I bet you did, although possibly not as the state's song. It's the Tennessee Waltz.

I did not know that! Aw, I feel all nostalgic now.

I drive stick, but I learned many years after I learned how to drive. I had to learn for a summer job where I had use of a company car; I re-learned because the first car I bought was standard, as is my current car, but both were used cars I bought from friends/acquaintances so it wasn't by my choice; I would have bought the cars if they were automatics.

As to the other, let's just say being born in a hospital in the 60s doesn't guarantee one way or the other.

What puzzles me is how many cars I have rented over the years try to provide a limited "stick driving" experience in automatics. I do not know why someone who drives an automatic would want to fiddle with the faux stick driving. WTF is the point?

Fun. And maybe go faster.

I have that on my Focus. Haven't tried it yet.

What puzzles me is how many cars I have rented over the years try to provide a limited "stick driving" experience in automatics. I do not know why someone who drives an automatic would want to fiddle with the faux stick driving. WTF is the point?

I remember my mother saying that automatics didn't give her enough to do, so she got distracted, which is (obviously) A Bad Thing. But I think she drives an automatic now.

I took driver's ed (and got my license) on an automatic, but both of my parents' cars were standards at that time.

...Huh. Is automatic "standard" now?

I'm 41 and I technically was taught once -- as in, literally one time of me being behind the wheel -- how to drive a stick, back when I was 19 or so. I *definitely* don't count that as knowing how to drive stick. (Although I suppose in an emergency I could work it out, and in a real emergency I wouldn't really care if I popped the clutch.)

#demographics,man

I've had a manual transmission for the last 30 years. Automatics irritate me, because they shift when I wouldn't. I'm trying to resign myself to the fact that, with my knees, my next vehicle should probably be automatic.

Automatics irritate me, because they shift when I wouldn't. I'm trying to resign myself to the fact that, with my knees, my next vehicle should probably be automatic.

Perhaps a car with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Essentially an "infinite-speed" transmission. (Although some people find them annoying too.)

Also, many hybrids have CVTs.

Isaac update: started raining pretty hard, power is still on, red beans are smelling delicious.

Ginger, many new cars these days have six-speed automatic transmissions. Which means your transmission does more shifting, but the difference between adjacent gears is much less, so the shifts are less noticeable.

I learned on a stick and most of my vehicles have been manuals.