71 replies to this topic

[SouthernRex]

Sarriss, on 05 October 2012 - 05:16 AM, said:

I sort of figured this topic would boil down to those who drive because they love it, and those who see cars as merely a tool. This topic was probably inappropriately named and would have been better suited with "who can drive a manual?" or "manuals make cars more fun to drive". I drive a manual because I love to drive, and I don't think it makes me "more of a man" I drive one because I like to have a stronger connection to the vehicle I'm driving. I love to feel the engine respond to my touch and listen as I switch gears seamlessly. I am lucky that I live ridiculously close to where I work and thus walk to work everyday, which is why I am going to be investing in a sports coupe shortly because now every time I get into it, I'm driving purely for the sake of it. Yes, I still have errands and other mundane things I need to do and a car facilitates that but it also gives me freedom. Also upgrading to something where I no longer care about fuel economy means that it's more about the drive and less about the economics of owning a car, which is ultimately what every car enthusiast wants.

I understand if someone (man or woman) sees a car as merely a tool for transportation and cares only that it runs reliably and cheaply. That is sadly how newer generations are going, including mine. There is a very large % of people in my city who don't have a license simply because they never want to drive, at least that must be the reason because our public transit is horrible and cities far larger then ours have a much better infrastructure.

However it is ignorant to refer to manual transmission vehicles as "more convoluted method of transportation". You must be younger then me if you think that. Automatics have been around for a long while yes, but standards predate them by decades. Hell, the automobile has been invented for a hundred years and only now are automatics starting to finally get better fuel economy then standards, and it's still marginal at best. (not counting hybrids of course)

Just as ignorant as to assume you aren't a real man if you don't know how to drive a stick. You make it sound as if we choose to drive a stick because we know 1/5 of the people who ever sit in our car would ever be able to drive it in an emergency and that somehow makes us superior. That being said, I would boycott any vehicle that could drive itself and would never own one until it became law. I love to drive, and I do it safely, I'm not worried about me, it's every white knuckled, boy racer, drunk and reckless drivers that worry me.

No. You aren't a man if you don't know how to drive manual. Sorry.

However, yes... the punks racing their daddy's cars, and drinking and driving bring my blood to a boil. My ex-girlfriend was taken from me and her loved ones by a drunk driver. Look, I love booze, and I love racing, but when you drink... YOU MAKE THE ADULT RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT DRIVE. And when you race, DO IT ON A TRACK.

I'm sure you won't disagree with me on that, at least. lol

[oohawkoo]

@op i dont think it has anything to do with being a man or a woman =X everyone should know how (those that drive anyway:P) are you saying women cant get into emergancy situations?

[SouthernRex]

Of course not. I'm usually impressed when a female knows how to properly drive a manual car. However, I have a double standard for women. If a guy doesn't like beer I'll bust his balls for it. If a girl doesn't like beer I'll shrug and ask if she wants some wine.

Just the way things go.

[AlexEss]

Here in Sweden, manual gearbox is still the standard even though automatic is creeping closer...

The again i so is the electronic "push-start" button solution instead of a normal ignition key... Will miss that too when it is gone.

Ofc where i am from most start driving at the age of 11-12 due to it being farmland and helping your family out often means handling tractors and other heavy equipment.

[Jukebox1986]

SouthernRex, on 06 October 2012 - 02:52 AM, said:

Of course not. I'm usually impressed when a female knows how to properly drive a manual car. However, I have a double standard for women. If a guy doesn't like beer I'll bust his balls for it. If a girl doesn't like beer I'll shrug and ask if she wants some wine.

Just the way things go.

Thats pretty dumb. Man do have to like beer, do have to know how to drive cars... Thats friggin bull....!
Why dont we go back to the time where woman cant vote, arent allowed to work and other macho-man-bull....!

You know, i dislike booze, i dont own a car and i dont miss it, sports arent interesting at all and if anyone would want to "bust my balls" because im not fitting into this dumb-*** macho-cliche he can S... MY D...!

no offense.

[SouthernRex]

Janus Wealth, on 06 October 2012 - 03:01 AM, said:

Thats pretty dumb. Man do have to like beer, do have to know how to drive cars... Thats friggin bull....!
Why dont we go back to the time where woman cant vote, arent allowed to work and other macho-man-bull....!

You know, i dislike booze, i dont own a car and i dont miss it, sports arent interesting at all and if anyone would want to "bust my balls" because im not fitting into this dumb-*** macho-cliche he can S... MY D...!

no offense.

You'd get beat up a lot at the bars I go to if you said all that. lol But hey, to each their own, brother.

[Melerski]

I also don't drink alcohol or watch sports.
I perfer marijuana and doing sport.
And I could fk up a dumb drunk in a bar.

Back to topic.
I've never driven an automatic. I imagine it to be a bit strange without direct control.

Edited by Melerski, 06 October 2012 - 02:24 PM.

[Deathz Jester]

Dont see the point, it'd be nice to know but I dont own a manual transmission car. Doesn't really matter to me I hate my car anyway lol. More important things to worry about on a car than the type of transmission. I wouldn't mind knowing how to drive one just in case I find a car I like later in life that happens to be manual.

[Sug]

I keep my car manual in the glovebox.

[MechZ1lla]

SouthernRex, on 06 October 2012 - 02:52 AM, said:

Of course not. I'm usually impressed when a female knows how to properly drive a manual car. However, I have a double standard for women. If a guy doesn't like beer I'll bust his balls for it. If a girl doesn't like beer I'll shrug and ask if she wants some wine.

Just the way things go.

I don't like beer. I'm a whiskey man-straight up. I'll drink beer, but it's not my beverage of choice.

Now. Can I drive a stick? Yes.
Will I? No. Until I get the knee surgery, it hurts too damned much.

[Sarriss]

SouthernRex, on 06 October 2012 - 02:43 AM, said:

No. You aren't a man if you don't know how to drive manual. Sorry.

However, yes... the punks racing their daddy's cars, and drinking and driving bring my blood to a boil. My ex-girlfriend was taken from me and her loved ones by a drunk driver. Look, I love booze, and I love racing, but when you drink... YOU MAKE THE ADULT RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT DRIVE. And when you race, DO IT ON A TRACK.

I'm sure you won't disagree with me on that, at least. lol

I absolutely agree with you on the drinking and driving, but I still don't see how not being able to drive a stick makes you less of a man. I will agree it makes you less of a driver and anyone claiming to be some "awesome badass driver" who then proceeds to get into his mom's Toyota Camery deserves to be ridiculed and mocked.

Then again, I don't understand why you feel the same way about beer. I like beer, but I don't drink very often am I now less of a man? I love to watch and play sports and they dominate much of my time but if I was someone who didn't do either, all of a sudden in the same boat? I guess I'm just a little confused why you have to do or like certain things to be considered a "real man". I'm not a flannel wearing lumberjack who lives in a cabin I built with my bare hands and hunt and kill everything I eat, I'm a network/system admin in the video game industry, have I all of a sudden become not a man anymore, even though I love sports, drink beer occasionally and love to drive a manual?

Anyway, I hope you don't see that as an attack on you but more of a question to your way of thinking.

[SouthernRex]

Sarriss, on 10 October 2012 - 10:42 AM, said:

I absolutely agree with you on the drinking and driving, but I still don't see how not being able to drive a stick makes you less of a man. I will agree it makes you less of a driver and anyone claiming to be some "awesome badass driver" who then proceeds to get into his mom's Toyota Camery deserves to be ridiculed and mocked.

Then again, I don't understand why you feel the same way about beer. I like beer, but I don't drink very often am I now less of a man? I love to watch and play sports and they dominate much of my time but if I was someone who didn't do either, all of a sudden in the same boat? I guess I'm just a little confused why you have to do or like certain things to be considered a "real man". I'm not a flannel wearing lumberjack who lives in a cabin I built with my bare hands and hunt and kill everything I eat, I'm a network/system admin in the video game industry, have I all of a sudden become not a man anymore, even though I love sports, drink beer occasionally and love to drive a manual?

Anyway, I hope you don't see that as an attack on you but more of a question to your way of thinking.

I wouldn't say you're less of a man. It's kind of a ball-busting joke thing. People have said I have a barbaric view of life though. lol

[nailbuNNY2am]

agreed, and furthermore If you want to drive many of the most fun/fast cars you have to be able to drive a manual as well.

[devScott]

Funny thing is, anyone who hasn't or is just about to have kids, those kids most likely will never even drive. 16-20 years and the vast majority will all be self drive.

[Sarriss]

SouthernRex, on 10 October 2012 - 02:26 PM, said:

I wouldn't say you're less of a man. It's kind of a ball-busting joke thing. People have said I have a barbaric view of life though. lol

Oh...

[Fiachdubh]

Automatics are ridiculous (apart from for disabled people, women etc.) on petrol or diesel cars, as fuel prices rise they will become more ridiculous. You should have to use a manual in your test at least. Maybe they are not very common in America but it is opposite most of the rest of the world. Know a couple of people who got their licence in the US but are now going through the whole process again in Ireland because they are only qualified to drive automatics which are very rare here.

Maybe in the future it will be all self drive or electric cars but some day there will be a plague/zombie/nuclear apocalypse/alien invasion and all of a sudden those old manual petrol burners will be the only vehicles we have.

Edited by Fiachdubh, 11 October 2012 - 05:42 AM.

[Hayashi]

Cars?

Public transportation is way more environmentally friendly.

Now, about cycling... ;-)

[Quinn Allard]

Manuals all the way. Wife cant though, Ive tried. I drive 2011 Mustang 5.0 6spd, she drives Audi A4 auto.

[Slab Squathrust]

Hayashi, on 11 October 2012 - 05:48 AM, said:

Cars?

Public transportation is way more environmentally friendly.

Now, about cycling... ;-)

Try waiting for a bus in the middle of Montana in the middle of the winter. Nothing puts hair on your chest like -30 ^oF. They will thaw you out when they find you in the spring.

Enough with the joking. My current ride is an Audi A6 with a 6 speed manual. It is a blast to drive and quite comfortable. It is weird hopping in automatics and there is always that second of confusion about finding the clutch. Anyways, back in high school i worked as a landscaper and sometimes had to drive this 1960's Ford F600 dump turck with a high low axel and a failing transmission. If any vehicle could turn someone off of the manuals it was that truck.

[Catamount]

Fiachdubh, on 11 October 2012 - 05:38 AM, said:

Maybe in the future it will be all self drive or electric cars but some day there will be a plague/zombie/nuclear apocalypse/alien invasion and all of a sudden those old manual petrol burners will be the only vehicles we have.

I'm pretty sure if that happens, driving manual cars will be pretty low on the list when compared to being able to shoot (and maintain a gun), start a fire, tie a decent assortment of knots, navigate without electronics, and have knowledge of biotic factors across a wide variety of environments (in other words, not be completely ignorant of what's living around you in the wilderness), oh generally have a high level of Macgyvering skills.

I can't drive a manual car, nor do I care to learn, but I'm pretty sure my skills in most of those areas surpass those of most people here. We'll see who fares better in the zombie apocalypse

Edited by Catamount, 12 October 2012 - 12:35 PM.