind up to concentrate on driving.

People have "taught" me the same way people have taught me algbra, never use it and could not explain either one to someone now.
In case of zoombies I would give it a hell of a shot, but you might be better off catching the next bus.

I not only can drive a stick but due to an ill timed knee injury I can drive one without using the clutch. :)

But you are not alone, I know a mess of people who can't drive one.

I only learned April of 2011. My husband had tried to teach me before then on his truck and I couldn't stand it. I hated the fact that every time I screwed up, he was right, there. Plus, I was terrified I was going to destroy his truck. So, while he was away for training, I decided I would go ahead and figure it out on my own, and ta-da!!! I can do it now! I still have the occasional hiccup (darn first gear) but I'm pretty solid otherwise! :)

My first car was a stick that I had pre ordered! After the deal, the salesman took me to a vacant lot for quick practice and I drove home by myself ( with younger brother with me). I loved that car and had a couple of stick cars afterwards as well!

Fun to drive and good to know how , just in case you need it!!

I drive stick and prefer it. I have more control over the vehicle. Plus you can get it going with just a push if needed. Would not want to go back to an automatic

i can't drive stick either. never could get the hang of driving with both feet but i can do most things with one hand or the other!!

I know how, just because that's what I learned to drive.

You are definitely not in the minority, most people I know, don't know how to drive a manual transmission.

I'm 45 and can drive manual and automatic transmissions. When I met my husband, I was driving a stick shift jeep, and he was so impressed! He said he only knew one other woman who could drive a stick-shift car.

Back in the old days when I started driving, buying a car with an automatic transmission cost a lot more than the manual - so I went with the less expensive option.

It's not really hard, just takes practice and a PATIENT teacher.

I practically learned to drive on a stick. Dad's little Mazda B2000 truck. It was only a 4 speed I think. I was about 13.

Since I have been an actual legal driver, I have had only one car that was NOT a stick. My very first car. I cannot fathom the idea of not being able to drive one. Another poster below me posted about not being stranded if you were in a situation where the only vehicle you could drive was an automatic. I agree with the logic behind that. (I also just plain think it is fun, and I am not looking forward to actually considering buying an automatic---I have had some issues with my left foot--the clutch foot--- and using the clutch sometimes irritates the ball of the foot on that foot).

On the flip side: My mother cannot drive a stick. When she comes to visit us, she cannot drive our cars. She cannot go anywhere on her own if she doesn't drive her own car. That can be an annoyance if we go anywhere in 2 cars (mine and husband's) or we meet somewhere when he gets off work, and she is ready to go home sooner... That sort of thing. Just an inconvenience/annoyance. I wouldn't want my kids (down the road when I am older) to worry that I might be unable to drive their car in an emergency.

It didn't dawn on me at the time---but my mom came to stay with us when I was pregnant. If I had gone into labor while husband was at work (an hour away), she wouldn't have been able to drive me to the hospital. Her car was in another state (Dad came down with her, dropped her to stay with us for 2 weeks and he went back home for work, in their car).

I love them. Really, I do. I'm sure you are not the only one who doesn't know how, but if you live in a household that has a manual transmission vehicle, why would you NOT want to know how to drive it?
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Our son is 14 and husband is teaching him to drive. He is learning on a stick (of course, since that is all we own). He is having a rough time, but I cannot imagine sending my son out into the world without him knowing how to drive a stick.

It's been many many years and I never was very comfortable with it, but I did it. I can drive a motorcycle tho.

I hear you and have no desire to learn either. I'm 46 and my first car was a 1969 VW Bug...even that was autostick. My honey has a manual Lexus and I would have any idea how to pull it in the garage. Oh well!

Do they still make cars with manual transmission? I wish my mini van had it. It's so fun. My dad was nice enough to teach me...but made me learn going up hill..nice ;). I bet making all cars manual transmission would cut down on cell phone use....you have to use both hands at times!

I never learned to drive a stick, never wanted to! The only thing that could change my mind is someone giving me a fully restored muscle car....a 65-69 mustang, a beautiful charger from the 70s, etc. But since that's unlikely to happen, I'm not planning on learning. :P

I have no idea. No, really I tried in my 20s and apparently I have no talent for it.

I've always lived somewhere that has a moderate amount of traffic. Frequently I have to go out during rush hour. So, I have had no motivation to learn or drive a stick.

I know how but I don't like to drive a stick.

I never got very good at driving a stick...always felt more comfortable with an automatic. In fact, my DH cannot drive one either....

My dad tried to teach me to drive a stick and it was an absolute disaster. I refused. Luckily, 5 years later, I had a boyfriend with a manual car and he taught me. I still drive an automatic, but I think it's a very useful thing to know. There may be a time when you have to drive someone else's car and they have a stick.

My husband can not drive a stick, but he wants to learn.

I learned how to drive on one. I always thought they were more fun!

When you practice try to remember (and visualize) the fact that the clutch and the gas need to go in and out and the same time...so when you push in the clutch you are letting off the gas and when you are letting out the clutch you are easing onto the gas. Put your hands out even and flat in front of you and then move them back and forth how the pedals will go. This will help you visualize how it needs to go!

~Sadly a few years back we got rid of our only manual transmission vehicle. It was a Dark Blue 1991 Ford Explorer, no bells and whistles, no automatic windows, no frills what-so-ever! It was a 5 speed and THE best used car I have ever owned! :( Loved that truck!

But to answer your question: My 18y/o SS doesn't know how to drive a stick yet b/c we have nothing to teach him on! No one in my family has one anymore...my husband doesn't like them (he can drive them though) so we didn't buy one when we bought our last 2 new cars!

DH tried to teach me how to drive a stick when we were dating. I got lost somewhere between "can you hear the engine winding up" and "can you feel the engine grab". Grab what? I never did get the hang of it and I have no desire to. DH hasn't had a manual car in 25 years. I see no more reason to learn now than I did way back when. I could have written your post - lol.

Darn, Girl!! If I was still in CA - i would drive up and teach you!!!

I can drive a manual transmission and 3-on-a-tree (the gears on the steering column).

The "trick" is to keep the pedals "even" in release and depression. I know the hills can be scary the first few times, but you WILL get it.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

I love driving a stick. Both of our cars are manuals, and neither my husband nor I would go back to an automatic. I love it because I feel like I have a lot more control over the car, and it kind of forces you to pay attention to the road instead of multi-tasking in an automatic.

Plus, since so many people don't know how to drive one, there's a much less chance the car will get stolen ;)

I am a GearHead at heart, I LOVE most all things cars and my very first "bought it myself" vehicle was a Toyota 4X4 with a manual 5 speed transmission, I was so in love with that truck, and the fun of having a manual transmission added to the driving of it, the only time I can complain about a manual is when you spend most of your driving life in stop and go traffic, but when you do finally hit an open windy road and get to run through the gears, up and down up and down, nothing can compare... I miss that truck, mostly for its transmission, and the fact that it was sexy as all get out!

I tell my husband frequently that if I EVER find another vehicle that has my seating requirements (I have 4 kids and a niece I babysit regularly) and a manual transmission we need to snatch it up quick... It actually makes me sad that more and more automakers are getting rid of manual transmissions, and going to "paddle shifting" and "automatic crossovers" from the research I have done some "manual" transmissions don't even have a clutch anymore!

But some of the BEST cars, the fun "selfish" (two seaters) cars are still true to manual, manual transmissions, if your husbands vehicle is sporty I say learn, I have driven sports cars both ways (manual and automatic) and some of my most thrilling memories were shifting through the gears and feeling that baby purr, sure the automatics are fun to and perform just as well, but for me there is something more primal and thrilling about controlling the shift of the transmission myself... its liberating, and exciting, and brings a higher level of awareness to my driving, you have to be more in tune with how your vehicle is functioning because you are the one in control of the transmission... Not to mention the fact that there is more to driving a stick, more attention is needed, even when sitting at a light in gear, its less likely that multitasking will need to happen, your already doing it by keeping both feet on pedals, one hand on the wheel and one ready to shift out of first once the traffic starts moving again... It alleviates boredom while driving, for me at least...

I also liked the arguments about teaching the kids, all of my siblings and I were taught on manuals, only one sister chose not to learn, and preferred to just be driven around, and to this day she can't take her husbands car out even if its her only choice... She is stuck waiting for a ride... *LOL*

I used to know, but I haven't driven a stick shift for years. Maybe it's like riding a bicycle and I could pick it up again - I don't know.

If your husband really wants you to learn to drive a stick, ask him to sign you up with a professional who can teach you. I bet you could learn in one session, and there won't be any anxious feelings on your husband's part.

No you are not alone. I do know how to drive a stick, and cars with manual transmissions are the only ones we own; however, I have friends/family members who don't know how. With that said, I recommend you learn. you never know when you will be in a situation when you will need to know how. It's not hard once you get the hang of it. I've actually taught a few how to drive cars with manual transmissions. The best thing to do is to go to a large empty parking lot or an undevelopped residential area where there is no traffic and give it a go. Good luck to you.

I do not know how nor do I want to learn.

I have driven a stick, But I can not drive one anymore. I don't think I'd be able to drive one and deal with the kids fighting in the back seat.

Oooo, sticks are soo fun to drive! My first car was a stick. It was a pain to learn, I remember being parked at a red light on a hill scared that I was going to back up into the car behind me. Once you know how you're good to go!

eeeEEEEeeeeEEEEEeeeeeeEEEE!!!!!
i'm sure you don't mean you multi-task when you're driving, but that's one of my huge peeves (can't even call it a 'pet' peeve because there's nothing cute about people who multi-task when they drive) and that's what jumped out at me.
i think there are lots of people who can't drive a stick, but i honestly don't get why you are so against learning how, especially since you have a stickshift in the family. i can think of a dozen circumstances without even trying where it might be necessary for you to have to move his car. and when one has the opportunity to learn a really useful basic skill, why not do it?
it almost seems as if you have a perverse pride in NOT knowing how.
my younger son has only ever owned an automatic, but we still made dang sure he knew how to drive a stick. my older son has never had anything but.
rather than think of it as a want, why not think of it as a basic how-to skill and just take a weekend and do it?
khairete
S.

My parents made me learn on a stick. We have 3 vehicles now and none of them are stick. I may buy one so when my kids start to learn, they learn on a stick. I think it's very important to know how to drive a stick.

I suggest you give it a try - it's actually fun!

I would assume that most people DON'T know how to drive a stick. We only had manual cars in my family so I had to learn how to drive stick shift. I prefer a manual car to an automatic - except when I'm stuck in a really bad traffic jam. It's not the easiest thing to learn, but once you get the knack you never forget, like riding a bicycle. I taught an ex-boyfriend in one afternoon many years ago.

I know how.
An Ex Boyfriend of mine, taught me.
Its fun.
But I never had a stick shift car, prior or current.

I learned how to drive a stick in my best friends little suzuki samurai jeep. She hated driving but was the only one of us who had a car. She taught me how to use hers so I could chauffeur her about. I loved it. A year later I got together with another friend and we were going to drive to a faire that was a long distance away. We were going to take her manual four door sedan. She asked me if I could drive stick and I said confidently that I could. When I got in her car I stalled it all over the place and after a few miles of screwing up we switched places and I was dumbfounded as to why I was doing so badly.

Turns out that the difference between the shifting sweet-spot in a tiny four shift jeep is much different than in a larger six shift sedan. I had to relearn all over again, but at least I had the mechanics down. I just had to learn when to shift in this new car. It's a good skill to have. Like knowing CPR. You may never need to use it, but it won't hurt to know how.

I didn't read all your responses...
but think about this....

when your kids learn to drive. you want them in a stick shift. why? because it makes the question of friends borrowing the car a moot point because none (or almost none of their friends) will be able to drive it. that's going to be our plan - helps with having to deal with one piece of peer pressure.

so, suck it up because you are going to want your kids to.

also - this is a basic life skill in my opinion. you never know when you may need to drive a stick in an emergency or other situation.