Does Knowing How To Drive Stick Make You a Better Person?

all my cars are automatics, but i would not mind learning how 2 drive a stick. (then again autos are basicly stick shifts without the 3rd pedal)

Ive never owned a stick, but I had to learn when I went to work for my first dealership. I’ve driven stick Vettes to stick Metros there all fun. I feel smarter as a driver for knowing how but I dont think it makes me a better better than anyone else.

Defintely funner to drive a stick.

EXAMPLE:
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Driving stick either saved my life, or at least my employment…
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Back in 1988, I was working on the addition to a house for a contractor. One day the roofing contractor came. My boss and I were supposed to help them on the roof. It was a 3-story addition, and the roof slope was 40 degrees. Worse yet, especially back then I had acrophobia.
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Nonetheless, I didn’t seem to have any options. Everyone was climbing the 36 feet to the roof’s edge. I was last to go up the long-ass and very shaky aluminum ladder, then to somehow survive the transition from that onto the roof. I was scared shitless, perhaps the most ever and that’s saying something.
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Almost as soon as I got up there I told my boss there was NO WAY I could be of use to them and I had to get down (but getting back onto the ladder was what I dreaded most). Oh, did I mention the power line??? That’s another story, too long.
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Anyway, the ‘49 Ford dump truck the roofers came in had a flat on the inner tire of the driver side. They needed to have it fixed so they gave me $30 and told me to find a place that did split rims.
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Tell ya what. I weighed about 130 lbs back then and it took most of my weight to push in the clutch. After driving it for 2 hours, even the roof was starting to look like a better option.
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Also, I used to build telephone booths, my first job out of high school. Since I could drive stick, they let me operate the forklift which believe it or not had a manual gearbox and 2 speeds (ever hear of that shit?) I stacked phone booths sitting on wood palettes 3 high. Talk about shaky.
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Something as simple as driving stick can make a surprising difference. I think new drivers should have to take their driving tests with manual transmissions.

Just thought I’d mention this, but even with knowing stick there are two vehicles I can’t drive, a big rig and a Model T. Don’t laugh, semis are well the largest vehicles on the road and Model Ts take some time to learn from what I hear, but hey I’m willing.

I AM better than someone who can’t drive a stick.
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Don’t like it?
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Get off the couch, put down the video game controller, and go learn how.
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So there!

damn straight

I use to think It was a big deal and then I my friend got a brand new 2008 Mazda 3 with a 5 speed in August and he swears he can drive stick with the best of them and to this day if there’s any incline at a stop he still roll’s like a foot back and it’s jsut like maybe it’s time to admit you can’t do something but god forbid.

Good response GT, I agree with you 100%. Even if you don’t own/drive a manual, you should still know how to drive one.

I agree. Manual steering, manual transmission, throw away all that “driver assistance”. I am the only source of power in my HF other than the brake booster. It may be slow as crap and can’t accelerate, but when I’m throwing that stick and I can feel every single bug I run over through the steering wheel, nothing beats hitting those twisties.

It’s just great to have the ability to drive stick. If you easily adapt to variations, you can drive just about anything that has a manual gearbox. That can be invaluable. Not knowing can end up creating a pain-in-the-ass situation eventually.

Yeah, I definitely feel more macho slamming my own gears. Throw in manual steering and throw out TCS/ABS and all that other driver help junk and I got it made.

Yes.