I say that if you "cannot drive a stick" you cannot drive period.

[PhoenixGTS]

I am really dumbfounded by how many people say they (or sometimes their wifes) cannot drive a stick shift car. I guess I just don't get it. To me that is part of "knowing how to drive." What if there is an emergency - maybe someone is seriously hurt and you don't have regular 911 style services - and the only vehicle available to drive the person to the hospital is a stick shift? Do you just sit there and watch them die because you "cannot drive a stick?" What am I missing?

[dave6666]

Earth has an abundance of idiots.

I find no shock in the fact that there must be some that really cannot drive a standard.

The rest are just to lazy to learn.

[InjectTheVenom]

Agreed for the most part. However I discovered on my own with some experimenting that learning how to drive an automatic AFTER you learned on a stick makes you a better stick driver. You learn how to modulate the throttle and feel when and where the power curve comes on to get the max performance you are looking for.

[dave6666]

Originally Posted by InjectTheVenom

Agreed for the most part. However I discovered on my own with some experimenting that learning how to drive an automatic AFTER you learned on a stick makes you a better stick driver. You learn how to modulate the throttle and feel when and where the power curve comes on to get the max performance you are looking for.

What dat?

[PhoenixGTS]

Sounds like Dave6666 thinks of the right-pedal as an on/off switch.

[viperdoctor]

Originally Posted by PhoenixGTS

I am really dumbfounded by how many people say they (or sometimes their wifes) cannot drive a stick shift car. I guess I just don't get it. To me that is part of "knowing how to drive." What if there is an emergency - maybe someone is seriously hurt and you don't have regular 911 style services - and the only vehicle available to drive the person to the hospital is a stick shift? Do you just sit there and watch them die because you "cannot drive a stick?" What am I missing?

I think you are missing a lot.

What if all the cars are broken down and there is an emergency and there are only horses around to get to the hospital? Do you think everyone should know how to ride a horse?

Do you know what percentage of cars in America are stick shift? Not many.

I deal with old timers that constantly slow progress of world with your similar attitude.

New technologies that obsolete what they started on pisses them off. They try to rationalize why you should do it the old fashion way. But they are just obsolete and the world will be a better place when they retire and die off.

[V10SpeedLuvr]

My dad drove a firetruck for 27 years. He tried to teach my mom to drive a manual tranny many years ago. He gave up before they got out of the driveway. He did teach me though, plus I got a lot of practice working at a Mitsubishi dealership. I ended up buying a 93' Ford Explorer Sport w/a manual tranny for $900 just so I could have my own 5 speed to practice on everyday. While my dad was teaching me, he used to say "one day you're going to want a car that has a manual tranny!" Guess he knew what he was talking about

[dave6666]

Originally Posted by viperdoctor

I think you are missing a lot.

What if all the cars are broken down and there is an emergency and there are only horses around to get to the hospital? Do you think everyone should know how to ride a horse?

Do you know what percentage of cars in America are stick shift? Not many.

I deal with old timers that constantly slow progress of world with your similar attitude.

New technologies that obsolete what they started on pisses them off. They try to rationalize why you should do it the old fashion way. But they are just obsolete and the world will be a better place when they retire and die off.

Quite the point. The video of me trying to flag down a horse would be worth MILLIONS.

[ViperJon]

Neither my wife or teenage son can drive a stick.
Ergo, neither of them can drive the Viper.
And the problem is.......??

[dave6666]

Man... The intellectuals are thick here.

We are quite the species. The ones that aren't idiots that is.

[Paul Hawker]

New dual clutch automatics will probably obsolete standard transmissions, at least for performance cars.

I just taught my GF how to drive a stick, on a vacation in Croatia, for all these reasons. In an emergency I would like her to be able to drive a stick if required.

[Andrew/USPWR]

Originally Posted by viperdoctor

I think you are missing a lot.

What if all the cars are broken down and there is an emergency and there are only horses around to get to the hospital? Do you think everyone should know how to ride a horse?

Do you know what percentage of cars in America are stick shift? Not many.

I deal with old timers that constantly slow progress of world with your similar attitude.

New technologies that obsolete what they started on pisses them off. They try to rationalize why you should do it the old fashion way. But they are just obsolete and the world will be a better place when they retire and die off.

I think YOUR missing much more.

There are a lot more stick shift cars around than horses. And if there were no cars, than yes, knowing how to ride a horse may be useful. After a bicycle.

[Venomiss]

Originally Posted by dave6666

Man... The intellectuals are thick here.

We are quite the species. The ones that aren't idiots that is.

Darwin is alive and well.

There are some that can drive a stick and yes, it's a good thing to learn for anyone.

[ViperTony]

Originally Posted by viperdoctor

I think you are missing a lot.

What if all the cars are broken down and there is an emergency and there are only horses around to get to the hospital? Do you think everyone should know how to ride a horse?

Do you know what percentage of cars in America are stick shift? Not many.

I deal with old timers that constantly slow progress of world with your similar attitude.

New technologies that obsolete what they started on pisses them off. They try to rationalize why you should do it the old fashion way. But they are just obsolete and the world will be a better place when they retire and die off.

Don't hold back...tell us how you really feel?

[Venomiss]

Originally Posted by PhoenixGTS

I am really dumbfounded by how many people say they (or sometimes their wifes) cannot drive a stick shift car. I guess I just don't get it. To me that is part of "knowing how to drive." What if there is an emergency - maybe someone is seriously hurt and you don't have regular 911 style services - and the only vehicle available to drive the person to the hospital is a stick shift? Do you just sit there and watch them die because you "cannot drive a stick?" What am I missing?

A membership.

Originally Posted by Andrew/USPWR

I think YOUR missing much more.

There are a lot more stick shift cars around than horses. And if there were no cars, than yes, knowing how to ride a horse may be useful. After a bicycle.

You would get too tired trying to ride a bike a great distance if you are out of shape, plus a dying person can not sit on the handle bars...a horse would still be a better choice.

[ViperTony]

Originally Posted by BurntRubber

You would get too tired trying to ride a bike a great distance if you are out of shape, plus a dying person can not sit on the handle bars...a horse would still be a better choice.

...or a donkey ,they're lower to the ground and carry loads easier than a horse. Don't ask me how I know.

[PhoenixGTS]

Originally Posted by viperdoctor

I think you are missing a lot.

Doc you are full of baloney. Somehow you twisted my comment that in order to say you "know how to drive" you should be able to drive a stick into me not liking automated transmissions. Bah. I think you should even have an understanding of the mechanical functioning of a car to be called a real driver, but I know that is a pipe dream. At least people should be able to drive a stick. I don't think a 20 year old should be able to get into an old car with "three on the tree" and not think it is weird, but they should think enough about driving, and have the skills to go "oh check this out, you shift on the column!"

Oh and I can ride a horse too. That is SO easy. If you have ever ridden dirt motorcycles and watched a western movie riding a horse is a piece of cake.

Now if I had to drive an 18-wheeler - I might have some troubles - and honestly I am a bit ashamed about that. But I bet with the care I give driving, and the skills I DO have, I could figure it out. And that is what I am talking about. I think I "know how to drive."

[viperdoctor]

Originally Posted by PhoenixGTS

Doc you are full of baloney. Somehow you twisted my comment that in order to say you "know how to drive" you should be able to drive a stick into me not liking automated transmissions. Bah. I think you should even have an understanding of the mechanical functioning of a car to be called a real driver, but I know that is a pipe dream. At least people should be able to drive a stick. I don't think a 20 year old should be able to get into an old car with "three on the tree" and not think it is weird, but they should think enough about driving, and have the skills to go "oh check this out, you shift on the column!"

Oh and I can ride a horse too. That is SO easy. If you have ever ridden dirt motorcycles and watched a western movie riding a horse is a piece of cake.

Now if I had to drive an 18-wheeler - I might have some troubles - and honestly I am a bit ashamed about that. But I bet with the care I give driving, and the skills I DO have, I could figure it out. And that is what I am talking about. I think I "know how to drive."

No you should not have to know how a car works to be able to drive it.

How many people really know how a computer works? I have a EE in Computer Engineering, and did all the VLSI, circuit board design, assembly programming, etc. Do I think you should know how all that stuff works before you are allowed to type your silly term paper on a computer? No.

I am 40 years old, and I am determined not to be that old fashion guy trying to hold on to the past. Bring on the future man! I am ready for the chip implants that connect me to the network without keyboards, mice, monitors, or network cables.

I think life before Google sucked. Do I think kids should need to learn how to go to the library? Hell no, I say turn the libraries into something useful like strip clubs! You can go to Questia.com and get all your library needs met online much faster and easier.

So quit trying to hold on and hold back, let's go! If you can't do it, just check yourself into a museum to be put on display.

[viperdude118]

Originally Posted by Andrew/USPWR

I think YOUR missing much more.

There are a lot more stick shift cars around than horses. And if there were no cars, than yes, knowing how to ride a horse may be useful. After a bicycle.

Wouldn't make more sense for everyone to learn CPR? It seems as though if life saving skills are what's in question here, then throw out driving a stick.

Odds of someone needing emergency medical attention and only having a stick shift to get someone to the hospital are probably like 1:1,000,000.

Odds of someone needing medical attention anywhere and needing CPR to save their life, probably much more likely.

It is what it is, some of these threads are pointless. I can't believe I just wasted time reading the whole thing.

[viper GTS-R]

So since when do ambulances come with 4-speed manual trannies?

I'll admit it, I can't drive stick. It's something you have to learn and more or less learn by yourself but some people aren't Mario Andretti and can be easily afraid to push down on the clutch since the car seems to jump, unlike an Auto. Sorry the rest of the world isn't like you.

--RS

[DodgeViper01]

I wouldn't say that a person who can not drive stick is an idiot but it is pretty hard to understand. I see that it is pretty diffucult to learn and if you have no interest, it is even harder but I guess I just wanted to learn so that is why I know how to drive it. I think you must have an interest in it and now society likes things that are easier, and that means automatic.

[PhoenixGTS]

Originally Posted by viper GTS-R

admit it, I can't drive stick. It's something you have to learn and more or less learn by yourself but some people aren't Mario Andretti and can be easily afraid to push down on the clutch since the car seems to jump, unlike an Auto. Sorry the rest of the world isn't like you.

I'm being totally serious - learn to drive a stick - you will have SO MUCH FUN! And you will "feel" the car as a driver. You will be proud of yourself.

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Originally Posted by PhoenixGTS

I'm being totally serious - learn to drive a stick - you will have SO MUCH FUN! And you will "feel" the car as a driver. You will be proud of yourself.

I agree. Before the Viper, I bought a Eclipse Convertible, auto tranny. I couldn't drive a stick either when I bought the car. All my other friends were buying imports as well, but getting stick shifts. I got a lot of razzing from them about mine being an auto and I'd always come up with some excuse "this is all they had at the dealership", "I got too good of a deal on this car", etc. for it being an auto. You really will feel more confident in yourself when you can drive a stick. It really doesnt apply these days with E-gears and F1 trannys, but I remember my dad saying "with all the fast and expensive cars you like, they only come in manuals, so you're gonna have to learn to drive one if you ever plan on having a car like you want"

[yogibayer]

I think you guys are missing the most important emergency of them all. Let's say your wife is home alone and accidentally starts a kitchen fire which she can't extinguish. It quickly gets out of control and she runs out to the garage and stares at the two cars in there. The SUV with automatic and the Viper with stick. She doesn't know how to drive stick so she saves the SUV and leaves the Viper to burn. Now that's a more realistic emergency that does require the wife to know how to drive a stick.

[ViperTony]

Originally Posted by yogibayer

I think you guys are missing the most important emergency of them all. Let's say your wife is home alone and accidentally starts a kitchen fire which she can't extinguish. It quickly gets out of control and she runs out to the garage and stares at the two cars in there. The SUV with automatic and the Viper with stick. She doesn't know how to drive stick so she saves the SUV and leaves the Viper to burn. Now that's a more realistic emergency that does require the wife to know how to drive a stick.

Keep it parked in neutral with the e-brake on. All she needs to do is release the ebrake and push the viper out of the garage. If she's too weak to move the viper and starts kitchen fires...you may need to upgrade the wife.