Asklemmy

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

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

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.

Germany, 25. Always driven manual, don't even know how to drive automatic.

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

Italy. 21, We only drive manual here

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Late 30s, Canada, and absolutely I can.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

i am a manual transmission

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

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.

I am 17 and don't even have a driver's license (I already could). However I don't want that in the first place. I don't feel comfortable about being in control of a heavy vehicle moving at relatively high speed. I know I'd drive over a pedestrian the first month because I got lost in my thoughts and completely forgot to pay attention to being in a damn car.
Or just fall asleep. Being in a train, bus, or even just playing a bus simulator on my phone immediately makes me sleepy. Sleeping driver is not a good driver.
Additionally there's the high prices of gas to consider, low prices of bus transport, and for me as a student non-existent prices for trains.
Why pay extra to create additional traffic and kill people?

23, German, yes I can and I do

Does a motorbike count?

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.

Nope, manual transmission isn't common in Ontario,, I lived in the US for a bit and everyone seemed to drive stick, but I never figured it out. I don't understand why anyone wants to drive it.

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

Yes. European. It's the norm.

US late 20s. Yes I can and every car I've owned for the last 8 years has been manual

I go out of my way to find them.