"every man should know how to drive a stick"

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Is it just me, or is learning manliness tips from a website called "The Art of Manliness" just about the most un-manly thing on earth?

Is this what the world is coming to? Manliness tips from a website? Cosmo for guys...
 
For many young people you'd first have to explain what a "stick" might be and where you can find it. Then you'd have to convince them to try it even though they already know they will never drive a vehicle they purchase or rent that has such a device. In fact they might not know that once upon a time not every car had climate control. And a long time ago, if one wanted to make a phone call while driving one had to stop at a phone booth. You could also tell them that once upon a time people used the hood release and looked under there at stuff. Now you don't need to. The dealer does that, every year or so. The only tool kit needed today is a "AAA" card, a credit card and a cell phone. There's no need to know if your car even has a spare tire and you certainly don't need to know where it is or what it's used for. All young people need to know is that on the freeway at 80 mph you must stay back at least 10 feet from the car in front of you or someone will take your place.
 
I agree every man should know how to drive a stick, I made sure my son knew. If I had a daughter she'd know too. God forbid a girl needs to drive a dates manual tranny car home because he drank too much and she can't drive, and she's stupid enough to get in the car and let him drive. It happens, often, and sometimes ends bad.
 
Our kids have had their driver licenses for 4 months and both the son and daughter go places in our stick shift pick ups just fine. All the training at first was in the 1998 S10 5 speed and they were motivated to drive anything on the road. Took them down to the church parking lot and did figure 8's for 45+ minutes each and they had to shift up and down twice in each round of the figure 8. They were tired and my butt was whooped but they got the hang of it quite well.
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Everybody who took driver's ed had to learn how to get the car going without stalling on a hill in order to pass. It took some folks quite a few tries, while others got it first try. Strangely enough, it did motivate some of the students to buy manuals when they were old enough to buy their own car.
 
I see very little point in teaching a kid to drive a stick since there will not be any left by the time they buy their first new car.

Manliness?

hahaha......
 
The first manual transmission was my neighbors S10 with a Datsun diesel. The second stick I ever drove was a Jeep Comanche with a failing clutch and the ever so hated Peugeot (puke goat) transmission. I thought they were all that difficult.

The third was a friends Passat from high school.. Night and day difference and very easy/ fun to cruise around in.
 
When i drove school buses during high school they were manuals. I liked the international buses best. I drove a few fords, but they took forever to turn around. My last year in high school, chevrolet had an automatic trans. No one wanted to drive them. They worked fine but it was just unmanly to us!
 
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Both my kids will driving age in the next couple years. I am pushing the wifey to let me purchase a new Chevy Sonic manual transmission....For several reasons:

-More than $1200 cheaper than automatic
-good to know how to drive a manual
-Driving a manual means actually driving! No cell phone, texts.

Right now we have a 1991 Chevy w/t 1500 manual. What a dog! No one wants to drive it! I think that has scared them.

Losing battle.
 
Come to think about it at least a 10 speed Road Ranger trans. Wife can drive one as well.
 
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