# Poll: Can you drive a stick? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316 "2008-03-30T21:35:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![runninblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbce88/32.png) [@runninblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runninblue)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/201 "2008-04-05T13:49:29Z")
[QUOTE=Scubaqueen] you drove a manual in _dublin_??? :eek: i was on the \*\*tour bus \*\* and i was still scared shitless. dublin is the most terrifying city for driving i’ve ever been in. and i’m a battle scarred veteran of new york and chicago! i swear before god the driver never looked at the traffic which was about a micrometer from his bumpers. [/QUOTE] Believe it or not, even though the traffic looks really crazy, most of the driver are super courteous. I made the mistake of pulling off into what I thought was a parking space, but in reality was a lane that was for parking only at certain times, then not being one of those certain times. The cars behind me did not honk or scream at me, but merely pulled up next to me and politely told me that I was blocking a lane. But yeah, it was a little nerve wracking. ---
**Author:** ![mattm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@mattm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattm)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/202 "2009-01-13T01:18:16Z")
(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? Yep. I think you’ll find most people who drive in in US can drive a standard. I would certainly think anyone who can’t drive a stick to be, if not retarded, than at least backward. ;\>) I asked my 24 and 26 YO stepsons if they know anyone who can’t drive a stick, and they both said “just some dumb girls”. All their male friends can. (2) What country do you live in? I live in Sothwest Washington State, USA. It might be a regional thing. I guess the big cities may have a higher percentage of automatic only types. LA, SF, Denver, types, I can see not knowing how to drive at all let alone a stick. I’m rural/city blend and I’d be very surprised to learn that more than 5% or 6% of folks around here can’t go stick. 80% of 'em can’t merge though… that’s another subject. I have taught several people to drive, a sister, a brother, two stepkids, a neice, and the 2 kids of a good freind (who is a great guy, but you wouldnt want to learn how to drive from him). (3) How old are you (roughly)? I’m 53. My pickup is 20. (89 Ford F150 4wd Shortbed regular cab 185000 miles) is an auto and I wouldnt have it any other way. All my previous trucks were 4 speed rockcrushers. Wife’s Subaru is a 5 speed, and the 69 Firebird I’m building is getting converted from auto to a 6 speed. Matt ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/203 "2009-01-13T01:31:35Z")
I drive a manual always unless I have to rent a car. I am in the US and 47. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/204 "2009-01-13T01:32:04Z")
1. I can drive a stick well enough to do bootlegger turns. 2. USA! 3. 45 ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/205 "2009-01-13T01:35:28Z")
I learned to drive on a VW beetle, and have driven stick ever since. Traffic, bad weather, no matter what, I feel safer with a stick. My few experiences renting automatics (while car in shop) confirm this. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/206 "2009-01-13T01:35:35Z")
What I didn’t note when I previously replied to this thread is that I am fully capable of using a manual transmission vehicle to run over zombies. I imagine this will be useful in the (near) post-apocalyptic future. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/207 "2009-01-13T01:47:22Z")
I’m late to this. 1. Yes, I’m comfortable driving a manual. Have no preference between the two. 2. Canada (born and raised) 3. 37, learned to drive stick when I was about 28. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/208 "2009-01-13T01:51:38Z")
1. Yes, and I prefer manual, though I currently drive a Prius. 2. USA 3. 35 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/209 "2009-01-13T01:58:20Z")
(1) Absolutely. **Much** more fun to drive, except in bumper-to-bumper traffic. (2) USA. (3) “Roughly” 54 years old. ---
**Author:** ![mattm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@mattm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattm)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/210 "2009-01-13T02:03:06Z")
> [@MoodIndigo1](#): > > I learned to drive on a VW beetle, and have driven stick ever since. Traffic, bad weather, no matter what, I feel safer with a stick. My few experiences renting automatics (while car in shop) confirm this. Bugs are great. Too bad they’re fading off scene. I still love to see someone who’s never driven a Bug try to git it into reverse. Even when you explain, they don’t believe you. Gotta show 'em. Big Fun. Matt ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/211 "2009-01-13T02:09:17Z")
(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? Yes. I drive one every day. (2) What country do you live in? USA (3) How old are you (roughly)? 41 the only problem I \*might \*have would be the “shifting with the left hand” bit, and I don’t think that would take me much time to get the hang of. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/212 "2009-01-13T02:39:05Z")
Well, I may as well chime in. I can’t believe there are 5 pages of answers to this question! 1. Yes. 2. Canada 3. Male 46. I tried to teach my wife about 14 years ago. She was OK driving straight, but throw in braking, down shifting, turning, etc. and it was too much multi-tasking for her to handle, so she gave up. (My CRX was happy that she did.) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/213 "2009-01-13T02:53:40Z")
1. Nope, never learned how to. My parents’ cars were always automatics. I don’t know whether they can drive stick – my mother I’m sure can’t, my father probably can’t. And after I left home there was never a reason for me to learn. 2. USA 3. 46 Ed ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/214 "2009-01-13T02:53:44Z")
> [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](#): > > (1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? > (2) What country do you live in? > (3) How old are you (roughly)? **1** There’s another type of transmission?!? 😉 Yes, I’m very comfortable driving a manual, in fact, I refuse to own a sludgebox. **2** United States **3** 39, male ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/215 "2009-01-13T02:56:30Z")
1 - Yep (I also made our sons learn to drive using a truck with a manual transmission) 2 - US 3 - 56, M ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/216 "2009-01-13T03:00:32Z")
1 - Yes 2 - U.S. 3 - 38, M ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/217 "2009-01-13T03:08:06Z")
(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? yes (2) What country do you live in? American currently in Indonesia (3) How old are you (roughly)? 42 ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/218 "2009-01-13T03:29:31Z")
1. Yup, three on the tree, three, four, five and six speed on the floor, paddle shifter, thinking of learning to drive semi’s as well. 2. Pacific Northwest USA 3. 50 ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/219 "2009-01-13T03:37:03Z")
**(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission?** Yep, only kind of car I’ve ever owned. **(2) What country do you live in?** United States **(3) How old are you (roughly)?** 33, Female. Learned to drive (on a stick-shift) when I was 18. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/220 "2009-01-13T03:45:28Z")
Hmm. I wonder if **SmartAleq** knows how to drive stick. Did she mention something about it back when she was 49? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316.md?page=12)