# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/141 "2008-03-31T19:51:08Z")
I can drive a stick, and have driven them extensively in the past. It’s been a long while now, though. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/142 "2008-03-31T19:53:06Z")
I can drive a stick, without using the clutch; US; none of your business, whippersnapper. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/143 "2008-03-31T19:56:43Z")
No, and would be completely clueless if James Bond yelled to me to take the wheel of his sportscar while he dealt with the bad guys. This is the only motivation I can come up with to learn, as I’ve never been in a situation where I’d only have a stick-shift available to me. US. Under 30, female. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/144 "2008-03-31T19:57:58Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] I can drive a stick, and have driven them extensively in the past. It’s been a long while now, though. [/QUOTE] Oops sorry, 50, USA ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/145 "2008-03-31T20:00:08Z")
(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? Yep. I prefer it, but my husband can’t do it so we don’t own one. (2) What country do you live in? U.S.A. (3) How old are you (roughly)? Over 40 :blushes: But I learned to drive a stick when I was 20, back in the '80s. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/146 "2008-03-31T20:08:28Z")
US, 45, male. I’ve driven manuals off and on since I was 17. My beloved 1992 BMW 325i died recently (_sob_), and I replaced it with a newer car (BMW 330i), and for the first time in ~20 years I’m driving a vehicle that has an automatic transmission. GodDAMN I miss having a clutch. The 330 has an automatic that you can “shift” up or down, but its just not the same. I’m used to laying rubber going from 1st-2nd whenever I like. Oh, well. My BIL left his Boxster in my other garage, I guess I’ll suffer through with that when I need a fix. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/147 "2008-03-31T20:24:31Z")
(1) I didn’t learn to drive a stick until I was 24, but it’s the only kind of car I’ll drive now (except when I rent cars, because it’s cheaper to do so in the States). I loooooove driving stick (and I drive & park in San Francisco several times a week). (2) US (3) 37 ---
**Author:** ![oboelady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8491ac/32.png) [@oboelady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oboelady)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/148 "2008-03-31T20:35:05Z")
Yes; love it, too. When I drive an automatic, I use my left foot for the brake. It needs to do something! (didn’t even realize I did that until one of my daughter’s friends remarked one day - Hey, this isn’t a two-footer car. What are you doing? USA almost 60 Took a 2 week trip to Ireland last year and absolutely loved shifting with my left hand. You do have to think and fight your instincts - 40 years of shifting with my right hand is not immediately forgotten! ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/149 "2008-03-31T20:43:28Z")
1. I prefer manual trans 2. US 3. 39 ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/150 "2008-03-31T20:55:40Z")
I’ll post for Mrs. Pagan as well: (1) No - she’s never driven my car as a result, although she supposedly knew how once upon a time. (2) USA (3) 46 ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/151 "2008-03-31T21:23:17Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] I can drive a stick, without using the clutch… [/QUOTE] Oooh, shiny! I can see how you came by your screen name. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/152 "2008-03-31T21:40:08Z")
Yes US 31 ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/153 "2008-03-31T21:44:08Z")
No US 24 Bonus info: I can’t drive very well, not having really driven much at all, although I have my license in case of emergency. In Japan, this is called being a ‘paper driver.’ ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/154 "2008-03-31T21:47:57Z")
1. No. My sister and a friend of my ex both tried to teach me and ended up saying, “Let me drive. You’re going to kill the damned car.” 2. Midcoast USA 3. Damned near 50. The words “driving” and “enjoy”, IMSNHO, don’t belong in the same sentence. I _hate_ driving, and will happily let someone else drive if they want to. I’m a good driver…it’s just that my mind tends to wander. My good wife is also known as my ‘regular driver’. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/155 "2008-03-31T22:11:46Z")
1. yes I owned an XKe -a Mg and 3 VW beetles. 2. Michigan 3. 64 After you drive stick foe awhile shifting becomes automatic. I would not want to do it again. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/156 "2008-03-31T22:25:43Z")
I do not know how to drive a car with a manual transmission. I do not want to learn; driving itself is stressful enough! :eek: I live in the US. I am over 40. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/157 "2008-03-31T22:56:07Z")
(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission? Not only comfortable, but prefer it. (2) What country do you live in? Canada. (3) How old are you (roughly)? 41 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/158 "2008-03-31T23:10:02Z")
[QUOTE=Eggerhaus] 1. No. My sister and a friend of my ex both tried to teach me and ended up saying, "Let me drive. You’re going to kill the damned car. [/QUOTE] This is a common problem. I first tried to learn as a teenager, and I thought I was doing the right thing in paying for professional lessons. Uh uh. The instructor was a cranky young Scottish guy who had a dual clutch installed, and he made sure he _used_ the thing all the time, to protect his precious car. Result? I got no feel for the clutch. The best way to learn to drive a manual is to study up on the theory of it (it _honestly_ isn’t that hard), and then have a day ON YOUR OWN in an old beater in a carpark somewhere. If you want a relative or friend to teach you, then it’s definitely worth the money to get them to pay for a hire car for the day. That way, they won’t be so concerned - and you can’t kill a clutch in one day anyway. I’m happy to teach a friend to drive in any manual car I own, and for the same reason. If I’m replacing that clutch at 100 000 or 200 000 kilometres, then one day with a dozen or so rough gear changes isn’t going to be a blip on the radar, and that’s certainly within the realms of friendship. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/159 "2008-03-31T23:19:25Z")
**(1) Are you comfortable driving a manual transmission?** Yes, I prefer them. **(2) What country do you live in?** USA **(3) How old are you (roughly)?** mid 40’s (female) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316/160 "2008-04-01T00:31:46Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] This is a common problem. I first tried to learn as a teenager, and I thought I was doing the right thing in paying for professional lessons. Uh uh. The instructor was a cranky young Scottish guy who had a dual clutch installed, and he made sure he _used_ the thing all the time, to protect his precious car. Result? I got no feel for the clutch. [/QUOTE] What an awful instructor! If you teach people to drive for a living, your clutch is going to be hammered into the ground, no way around it. And good use of dual controls means very little use. And I agree with the rest of your post completely 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-can-you-drive-a-stick/443316.md?page=9)