Topic: When you learn how to drive a car in the USA, do you get to use automatic?

Anonymous cefedb12c4a491cbe38de8a28f7bfc7f started this discussion 3 months (2008-08-21 08:23:01 UTC) ago:

That must dramatically help simplify the "driving experience". But it also sort of cripples you…

Oh, well. I would never dare to go out in the wild traffic in any car. Memorizing all the rules and noticing all the signs and doing everything at once would doubtlessly mean trouble to me… :-(

Anonymous 69c47cc4fcf06f484a75283b92a73497 replied with this 3 months (2008-08-21 08:30:34 UTC) ago, 8 minutes later (#52,788):

Yes, you do - I can't even think of anyone I know who owns a stick shift.

Anonymous f1498f21e54d344fc51ef2d52353ee95 replied with this 3 months (2008-08-21 08:33:37 UTC) ago, 3 minutes later (#52,790):

@52,788

In the other driving thread, I mentioned why I never learned. This was one of the reasons why, because my mother says I should learn an automatic first before driving a shift. Her car is a shift by the way.

Anonymous 8dc110d2786f4dc370ad428a0b6bccaf replied with this 3 months (2008-08-21 08:44:32 UTC) ago, 11 minutes later (#52,792):

It's very easy to drive a manual transmission. Just takes a little bit of learning to do it smoothly.

Anonymous 0b6fe3c48003175e771e5729e5a82b6a replied with this 3 months (2008-08-21 12:11:52 UTC) ago, 3 hours later (#52,821):

I drove both manual and automatic when I was learning, but took my test with an automatic. I figured that I was stressed out enough to not have to worry about blowing the engine. :)

Anonymous 6fb6ad21e297977f0e0859d2b1a96a8f replied with this 3 months (2008-08-21 16:39:42 UTC) ago, 4 hours later (#52,912):

I've never even seen a manual in the US. The only time i've seen them are in the Dominican Republic.

Anonymous c886b72522f2a0e92eb16d623670989c replied with this 3 months (2008-08-21 20:42:51 UTC) ago, 4 hours later (#52,984):

My parents made me learn stick before I learned manual. Its really not that hard after a little bit of practice.

And I do sometimes see manuals still on the road here, but I also live in the middle of nowhere.

Anonymous ba7d8faef7c5969b0d61725fd752c25b replied with this 3 months (2008-08-22 02:01:40 UTC) ago, 5 hours later (#53,064):

Automatics are just plain easier. The only people who prefer manuals in the US are motorheads and people who like to pretend they're racers with fancy cars or something. There's just no reason for the average person to learn to drive a manual anymore.

Anonymous 937a3bed8276de3d438c3399d570a5f7 replied with this 3 months (2008-08-22 03:30:39 UTC) ago, 1 hour later (#53,090):

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Topic: When you learn how to drive a car in the USA, do you get to use automatic?