# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 16
**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:** [July 29, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/301 "2011-07-29T19:48:37Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > (1) Yes. They’ll take my shift knob when they can pry it from my cold, dead hand. > (2) United States > (3) Turned 32 today. Happy Birthday! ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/302 "2011-07-29T19:55:30Z")
1. Not really. I’ve done it before on a couple of occasions, but i never became proficient with a manual transmission. 2. USA 3. 36 ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/303 "2011-07-29T21:49:56Z")
1. Yes, I can drive a stick. 2. USA 3. 49 ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/304 "2011-07-29T22:00:48Z")
1. No, I cannot drive stick. 2. US 3. 23 years old ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/305 "2011-07-29T22:12:14Z")
1. I can drive a stick. Right through a zombie’s heart! 2. US 3. 44 ---
**Author:** ![inkling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkling)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/306 "2011-07-30T00:18:02Z")
1. Yes. I have never had as my main form of transport a car with a slushbox. In fact, I actually tend to forget and grope for the clutch in an automatic. I learned on a stick and took my driver’s test in a stick, passing the first try. 2. US, California. 3. Male, 40 Edit to add - my parents are considering buying a new car, their first automatic transmission ever. They are both 65. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/307 "2011-07-30T03:04:30Z")
1. Haven’t driven a stick since driver’s ed 32 years ago, so I’ll say no. 2. USA 3. 48 ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/308 "2011-07-30T03:56:04Z")
1. Yes, vastly prefer a stick. My dad insisted I learn to drive a stick, because of transference of knowledge. If You learn on a stick, you can drive either. if you learn on an automatic,.you also hate to learn stick if you ever.want or need to. Plus there had been an incident a few years earlier, I “borrowed” his truck and left the drive shaft in the road. 2. Usa 3. 36 female ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/309 "2011-07-30T06:02:26Z")
(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? yes, but I prefer automatic. (2) What country do you live in? USA (3) How old are you (roughly)? 35 ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/310 "2011-07-30T06:16:10Z")
> [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](#): > > (1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? Way beyond comfortable. Second nature. > [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](#): > > (2) What country do you live in? US of A > [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](#): > > (3) How old are you (roughly)? 60 years, 8 months, 5 days. Learned to drive when I was 15, on a stick (ancient VW Beetle). Strongly preferred manual transmissions, didn’t own an automatic until I was 45, when the vehicle I had to acquire (long, uninteresting story) didn’t have an option for manual trans. Gimpy knee that developed since then finally made automatics preferable. . ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/311 "2011-07-30T06:17:12Z")
1. Yes, I drive a stick shift every day. 2. I’m an American. 3. I’m 23. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/312 "2011-07-30T13:20:18Z")
1. Yes. Learned to drive a stick when my first husband and I drove a 60-mile motor paper route. That’s a good way to learn! Lots of starting and stopping, backing up, etc. Although at first he would have to take the truck across busy streets before I became good friends with the clutch. I haven’t driven a stick in a long time, but sometimes I still find that I have my left foot poised just in case I need to use the clutch. You never know. 2. USA 3. 62 ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/313 "2011-07-30T13:45:50Z")
(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? **Yes, I prefer it** (2) What country do you live in? **USA, born & raised** (3) How old are you (roughly)? **50** And, though you didn’t ask, I’m female. When I went shopping for my truck a few years ago (F-250 used to haul horses, I wanted a work truck) I had THE worst time making salesguys understand that yes, I WANTED the manual shift. :rolleyes: Yes, I do realize that’s the one with 3 pedals, thanks…:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/314 "2011-07-30T13:54:04Z")
1. Yes. I learned to drive on my dad’s VW van, with four-on-the-floor and no power steering or brakes. “If you learn to handle this beast, you’ll be able to drive anything.” He was mostly right - the only vehicle I’ve been flummoxed by had a manual choke, and I didn’t even know the theory of what to do with that. I worked it out, though. I still prefer stick. How do you get an automatic car rolling if you find yourself stopped on ice? 2. Currently live in Norway, but I grew up, and learned to drive, in the US. 3. I’m 41. ---
**Author:** ![mambocrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mambocrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mambocrow)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/315 "2011-07-30T13:59:48Z")
1. Yes. I prefer manual transmissions. 2. U.S.A. 3. 62 ---
**Author:** ![medicated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@medicated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medicated)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/316 "2011-07-30T14:19:54Z")
1. I’ve only been driving manual for a month or so, but I much prefer it 2. Canada 3. 37 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316.md?page=15)