I guess my mother - she has never owned an Auto (the one time I remember her driving an Auto - it was a merc and after the engine reved up she slammed on the brakes thinking it was the clutch to shift - thing had very good brakes).
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April 15, 2011 9:04 a.m. GrantMLS New Reader
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April 15, 2011 9:22 a.m. Ian F SuperDork
A coworker (architect) who drives a late-model (last gen) Camry with a 4cyl & 5 spd. He said he had to search a number of dealers to find it.
Another former co-worker (female engineer) drove a Forester w/ a 5 spd. Sadly, she replaced it with an automatic equiped Infinity. That said, she's so batty I'm amazed she was able to drive a stick (was ALWAYS on the phone).
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April 15, 2011 10:40 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork
A 5'4" petite female friend of mine used to drive a manual Honda Element. I was pretty surprised the first time I rode in it that it was a manual, I just always assumed it was automatic. I was even more surprised to find out that she special-ordered it that way. She actually said it took a very long time for them to get it in because the manual option was so rare.
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April 15, 2011 11:13 a.m. z31maniac SuperDork
Duke wrote:
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
I dun geddit.Even more so when I find out someone reads one.
You know like an "Owner's Manual."
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April 15, 2011 12:45 p.m. Duke SuperDork
Ahhhh, so. A thousand thanks.
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April 15, 2011 1:41 p.m. mtn SuperDork
cwh wrote:
When waiting at lights, I look to see how many brake lights are not on, as in, the clutch is in. Damn few.
I do that too... But it only works one way, i.e. if the lights are not on, it means they have a manual; if the brake lights are on it doesn't mean they don't. I typically keep my foot on the brake in case I get rear ended into traffic.
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April 15, 2011 7:31 p.m. LopRacer New Reader
What surprised me was the number of guys in my Automotive Tech classes that couldn't drive a stick, what are they going to do when they have to pull a car into their bay at work that is a manual? and that doesn't even scratch the surface of how do you properly test drive a repair you just completed. I actaully had to teach two guys on my car in the school parking lot.
On a side note I was pleasantly surprised when my present GF said she wants here next car to be a manual. 
Keeper, she is a keeper.
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April 15, 2011 8:27 p.m. GrantMLS New Reader
I like that my wife can't drive a manual - keeps her out of my cars
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April 16, 2011 5:13 a.m. Rufledt HalfDork
In reply to GrantMLS:
I'm teaching my Fiance to drive manual right away - I hope this will keep me out of automatic cars
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April 16, 2011 10:10 a.m. KATYB Reader
why is it so surprising when a girl drives a manual? my spouse and i both know how. right now ofcourse she has a tribute so no manual but her mz3 was as was her talon. my sister drives a wrx manual. my mom drives a jeep cherokee manual. and about 4 or 5 of my friends all drive manuals.
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April 16, 2011 10:20 a.m. Luke SuperDork
Because it implies that said girl might just be a little bit into cars, which is generally rare
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The girl I last dated drove an auto, but I was impressed that she rode a dirt bike.
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April 16, 2011 12:03 p.m. fastmiata Reader
Debbie wanted a RX-7 badly enough that she learned to drive a manual in 1987(traded in a 190E but that is a whole different story) and has driven manuals since including an MX-3 GS, Altima SE, Maxima SE, MS6 and her Sunburst Yellow Miata. It is getting hard to find sedans with manuals so I dont know what we are going to do when it is time to replace the MS6.
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April 17, 2011 10:09 a.m. White_and_Nerdy Reader
When I met my current girlfriend she had recently gotten her 06 Toyota Highlander. Good car, but boring. It only comes in an automatic. She had recently gotten out of a Legacy that had been giving her trouble - also auto. She has a young son, and both cars were very much boring mommymobiles.
I was quite surprised - quite pleasantly - to find that she had this before the Legacy:
It was an Si. And yes, it was a manual.
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April 17, 2011 2:10 p.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork
LopRacer wrote:
What surprised me was the number of guys in my Automotive Tech classes that couldn't drive a stick, what are they going to do when they have to pull a car into their bay at work that is a manual? and that doesn't even scratch the surface of how do you properly test drive a repair you just completed. I actaully had to teach two guys on my car in the school parking lot.
On a side note I was pleasantly surprised when my present GF said she wants here next car to be a manual. Keeper, she is a keeper.
No kidding, I have had techs who couldn't drive manuals. I was shocked to say the least.
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April 17, 2011 3:06 p.m. mtn SuperDork
A friend of mine. Not anything about him, per se, but the fact that he drives an (last generation) Oldsmobile Alero. There had to be about 14 Alero's with stick shift, and his is one of them.
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April 17, 2011 6:59 p.m. KATYB Reader
i just didnt know it was all that shocking. and believe me there are alot more girls who are into cars than u think... just its so discouraged that most move on from the hobby.
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April 17, 2011 8:41 p.m. Supercoupe Reader
that's all my daughter will drive, started on an A4, now she's in a 1.8t Passat, and now she's looking for a MkII Vr6. She has a problem...
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April 17, 2011 10:30 p.m. WilberM3 HalfDork
mtn wrote:
A friend of mine. Not anything about him, per se, but the fact that he drives an (last generation) Oldsmobile Alero. There had to be about 14 Alero's with stick shift, and his is one of them.
i didnt even know that was available. did somebody screw up the build sheet or something and it ended up manual?
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April 17, 2011 10:52 p.m. fasted58 Reader
My dad ordered a '77 Grand Prix w/ a 4-speed (w/ prodding from me, #1 teenage son). He received a call from Detroit one night trying to convince him to change his order to an auto. He caved, I was bummed.
