"smobgirl" (smobgirl)
02/24/2018 at 21:57 • Filed to: None
4
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"smobgirl" (smobgirl)
02/24/2018 at 21:57 • Filed to: None | 4
| 27 |
This is a sample size of ten, so hardly representative, but:
5 of my students probably don’t know or care what a manual transmission is.
4 think they’re totally badass.
The odd one out...is being forced to learn, and her parents just encouraged me to let her try the Fiat. She has secretly told me that she wants to know how to drive one but it sounds like she and Dad aren’t on the same page with his teaching skills.
Also, while we’re on the math topic, our timing and scoring judge today thinks 2+6=9, so we’re appealing some penalties.
CB
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 22:10 |
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Nothing wrong with not knowing or caring about driving stick, as if they were forced to drive stick, they’d probably hate it.
Granted, I’m more worried about the ones who think they’re badass... and the person who can’t add.
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smobgirl
> CB
02/24/2018 at 22:13 |
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Yeah, I totally understand the ones who don’t care but I was surprised that 40% would rather drive one (and another 10% at least want to know how).
AestheticsInMotion
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 22:15 |
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Ah drivers ed. The place I went got shut down by the government for hiring felons. Good times...
WRXforScience
> CB
02/24/2018 at 22:18 |
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Every once in a while at the local Street Survival school that I run we get a “badass”, I’ll get one of our female hot-shoes to take them through the slalom at full tilt to put them in their place. My favorite driver for this is a very fast lady who happens to be a grandma and is very unimposing and almost frail looking out of a car (she’s a legitimate badass behind the wheel).
Also, if you drive a Chevy Suburban fast enough through a slalom, OnStar will call you up and ask you if you need an ambulance.
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smobgirl
> AestheticsInMotion
02/24/2018 at 22:19 |
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Haha. I just teach band, thankfully. I’ve just ended up driving some students around more than normal this year so the topic comes up pretty frequently.
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CB
> WRXforScience
02/24/2018 at 22:21 |
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That second tidbit is both surprising and not.
Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 22:24 |
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My personal teenage driver survey only has three data points. Of my three daughters, one didn’t even get her license until she was 23, and only drives auto, one prefers stick and drives a Mini Cooper, and the third doesn’t want to learn stick.
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AestheticsInMotion
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 23:01 |
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Ohhh okay that makes sense. You mentioned band in another post, and in my head I pictured you transporting drums in your Abarth to massive sold out stadium crowds coming to hear your metal band.
Eric @ opposite-lock.com
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 23:06 |
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Millennials are uniquely interested in driving manuals and gender seems to have little to do with it. Especially the ones born around the late-80s to mid-90s. Not sure why...
Many I know seek out and buy them, even...
E90M3
> Eric @ opposite-lock.com
02/24/2018 at 23:11 |
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I’m a millennial, I’ve convinced several of my friends to buy manual cars. I think some people in my generation get tired of the slush boxes.
TheRealBicycleBuck
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 23:24 |
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My daughter has learned how, but we don’t have a manual car which I’ll let her drive so she can practice and get good at it. A WRX is not a good place to practice stick.
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smobgirl
> E90M3
02/24/2018 at 23:25 |
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I never particularly wanted one before but now I never want to not have one. Turns out I’m a control freak who can’t even let the car decide how it wants to shift.
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E90M3
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 23:31 |
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I just feel more involved in the drive. I always wanted one before I had one. The control is nice. When I was road tripping the IS-F back to Tennessee with OpposResidentLexusGuy, I was in a tunnel and I was in WOT in second and it wouldn’t give me the gear I wanted. I was red lining it in second and it wouldn’t give me third, it was infuriating.
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smobgirl
> Eric @ opposite-lock.com
02/24/2018 at 23:32 |
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Are kids born after 2000 still millennials?
I hope I can get J. to appreciate it. I’ve taught her for five years so I sort of know how she approaches and reacts to things. She REALLY hates making mistakes in front of people so stalling with dad in the car is probably a huge obstacle.
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smobgirl
> E90M3
02/24/2018 at 23:40 |
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I kept wanting to shift the box truck yesterday. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why it was doing what it was doing. SHIFT, DAMMIT!
Shoop
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 23:43 |
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No, gen z
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smobgirl
> TheRealBicycleBuck
02/24/2018 at 23:44 |
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A WRX isn’t a good place for a teen, period. I’ve been one of the first to know about all of my band kids first accidents (not like they’re calling me from the scene or anything, they just always feel the need to tell me the next day). They do so much careless stuff before they realize what will work and what won’t.
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E90M3
> smobgirl
02/24/2018 at 23:49 |
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Sounds about right, although usually my complaints are “why did you upshift!?!?!”
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smobgirl
> Shoop
02/24/2018 at 23:55 |
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Ok, I honestly don’t really keep up - thanks!
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Eric @ opposite-lock.com
> smobgirl
02/25/2018 at 00:11 |
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No, only through the late 90s or very early 00s. The usually cutoff is at 2000. Oddly, the late-90s birth years and beyond are almost as likely to not want to learn to drive at all... It’s almost a badge of honor to some much as it can be for us to not own a TV.
HPoz - I like Honda Fits and I cannot lie
> smobgirl
02/25/2018 at 00:22 |
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My dad recently got an NC2 miata so I’m learning stick on that. My plan is for my next car after the Fit (which has the 5-speed auto) to be a manual hot hatch - either a GTI or a Mazdaspeed3.
Jayvincent
> Eric @ opposite-lock.com
02/25/2018 at 03:39 |
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small data set, but can confirm:
My pre-2000 son didn’t get a license until after he turned 18, rarely drives, would rather walk to the nearest store.
My post-2000 sons both got their permits ASAP, wanted to learn to drive stick, (both currently driving manual coupes, a TC and an Accord), make up excuses to go to the store so they can drive more
SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> smobgirl
02/25/2018 at 05:20 |
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I learnt to drive using a Nissan G60 Patrol. Mainly because the clutch on the Mazda 929 station wagon was a little light. The Nissan was three speeds of light industrial goodness.
To teach a kid to drive a manual, start with a light truck. That’s my hint.
If you are sceptical, I transferred this skill into a couple of hot laps around the Bathurst track in a cab over Toyota Dyna that were fast, safe and hilarious...drifting a dually rear axle through Forest Elbow was a highlight!
pip bip - choose Corrour
> smobgirl
02/25/2018 at 06:49 |
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i had no choice.
learn on a manual or walk/cycle.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> smobgirl
02/25/2018 at 08:13 |
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Exactly. My daughter learned the basics in my mom’s old Nissan truck. We had to leave it behind. Poor little thing wasn’t worth the transportation costs to get it from Oklahoma to Louisiana.
diplodicus forgot his password
> CB
02/25/2018 at 08:14 |
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I was forced to learn, didn’t like it until I realized how easy it was to do burnouts!
wafflesnfalafel
> smobgirl
03/21/2018 at 12:05 |
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It’s cool that you still have even half even interested in learning stick, the opportunity now is just so limited with hardly anybody owning manual transmission cars anymore. We only had manuals growing up - didn’t really think that was unusual at the time, (father was frugal, mother liked to drive.) I know they will eventually disappear but I’m still not ready to conform... I figure in 30 years it will be like speaking Latin, an entertaining party trick for a limited number of people.