View Single Post
      11-28-2012, 12:55 PM   #46
swartzentruber
Captain
United_States
30
Rep
742
Posts

Drives: 2011 E90 M3
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Chicago NW suburbs, IL

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by surlynkid View Post
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.
__________________
2011 Jerez Black/Fox Red E90 M3 DCT, ZCP, ZCV, ZCW, ZP2, BMW Apps
2015 Golf R
Appreciate 0