September 29, 2005 | Miss Wheeler
I know the process involved, and in an emergency, I could drive a car with a manual transmission. But right now, given the choice, I'm all about the automatic. I think I have a mental block about driving stick. My head keeps telling me I can't do it, and there's too much to remember. I can't work the clutch, shift, give the car gas, AND pay attention to other people on the road! Impossible! My last experience driving a stick, despite the boyfriend being very calm and patient, ended with me in tears. I haven't attempted to drive his car since.
It wouldn't really be an issue, except for the commuting thing. I end up driving, due to my lack of manual transmission comprehension. I don't mind driving. But as traffic has become worse over the past few weeks, the amount of four-letter words escaping my lips has also increased.
I try to be very conscious of what I'm doing when I'm driving. I won't get in front of you or merge without my blinker on, I don't make u-turns in the middle of an expressway, I try my best not to tailgate, and I won't cut across 4 lanes of traffic because, OH MY GOD THERE'S MY EXIT. But if one of my fellow commuters does any of the above, I will swear like a sailor and give them their own special nickname using some or all of the expletives I can think of. But once I've done that, I'm usually fine. It's pretty much out of my system. Despite explaining this to the boyfriend, he's still afraid I'm going to have a heart-attack.
So I can't figure out which is worse. Aggravation while driving my own car, or emotionally freaking out from trying to drive a stick. And I know I should learn how regardless of my commuting situation, but after 12 years of automatic-only driving, this old dog is having trouble learning a new trick.
Does anyone know if they make "Manual Transmissions for Dummies"? I think I might need a copy.
Thank you all for your encouragement, advice, and offers to teach me how to drive (Tracy, I may totally take you up on your offer). I completely appreciate it. This just may give me the confidence to get behind the wheel of a manual transmission again!
ok lady - next time you're in my town, we're gonna go for a joy ride in my manual (oh, wait that sounded dirty...)
seriously - i've taught a couple people how to drive, and no one has killed me yet.
Bravo on the diatribe on poor driving. I am also getting worse and worse with the sheer hatred of other drivers. Of course, that means I have developed bad habits like use of certain fingers or flashing high beams. And I live 12 minutes from my job!
Not sure if they have these in the US (I'm in Canada), but you might consider taking a "refresher" course from a reputable driving school, using one of their cars. This does away with the emotional trauma of having a loved one try to teach you, and also you won't have to worry about stripping the gears on a family member/boyfriend/girlfriend's car.
When I learned, my mom told me something that really helped: "Millions of other people can do this. Why not you?" Why not indeed?
first let me say I'm excited by the bk&wh/sepia photos on the last couple of posts. I really like the feel of bk&wh/sepia.
practice makes perfect, and if you can drive the car everyday for a bit, that helps too. if you don't it of corse isn't very smooth for a while. AND heres a small tip I use when I've got someone in front of me creeping along, and takes that turn at a snails pace. just keep thinking that their transporting a wedding cake. those are hard to deliver and it helps me to think there is a reason their creeping.
The best way to learn to drive a stick shift is to be lucky enough to have a farm to live on. You take the car out on an old dirt road and have someone coach you. Nothing around to run into you relax into it and it is very easy to do thereafter. It is not rocket science but trying to learn in traffic is tough.
Speaking from experience having been taught to drive a stick about 15 years ago when I bought a stick-shift car without knowing how to drive one (nothing like complete necessity to light a fire under my butt) and then having taught a few people over the years, it would probably be best to have a non-boyfriend person teach you (lower emotional factor), and to start out trying in a LARGE parking lot - like one for a community college on a day when it's mostly empty. It also helps to not have the owner of the car teach you - if you can just get them to loan you the car for lessons it's better. It's a little freaky having the owner-teacher cringe every time you grind a gear.
driving a stick is like tivo. once you get used to it, you won't know how you lived without it. ... oh wait... nevermind.
I actually have dreams (nightmares?) about driving a manual transmission. The locations, surroundings are always different but almost always I'm in the same predicament: At a red light on the the top of some steep hill and in the rearview mirror I can see the long line of cars just waiting for me to roll backwards. Fun.