Asklemmy

I'm 237 years old, a retired phosphate miner in Nauru. I learned to drive on manual transmissions but now refuse to drive anything not powered by a turbo-encabulator, with the exception of Starfleet shuttlecraft. I also hate questions that encourage people to give away personal or census data without considering that is what's happening.

No, on account of I cannot drive at all. I'm 25 and live in Vermont. The particular part I live in, everything's accessible by bus, so I've just never felt the urgency to learn.

I can’t. Lots of people my age can. My teenage years there was only one car in the household and it’s an auto. I couldn’t afford to pay for extra lessons to learn manual with their car.

I was into cars and really wanted to get a manual car later on. But just never needed it. Auto cars are just more available so 10+ years later I still can’t drive manual and hasn’t affected my life at all

My parents forced me to learn in case I ever needed it.

I'd buy one again in a heartbeat if I could. Love the fact that it was easy AF to rock myself out of snow banks

I can and do drive a manual transmission. I'm 34 and in the US Midwest. It's just more fun to drive. My car isn't even fast, but dropping a couple gears to pass someone never gets old.

Yes. Early 40s, USA, both mine and my wife's cars are manual Subarus.

28, Germany. Yes I can and I dont know anybody with a drivers license who cant.

France, 30s, and I almost always drove manual transmissions. But I rent an automatic, and now I don't understand why manual cars still exist.

UK, always driven manual. I just enjoy it more.

40 Florida I drive a manual everyday. My mother insisted I learn on a manual. I'm grateful

I can drive a manual yeah, I don't feel like I'm in total control when driving an automatic, I'm 20 and live in the Netherlands

I'm in the US and drive manual.

I'm Danish and I drive a manual transmission car every day. Most cars here are manual transmission and you legally can't take driving lessons in an automatic transmission car here so everybody who knows how to drive knows how to drive manual.

I don't get why so many Americans try to make it seem like some amazing feat of traditional blue-collar masculine excellence to able to do it. It's not that hard, anybody can learn it in an afternoon.

Yes I am 25 and in Germany that is the default so nearly anyone can drive with a stick shift.

Yes. 44, Australian, drove a manual until very recently actually.

In Australia (Queensland at least) you have to pass a manual driving test in order to be legally allowed to drive a manual vehicle. At the time I was getting my license (1995 - 96) manual vehicles were still extremely common, plus I like driving a manual so it made sense for me.

I'm Italian and it's mandatory to learn how to drive stick in order to get a license. This could explain why we think driving at 16 is absurd: it would probably be difficult for a 16 years old to learn stick.

Yes, it's very common here (Czechia), in fact I don't know a single person who doesn't know how to drive manual.

Until recently I even preferred it, but nowadays I'd like automatic more. Well, my next car is gonna be automatic, that's for sure.

In Finland synchronization in gearboxes is starting to become a thing nowadays. Double clutching for 20 years now (38).

Just kidding, got my first automatic two years ago, so yes.

Late 30s, Canada, and absolutely I can.

i dont even know what manual transmission means if that tells you anything about me.

i am a manual transmission

Mid 20s, Poland, very much can, but currently driving automatic.

Fun fact: in Poland you normally take the driving test in a manual gear shift car, but you can optionally take it in an automatic one. The deal is you have to provide the vehicle for the testing center yourself (driving schools lend them) and your driving license will have an annotation that it's only viable for this type of gearbox.

Yes, 28, Northern europe, dad taught me how to drive when I was 16. In my country you have to do your driving test in a manual, unless you're fine with a limited license that only allows you to drive automatics. Nobody that I know has that kind of license.

Yes, I'm 45 and from the US.

Unfortunately, although my current car (Mazda3) is available in a manual, I was looking to buy a 2018 model in 2019. My options were limited to remaining inventory, which did not include any manuals. Will be looking for a manual next time, but it's becoming almost impossible to find here.

Yes, but after having an electric car for about two years, I never really wanna go back to ICE, manual or auto. The acceleration is addictive
And electric cars don't really need manual transmissions.

I drove ICE auto for about 8 years, then 3 years manual and electric for the last two.

Yes, I learned to drive in one, got my license with one. I'm 38.

Mid 30s, used to drive stick all the time but I wouldn't go out and get one anymore. This seems like one of those things people clutch onto (pun intended) because it was at one time a useful everyday skill not everyone could do but now is completely antiquated.

I'm in my 40s and live in Europe (NL), and in my country, if you don't take your driving exam in a manual transmission car, you receive a restriction on your license that prevents you from driving manual transmission vehicles. As a result, both I and nearly everyone I know can drive a manual. Automatics are also a fair bit more expensive, so most people don't opt for them. Tho I expect this will change with the rising popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Belgium, 48. I drive a manual transmission. I never had a car with an automatic transmission.

Yes (early 30s) drive a manual VW polo. I’m from Australia. I have always had a manual car.

41, can and have been driving manuals exclusively for the last decade. I only learned about 15 years ago when I picked up a beater Datsun 720, but once I went manual I was hooked. Every car I've bought since has been a manual. Keeps me awake and engaged while driving.

30 years old. US. I can and do drive a stick shift.

Really hard coming from a family with only automatic cars. Very few people have stick cars, and even fewer are willing to teach you in their own car.

Can't even rent a stick shift to practice on. Your best bet is to sign up with a driving school that offers stock shift lessons, which I almost did.

Instead, a buddy of mine was kind enough to let me practice for 2 hours with him in a beater he had. Then I went and picked up my brand new WRX. Stalled like 12 times on the way home. But I figured it out!!

I'm 19-20 and I'm from the eastern part of the US.

In a car, I have about 8 hours of experience and could do it in a pinch, although I'd feel unconfident with it.

On a motorcycle, I have about 20 hours of more recent experience and I feel fairly comfortable with it.

I'm 36, I live in the UK, and I've driven a manual car since I was 17. I've only driven an automatic twice in my life and I'll probably never own one.

Big yes! Mid 20s and currently daily drive my miata

Yes, I'm from the UK so pretty much everyone here can even if they own an automatic. It's not seen as a big deal here, it's just normal.

I prefer manuals, I won't be buying an automatic until my leg falls off.

Yes. If I hadn't learned to drive manual while getting a license, I wouldn't have been able to drive them legally, which I figured would have been unnecessarily restrictive.

That being said, I prefer driving automatic, since you don't really gain anything from driving manual anyway these days. Also I don't own a car and drive maybe 4 times a year, so it's really whatever.

American, Mid 30s, and all cars I've owned so far are Manual Transmission.

The shitposty part of me wants to call it a giant stim toy

Yep - been driving for around 30+ years here in Australia (I'm late 40s). Grew up driving manual, have owned several manual vehicles, including my current one.