I remember telling my date, as he drove us to a high school play, that I could never be with a guy who drove automatic. Even at the tender age of 16 I knew just what to say to a man. Oh, I should mention that he was driving automatic. And it was our first date.
I am driving my third standard transmission currently. My parents always had standards and my sister buys them too. They are cheaper and get better gas mileage. I like being in control of when or if I shift gears. And I like being a girl who drives a stick (this was most effective in my last vehicle- a pickup truck).
It worries me that less people are driving them these days. What if it becomes hard to find them and they actually end up being more expensive?
I also think that everyone should be capable of driving a manual, even if they prefer not to own one. If we take my car, and god-forbid, something happens to me and I can't drive, are you going to be able to get the job done?
An old friend recently asked me if my offer to teach him still stands (it was made years ago). Naturally, I said yes.
5 comments:
I always give men a hard time about driving automatics, too. It's not that I think men more than women should be driving them, rather that men are more suceptible to ribbing about it. Women just don't care if you threaten their manhoods. I do see it as a feminist issue for women, albeit not a particularly pressing one. But everyone should learn to drive a stick. And if women don't, they give their men an easy out, because that's the excuse I get most often from the men I'm heckling, "but my wife can't drive a stick." Right, buddy. Sure thing.
I'm with you, babe, all the way on this one, for sure. I was always of the opinion that only wimps drive automatics, and would never date a man who drives one. Now, however, I'm married to one. He's not a wimp, though, thank God, and can definitely drive a standard. And of course, all four of his motorcycles are "standards" in the sense that they have clutches and you have to manually shift them. I hope I never have to own an automatic though! UGH! A fate almost worse than death!
I am willing to give Keith the benefit of the doubt. He has one of the excuses that I've heard that actually holds water: that he got the car used and it was a too good a deal to pass up. Another acceptable excuse is health related, like when Grammy's arthritis got so bad, working the clutch became too painful to her knee. And another most suitable excuse is the car is a hybrid gas-electric model. But still! You'll have to ensure that Graham learns how to drive right.
Hmn, I assume Erwin can drive stick?
The men of any romantic consequence in my life have all been able to, although only a couple of them actually owned standards (i.e. Christian and possibly Brian, both of whom drove trucks too). Mark falls in the prefers-to-drive-automatic category. Bah.
Yes. The Jetta is a stick.
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