Quote:
Originally Posted by surlynkid
i am teaching my 15 year old to drive one now. he hates it. i cannot imagine not knowing how, so he will learn. go rent a car in europe and try to get an auto. not so easy.
|
Ironically, they say the same about many of the caribbean islands, yet both times we've rented (once in St. Martin, once in Curacao), they've given us autos. I'd have greatly prefered a manual, since both islands are hilly and the rentals dreadfully underpowered. The one time we rented in Germany we did get a manual TDI A3, though.
I sort of forced my wife to learn, now she's pretty good at it. What really made her better were the times when "her" car was a manual, a TDI jetta wagon and a MINI Cooper S. I wouldn't want to be in a situation like my brother, he previously owned a manual MINI, but his wife couldn't drive stick. He cut his hand badly enough that he needed to go to the hospital, and they had to find a neighbor to drive him, since she couldn't. I applaud all the parents on this forum teaching their kids to drive a manual. Even if they never take to owning one, it's a good skill to know just in case.