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.

One of my students yesterday shared with the class that she drives a stick shift. She clearly felt this was noteworthy. No idea whether or not she is circumcised but frankly that would have been oversharing, at least for the first day of class.