Asklemmy

My parents forced me to learn in case I ever needed it.

I'd buy one again in a heartbeat if I could. Love the fact that it was easy AF to rock myself out of snow banks

28, Germany. Yes I can and I dont know anybody with a drivers license who cant.

I can and do drive a manual transmission. I'm 34 and in the US Midwest. It's just more fun to drive. My car isn't even fast, but dropping a couple gears to pass someone never gets old.

US. I can and have. Learned on a crappy stick shift truck where I had to nudge the clutch up with my toe. Launched boats with it.

Drove drunk friend home in his stick shift car. VW because of course he did.

Swapped cars with Mom when she hurt her clutch leg. Drove stick for a summer, a little Echo that shifted nicely.

So I can and will if I need to but I have no desire to. I have never really liked cars, just used them for utility. Now that I drive hybrids I do like them more. CVT, no gears at all!

France, 30s, and I almost always drove manual transmissions. But I rent an automatic, and now I don't understand why manual cars still exist.

I can from Texas. Just turned 40. I was taught on a manual transmission and have owned several vehicles with one. I prefer it, except for in traffic!

No, on account of I cannot drive at all. I'm 25 and live in Vermont. The particular part I live in, everything's accessible by bus, so I've just never felt the urgency to learn.

Yes I am 25 and in Germany that is the default so nearly anyone can drive with a stick shift.

I'm in the US and drive manual.

i dont even know what manual transmission means if that tells you anything about me.

i am a manual transmission

Mid 20s, Poland, very much can, but currently driving automatic.

Fun fact: in Poland you normally take the driving test in a manual gear shift car, but you can optionally take it in an automatic one. The deal is you have to provide the vehicle for the testing center yourself (driving schools lend them) and your driving license will have an annotation that it's only viable for this type of gearbox.

I'm in my 40s and live in Europe (NL), and in my country, if you don't take your driving exam in a manual transmission car, you receive a restriction on your license that prevents you from driving manual transmission vehicles. As a result, both I and nearly everyone I know can drive a manual. Automatics are also a fair bit more expensive, so most people don't opt for them. Tho I expect this will change with the rising popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Late 30s, Canada, and absolutely I can.

Mid 30s, used to drive stick all the time but I wouldn't go out and get one anymore. This seems like one of those things people clutch onto (pun intended) because it was at one time a useful everyday skill not everyone could do but now is completely antiquated.

I'm Italian and it's mandatory to learn how to drive stick in order to get a license. This could explain why we think driving at 16 is absurd: it would probably be difficult for a 16 years old to learn stick.

Yes. 44, Australian, drove a manual until very recently actually.

In Australia (Queensland at least) you have to pass a manual driving test in order to be legally allowed to drive a manual vehicle. At the time I was getting my license (1995 - 96) manual vehicles were still extremely common, plus I like driving a manual so it made sense for me.

Yes, I learned to drive in one, got my license with one. I'm 38.

I can drive a manual yeah, I don't feel like I'm in total control when driving an automatic, I'm 20 and live in the Netherlands

Yes, it's very common here (Czechia), in fact I don't know a single person who doesn't know how to drive manual.

Until recently I even preferred it, but nowadays I'd like automatic more. Well, my next car is gonna be automatic, that's for sure.

Yes (early 30s) drive a manual VW polo. I’m from Australia. I have always had a manual car.

40 Florida I drive a manual everyday. My mother insisted I learn on a manual. I'm grateful

I'm Danish and I drive a manual transmission car every day. Most cars here are manual transmission and you legally can't take driving lessons in an automatic transmission car here so everybody who knows how to drive knows how to drive manual.

I don't get why so many Americans try to make it seem like some amazing feat of traditional blue-collar masculine excellence to able to do it. It's not that hard, anybody can learn it in an afternoon.

Belgium, 48. I drive a manual transmission. I never had a car with an automatic transmission.

In Finland synchronization in gearboxes is starting to become a thing nowadays. Double clutching for 20 years now (38).

Just kidding, got my first automatic two years ago, so yes.

Yes, I'm 45 and from the US.

Unfortunately, although my current car (Mazda3) is available in a manual, I was looking to buy a 2018 model in 2019. My options were limited to remaining inventory, which did not include any manuals. Will be looking for a manual next time, but it's becoming almost impossible to find here.

Yes, 28, Northern europe, dad taught me how to drive when I was 16. In my country you have to do your driving test in a manual, unless you're fine with a limited license that only allows you to drive automatics. Nobody that I know has that kind of license.

23, German, yes I can and I do

Yes. European. It's the norm.

Nope, manual transmission isn't common in Ontario,, I lived in the US for a bit and everyone seemed to drive stick, but I never figured it out. I don't understand why anyone wants to drive it.

US late 20s. Yes I can and every car I've owned for the last 8 years has been manual

I go out of my way to find them.

Yes Midwest, U.S. 40y

36, Canadian, 10/10 would recommend. Winter driving is way more fun with manual, and it can be a lot easier on gas if you're in the mood.

• 5 speed '93 Suzuki Sidekick 2006-2009
• 6 speed '05 Jeep Wrangler 2009-2021
• 5 speed '10 Mazda B2300 2021-Present

39. Driving manuals for 20+ years. Yes, Europe.

Yes, 29 from Belgium. I got my first automatic transmission in January. Everyone around me drives a manual

...american; when i learned to stick-and-clutch fourty years ago (driving fifty-year-old used cars) we still called it a standard transmission...

...we like to say that i married my wife because she drove a standard, but when she traded in my last hatchback the manufacturer only offered automatics in the new models; would've been a dealbreaker for me but she liked the car...