And where are you from? And how old? Not “do you” but just if you know how.

I’m in the US, mid 30s and can (and do) drive a manual transmission.

  • @[email protected]
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    12 years ago

    Yes. 50s. Canada.

    I taught myself. I was 19 and working for a small company (3 employees total) and had a van for work for hauling around equipment. My boss called me to his house one day and told me that he was taking the van for a six-week fishing trip. “You can take my BMW. You know how to drive stick, right?” I shook my head “no.” “Well, you’ll figure it out”. Fortunately, he lived in the country so it was all quiet backroads for most of the trip home. By the time I got into the city, I (usually) didn’t stall it at traffic lights.

    A couple years later, I took a three-day motorcyle (newb to driving licence) course. Three out of fifteen students knew how to drive a manual transmission car. Only the three of us passed and got our licence - the others were having trouble stalling 'cause it was the first time they had ever dealt with a clutch. (note: this was typical, the ones who didn’t pass could come back and try the final test again the following weekend).

  • @[email protected]
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    62 years ago

    I can’t. Lots of people my age can. My teenage years there was only one car in the household and it’s an auto. I couldn’t afford to pay for extra lessons to learn manual with their car.

    I was into cars and really wanted to get a manual car later on. But just never needed it. Auto cars are just more available so 10+ years later I still can’t drive manual and hasn’t affected my life at all

  • @[email protected]
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    32 years ago

    Yes, late 50’s US and I drive a 6 speed Jeep daily. Taught my 23 year old son to drive a stick and he just bought a Tacoma stick shift.

    I learned on my grandfather’s 3 on the tree 1968 Dodge camper van. If you can drive a 3 on the tree, you can drive anything.

  • @[email protected]
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    12 years ago

    European here: Driving manual for 35 years now. Yes, I think I can. Can’t cope with those automatic cars though.

  • GigaByte
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    12 years ago

    37, from Belgium. Driving automatic for about a year, but drove manual for a long time since I was 18.

  • @[email protected]
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    2 years ago

    Mid 60’s in the US. I’ve always driven manual transmission cars. Fairly common for folks my age to know how to drive manual transmissions, since most of us had economy cars in the 70’s and 80’s. At that time, automatic transmissions were an expensive option and had a negative impact on acceleration and mileage.

    My daughter is 29 and doesn’t know how to drive a manual transmission and I don’t think most of her peers can, either.

    EDIT: Accidentally a manual.

  • @[email protected]
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    12 years ago

    36, Scotland. Been driving almost 20 years manual. Briefly had an automatic Volvo XC90, it was great, didn’t have to put down my cup of tea while approaching roundabouts.

  • @[email protected]
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    2 years ago

    33, Canada, yes I can drive standard.

    I learned on a 1990 corolla, my partner can’t drive standard so when we downsized a few years ago we kept her car. I miss it for the around town trips but I’m not upset to drive automatic when I have to (rarely) commute. I also really liked it for winter driving, definitely felt more in control, that little corolla could plow through snow and ice like it was nothing.

    Pretty much everyone on my side of the family learned on standard, drove for a while, but now more or less has a vehicle with automatic.

  • @[email protected]
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    22 years ago

    Yes, 32, USA Started learning to drive on my dad’s old early 70s Chevy C20. My first car was an automatic but second car was a manual 89 camaro and that’s where I really learned manual. The only time I drive manuals now is at work and it’s only around the lot

  • @[email protected]
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    12 years ago

    Late 40s, from the US. My mom drove a manual so I learned on her car. Then my first car was an old VW Bug, and my next couple of cars were also manual.

    Now that I live in a city with soul crushing traffic and a completely broken public transit system, I drive an automatic. Driving a manual in stop and go traffic is just not fun. Plus, it’s gotten hard to even find a manual transmission anymore. But when we went on vacation to Costa Rica a few years ago they gave us a car with a stick shift and I had a blast bombing that thing around.

  • @[email protected]
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    22 years ago

    Mid 40’s, Northeast US.

    Learned to drive on manual, and only owned manuals until early 2000s. Would be driving a manual now if it was available in vehicles that otherwise meet my wants/needs. Currently have a DCT with paddles, and a manual transmission motorcycle.

  • @[email protected]
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    12 years ago

    Italy: when I took my license I had to learn on a manual car because the exam car has a manual transmission but my first car was automatic (a bit uncommon here 15 years ago) so I forgot how to drive a manual, then I bought my first RV and I had to re-learn on a 30+ years vehicle but after that I never forgot. Now I like driving manual cars but if you live in a city it’s better an automatic one