Stick?

[miotas]

I was watching an old episode of NCIS recently and everyone seemed shocked when abby said she could drive "stick". Am I correct in assuming that "stick" is american slang for a manual transmission and if I am is it really true that most americans can't drive "stick"?

In australia the opposite would be quite true, if there are people here who can't drive a manual it's usually because they can't drive at all.

If any american would like to comment it would be most apreciated.

I hope no one takes this as being offensive, I'm just curious.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Most cars here are automatic. Stick can be fun, but automatic is better.

[Megas Methuselah]

:inquisitive: That's what it means? Geez...

... I always thought it referred to a woman who is able to drive at the same time as giving her male passenger sexual pleasure. :dizzy2:

[Lemur]

"Stick," "manual" and "standard" all mean the same thing in the U.S.A. Most cars sold here are automatics of varying quality. I don't know why they're so popular, but they are. I can understand why they are superior for city driving, but out in the sticks it makes no difference.

Maybe the fact that so many Americans live in high-density, stop-and-go cities is the reason? Dunno.

It's not a religious issue for me, but if you buy a car with manual transmission, a lot of people here won't be able to drive it. So both of the used cars we bought were auto. Why fight the tide? The sedan has a very nice German-made automatic transmission that allows you to control your RPMs with paddles on the steering wheel, so if you really, truly need to hold a gear, you can.

[drone]

A lot of people can't drive stick (comes from the phrase "stick shift"). My older sister learned to drive on an automatic 20 years ago, and still can't drive stick. My dad learned his lesson well and taught me on a manual transmission, and I prefer it immensely. Most American cars are automatics, manuals are generally found in small Japanese cars and sporty cars. I have no idea what percentage of Americans are able to drive stick, I imagine most can, but prefer not too.

[pevergreen]

Only women can't drive sticks in Australia. Real people drive manual. :grin2:

You can't get decent acceleration off an automatic.

[miotas]

*start rant*
I prefer a manual because I actually have control of the car, if I'm in a dicey situation I wouldn't wan't the auto to go changing gears on me.
Plus auto's are sooooo boring. I have an auto at the moment and buying it was one of the worst decions i've made. i dont have enough money to buy a new car so i have to put up with being bored off my a*** whenever i drive. Were i live there are some truly spectacular driving roads that get about 2 cars a week and i kick myself whenever i drive through for having bought an auto
And even though it isn't much, in my current financial situation the extra fuel an auto uses doesn't help.
*end rant*

sorry, don't like auto's much

*EDIT*
Yeah that's why its called a manual

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Let's say you're about to pull out of a gas station. The road in front of you is two lanes both ways with lots of traffic. You need to turn left (crossing the center line...have no idea what side of the road ya'll drive on) and make a sharp right soon after. Much nicer to have an automatic--no one can steer as well with one hand as they can with two, and the car can shift faster than you can.

Manual can be fun, but it's not particularly entertaining either. I also prefer the bench style seating which you lose if you have the stick in the middle.

[pevergreen]

Let's say you're about to pull out of a gas station. The road in front of you is two lanes both ways with lots of traffic. You need to turn left (crossing the center line...have no idea what side of the road ya'll drive on) and make a sharp right soon after. Much nicer to have an automatic--no one can steer as well with one hand as they can with two, and the car can shift faster than you can.

Manual can be fun, but it's not particularly entertaining either. I also prefer the bench style seating which you lose if you have the stick in the middle.

Yeah, but in that situation, you need a much bigger gap in traffic to be able to do it with an automatic.

I've seen some pretty fast gear changes. My car is pretty damn old, so it takes about 3 seconds to go from 1st to neutral, then another 2-3 to go to second. Also got about 1/4 of an inch on the clutch.

Great car to learn in. >_>

[miotas]

Let's say you're about to pull out of a gas station. The road in front of you is two lanes both ways with lots of traffic. You need to turn left (crossing the center line...have no idea what side of the road ya'll drive on) and make a sharp right soon after. Much nicer to have an automatic--no one can steer as well with one hand as they can with two, and the car can shift faster than you can.

Manual can be fun, but it's not particularly entertaining either. I also prefer the bench style seating which you lose if you have the stick in the middle.

Depends on you're driving skill i suppose, autos tend to respond suggishly, ie they wont change down until you put you foot down, with a manual you can put it in first and take of at full accelleration, plus you can stay in first long after the auto would have changed up to second.
Plus if you have power steering one hand is just as good as two.

I learnt on a '84 toyota corona, the gears on that thing were so terrible you need to get the exact point on the clutch to get it to change, and the clutch didn't have a friction point per say but a friction region. But bloody hell that thing was a rocket when you got it right. If you can drive that you can drive anything(only got my licence 3 years ago btw so quite old by my standards)

[Lemur]

Well, if it's all about which system gives you better acceleration, I was under the impression that sequential manual transmission (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequential_manual_transmission) was the real deal. No clutch for your left foot, I'm afraid, so the whole ritual of clutch-and-shift is out the window. And that's only available on actual racing cars and a few imports (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequential_manual_transmission#Use_in_road_cars).

I must say, however, that my used six-cylinder sedan with its German automatic tranny does just fine in the acceleration department. The only benefit I would have had from going with the manual would be an extra mile per gallon, and my wife's inability to drive it.

[PanzerJaeger]

DSG = best of both worlds....

[miotas]

Well, if it's all about which system gives you better acceleration, I was under the impression that sequential manual transmission (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequential_manual_transmission) was the real deal. No clutch for your left foot, I'm afraid, so the whole ritual of clutch-and-shift is out the window. And that's only available on actual racing cars and a few imports (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequential_manual_transmission#Use_in_road_cars).
May be a touch out of my price range, plus i like the feel of a nice clutch.


I must say, however, that my used six-cylinder sedan with its German automatic tranny does just fine in the acceleration department. The only benefit I would have had from going with the manual would be an extra mile per gallon, and my wife's inability to drive it.

Although a car with good acceleration will be good regardless of the transmission, it will always be improved by a manual.

It always seems strange to me in movies when the protagonist jumps in a powerful car and then slams the car into ...... drive......:inquisitive:?!?!?!?


DSG = best of both worlds....

the manual option is still seqential unfortunately

[naut]

Hmmm, IMHO, manual is more fun. You're actually driving, not just steering.

Edit: Also, if you see me driving. Get out of the road, for fear of being hit. :embarassed:

[SwordsMaster]

You just need to ask yourself 1 question: Would Clint Eastwood or Russell Crowe drive automatic?:no:

[KukriKhan]

I learned to double-clutch with a three-on-the-tree manual, unsynchronized trannie on Dad's old Ford.

Way back in the mesozoic era.

I had a blast back in those days, deliberately looking for challenging roads. Nowadays, I have no preference... southern Calif has few "interesting" drives anymore; everything's been widened and straightened, to accomodate our "just get me there safely in 10 minutes" mindset.

My Korea-built Chevy is a 5-speed floor-shifter, as is the Missus' Japan-built Ford. I still remember the day 15 years ago: our 2 teen sons in the backseat, Mrs. K's starter burnt out. The boys worried we were so far from home. Undaunted, Mrs. K put 'er in 2nd, I gave it a shove, and she started and purred like a kitten all the way home. Can't do that with an auto-tranny.

[Andres]

Wow. I didn't realise this difference.

Anyway, MANual for the win :2thumbsup:

~;p

[KukriKhan]

Then there's the crime-prevention aspect:

LINK (http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Failed-Carjacker-Couldn-t-Drive-Stick-Shift/IFhoapjiW0OMZXBiJHCJ0A.cspx)


Charges were filed Tuesday against a teenager who reportedly couldn’t take a woman’s car after a robbery because he didn’t know how to drive stick shift.

David D. Collins, 17, was charged with two counts of robbery for that and a second incident just minutes later.

Court documents allege Collins and an unidentified minor approached a woman around 11 p.m. Monday as she left Muddy’s Coffee Shop, 318 E. 51st St.

Collins reportedly asked the woman to use her cell phone and after making several calls, he pointed a gun at the victim and demanded money.

The woman got out of her car at the juvenile’s request and Collins got into the driver’s seat.

“Collins attempted to drive away by initially backing out of the parking spot but failed to put into gear because he couldn’t drive a stick shift,” Collins’ charging documents state.

[TinCow]

I would estimate that under 10% of Americans know how to drive a manual transmission. The reason for this is that automatic transmissions are standard over here, you usually have to pay MORE for a manual transmission (which I did for my current car). In Europe, manual transmissions are standard, and an automatic is an upgrade you have to pay for. Thus the disparity.

Having learned to drive in the UK and then moved to the US, I've experienced both sides of the issue. Manual transmission is certainly fun and it allows you far more control over your car if it's a cheap car. I currently have a Honda Civic, and if it wasn't a manual the thing would never accelerate. That said, a manual transmission is a massive pain in the butt when driving in traffic. At the same time, automatics will actually give you better performance on high-end vehicles. Good quality vehicles with actual horsepower and acceleration usually shift faster than you could manage on your own and thus there would actually be a loss of performance with a manual transmission on many of these automobiles.

So, my conclusion has always been to buy a manual if it's a cheap car and buy an automatic if it's a nice car. Oh, and don't buy an American car no matter what you do.

[miotas]

LMAO :laugh4:


+rep for the double-clutching. a manual driven properly leaves a auto for dead,
I once blew off an auto '99 subaru impreza in that old corona I mentioned earlier because I could double clutch, he would have caught me later no doubt, except for the fact that he had a speed limiter :laugh4:, we never let him forget that one. This was all on private land of course, out on the roads i'm a rather sensible driver.:beam:

can't beat a good ol' push start hey, almost essential knowledge if you've got an older car.


yeah here in oz you have to pay extra for an auto as well. I prefer older cars, more character more fun and you can fix them yourself.

[KukriKhan]

Column-shifters have gone the way of the manual choke, cigarette lighter, and dinosaur, I guess.

I think Saab still makes one, but US automakers gave up on them in the 80's. When I was a kid, the only "4-on-the-floor" shifters were foreign (VW, Renault), or trucks, or dragsters. Still, we (my friends and I) thought floor-shifters were cooler than column-shifters, and wa-a-a-ay cooler than lazy-man PowerGlides.

On the other hand, being stuck on a California freeway in 102F August heat shifting 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, stop, 1st, 2nd, stop, 1st, stop... for an hour gets pretty tedious pretty fast.

[Lemur]

DSG = best of both worlds....
A clarification for those who may not know what PJ's talking about: DSG is Volkswagen's brandname for twin-clutch transmissions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-clutch_gearbox#Volkswagen). Very slick stuff.

Mitsubishi calls it "Twin Clutch SST", BMW calls it "DCT," Ford's going to call it "Powershift." Really, Powershift? Why does that strike me as dorky?

Anyway, twin-clutch gearboxes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-clutch_gearbox) are pretty darn cool, worth a read. All the benefits of a manual trannie without the tedium in stop-and-go traffic.

[drone]

Column-shifters have gone the way of the manual choke, cigarette lighter, and dinosaur, I guess.

My cargo vehicle (GMC Safari) has a column shifter. Fortunately I don't have to drive it day-to-day.

The fact that most American females can't drive stick is a plus. That way the missus will never drive my car. :yes:

My dad has been saddled with automatics for ages because of my mom, but I gave him my car (Integra) when I moved to the UK for a couple of years. They live in the Georgia mountains, and he had such a blast that my mom wouldn't get in that car with him after a few trips. ~D A stick shift on windy mountain roads is the best.

[rasoforos]

We drive almost exclusively manuals in Greece. You don't want your car to change gears on you while you are on tricky roads. Also, if you are to drive manual I believe it is best to drive proper manual (i.e clutch, no buttons etc).

I have a feeling of not controlling the car on auto. Manual gives you better control and it doesnt feel like you are playing an 80's arcade game.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Yeah, but in that situation, you need a much bigger gap in traffic to be able to do it with an automatic.



Now that I think about it, one of the automatics I've driven was horrible sluggish on the accelerator. But others are fast enough. Heck, the minivan I used to drive for work would squeal the tires at the slightest touch. Though I think that depends on more than acceleration.

[Subotan]

Americans would probably burn 25% less petrol if they all used manual.

[Lemur]

Americans would probably burn 25% less petrol if they all used manual.
Epic math fail. Average U.S. vehicle gets somewhere between 20-15 mpg. Most estimates are that you lose one mpg for an auto tranny as opposed to a manual.

Much more rational to say that Americans might burn as much as 5% less petrol if they went manual. (Note, my sedan averages 27 mpg, so I would only average 28 by going manual. The more efficient the vehicle, the less your savings would be. The biggest consumers of gas are commercial trucks anyway, but we won't go there just yet.)

-edit-

Just to make clear, for your statement to be correct, we would need to average 3-4 mpg with auto and 4-5 with manual. Even Hummers get better mileage than that.

[Yoyoma1910]

Greatest movie quote ever:


Is this a shifter car? I cannot drive a shifter car, alright, so we got a little situation here. I can't drive these kinda cars! What the :angel: is goin' on! You think that's funny? Would you like to know, smart:saint:? Would you like to know why I can't drive this kinda car? I'll tell you why, I'm used to *luxury* cars. Have you ever heard of a luxury car? You know what luxury means? Ever heard of Cadillac, Cadillac Eldorado? That's what I drive. I drive cars that *shift* themselves.

[miotas]

Greatest movie quote ever:


Is this a shifter car? I cannot drive a shifter car, alright, so we got a little situation here. I can't drive these kinda cars! What the :angel: is goin' on! You think that's funny? Would you like to know, smart:saint:? Would you like to know why I can't drive this kinda car? I'll tell you why, I'm used to *luxury* cars. Have you ever heard of a luxury car? You know what luxury means? Ever heard of Cadillac, Cadillac Eldorado? That's what I drive. I drive cars that *shift* themselves.

lol :laugh4:
what's that from?

[Yoyoma1910]

Buffalo 66.

[Vuk]

What are you talking about? I have never met an American woman who could NOT ride stick!
:angel:

In all seriousness though, my truck uses manual, and I really have no complaints with it. When it comes to a road care though, I prefer automatic. I drive through town a LOT, and it is always stop and go. It would drive me nuts to be constantly shifting like that. :P I got an old 2000 Ford Taurus, but it is the sportier model (as sporty as a Taurus can possibly get :laugh4:) and when you even breath on the pedal, that thing moves. It does not just have good excelleration, that thing wastes no time shifting. You burn through the gears like nothing. Sure, it is not a sports car (even though I make it sound like one), and does not even come close to a simple Mustang, but for a 4 door passenger sedan, that thing is pretty sweet. I see no reason for a manual when I have it, because that car shifts itself just fine.

[miotas]

What are you talking about? I have never met an American woman who could NOT ride stick!
:angel:

In all seriousness though, my truck uses manual, and I really have no complaints with it. When it comes to a road care though, I prefer automatic. I drive through town a LOT, and it is always stop and go. It would drive me nuts to be constantly shifting like that. :P I got an old 2000 Ford Taurus, but it is the sportier model (as sporty as a Taurus can possibly get :laugh4:) and when you even breath on the pedal, that thing moves. It does not just have good excelleration, that thing wastes no time shifting. You burn through the gears like nothing. Sure, it is not a sports car (even though I make it sound like one), and does not even come close to a simple Mustang, but for a 4 door passenger sedan, that thing is pretty sweet. I see no reason for a manual when I have it, because that car shifts itself just fine.

hehehe "truck"

i can see how it would be a blessing when in heavy traffic, but to do you really find enjoyment in just putting your foot down and letting the car drive itself? I'm afraid i just can't see your side of the argument on this point.

Oh well, each to his own I suppose :shrug:

[Strike For The South]

Red 86 Ford F-250 long bed. Pa put 300,000 miles on a truck with no A/C or power windows and gear shift that would stick.

I have an automatic but know how to drive a stick (Although I may have forgotten some of the finer points:sweatdrop:)

[Vuk]

Ford makes the best darned truck in the world. :2thumbsup: I prefer their cars over any other American made car, and all Euro cars except the Mini. (I have a Mini fetish, that is why)

[Lemur]

Nothing wrong with loving the Mini. If I didn't have two little lemurs, I'd be driving one right now. Unfortunately, I do have to cram two growing children into the vehicle, so a small sedan was as close as I could get to Mini lovin'.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

hehehe "truck"

i can see how it would be a blessing when in heavy traffic, but to do you really find enjoyment in just putting your foot down and letting the car drive itself? I'm afraid i just can't see your side of the argument on this point.

Oh well, each to his own I suppose :shrug:

I don't have the kind of automatic that steers itself unfortunately. :driver:

[Vuk]

Nothing wrong with loving the Mini. If I didn't have two little lemurs, I'd be driving one right now. Unfortunately, I do have to cram two growing children into the vehicle, so a small sedan was as close as I could get to Mini lovin'.

I have never owned or driven a Mini actually, just ridden in one. :P I fell in love with the car though, and as soon as I pay of these :furious3: loans and get a little money, I am gonna get one. It is pathetic that my dream car is not a Lamborgini or a Ford GT, but a Mini. :P

[Lemur]

Green body with the white top. That's what I'd be cruising in if not for my cursed progeny. And I'd definitely spring for the better stereo. Mmmmm ... I even test-drove one, just to torture myself ....

[miotas]

well i was actually laughing at the fact that you call it a truck but anywho.

while were on dream cars, mine is a 77 TE cortina 4.1L straight 6, drove my cousin's a few years back and i've wanted one ever since, that is a machine it would be a crime to get as an auto. My cousin has 600 hectares with a makeshift racing track and i almost killed myself many a time in that thing, good times, good times.

[Vuk]

Green body with the white top. That's what I'd be cruising in if not for my cursed progeny. And I'd definitely spring for the better stereo. Mmmmm ... I even test-drove one, just to torture myself ....

So am I not the only who has went to the site and eaten my heart out "building" my own dream Mini? :P
I have not test drove one yet, if I did I would probably go do something really dumb and get even deeper into debt. :P

@miotas: The truck I was referring to was a real truck. I have two. One is a gas Ford, and the other is a 87 or 88 (It is a crime that I forget) Sierra 4X4 diesel. It is the first time there was diesel and 4X4 that I know of, so I think it is kind of a classic. It is big, it is mean, and it is tough. :P They do not make trucks like that anymore. That thing can go anywhere and do just about anything. I do not cut down trees like a smart person would, I dig around the roots about a foot under the ground, chop and saw as many off as possible, then either use a come-along or a truck to pull them down. Thus eliminating the need for a nasty stump disposal job, because you use the leverage of the tree to remove the stump. It is a bit slower, but it works and my sexy lawn looks better for it. I was pulling down a massive boxelder with my Sierra, and I mis judged the length, and the top 4 feet of it came crashing down onto the back and cab of the truck. I expected that to crush the cab and shatter the windshield, but instead, it made a tiny dent, and that is all. The thing is perfect for plowing snow too, not even the worst Wisconsin snow stands a chance. :P I really love that truck, but unfortunately everything on it is finally starting to go, so I am not sure how much longer I will have it.
GMC still makes an ok truck, but it is nothing to Ford. Chevy trucks with few exceptions are jokes, and are mediocre at best. Toyota trucks aren't. Dodge makes a mean truck, there is no denying that, but Ford still makes the best out there.

[Strike For The South]

People from Wisconsin driving trucks? LOL LOL LOL

[Vuk]

People from Wisconsin driving trucks? LOL LOL LOL

lol Strike, we like our trucks. ~;) WI has a lot of farms, and a large paper and logging industry (at least we used to :P), so there is plenty of need for trucks. My family saves a lot of money by heating with a wood stove, so I have been going into the woods with my father since I was a little kid helping with aquiring firewood. Things have changed a lot, but it is still cheaper to heat with a woodstove, so my brothers still harvest wood with it to this day, and when I am over, I help them. :P (cause nothing is as kewl as sawing down trees and spending all day cutting off brush and hauling it to a pile, then loading logs into the back of a truck, dragging it home, sawing them up more, and splitting them) :2thumbsup: Cannot do that without a truck unless you like to take lots of long hard walks and get close to nothing done all day. :P We also used to to transport 100s of tons of massive stones from what used to be an old barn. We have went through a few trucks, and these ones have seen their share of work. :P You think the Texans are the only ones who know how to work?

[Strike For The South]

lol Strike, we like our trucks. ~;) WI has a lot of farms, and a large paper and logging industry (at least we used to :P), so there is plenty of need for trucks. My family saves a lot of money by heating with a wood stove, so I have been going into the woods with my father since I was a little kid helping with aquiring firewood. Cannot do that without a truck unless you like to take lots of long hard walks and get close to nothing done all day. :P We also used to to transport 100s of tons of massive stones from what used to be an old barn. We have went through a few trucks, and these ones have seen their share of work. :P You think the Texans are the only ones who know how to work?

Yes.

[miotas]

@miotas: The truck I was referring to was a real truck. I have two. One is a gas Ford, and the other is a 87 or 88 (It is a crime that I forget) Sierra 4X4 diesel. It is the first time there was diesel and 4X4 that I know of, so I think it is kind of a classic. It is big, it is mean, and it is tough. :P They do not make trucks like that anymore. That thing can go anywhere and do just about anything. I do not cut down trees like a smart person would, I dig around the roots about a foot under the ground, chop and saw as many off as possible, then either use a come-along or a truck to pull them down. Thus eliminating the need for a nasty stump disposal job, because you use the leverage of the tree to remove the stump. It is a bit slower, but it works and my sexy lawn looks better for it. I was pulling down a massive boxelder with my Sierra, and I mis judged the length, and the top 4 feet of it came crashing down onto the back and cab of the truck. I expected that to crush the cab and shatter the windshield, but instead, it made a tiny dent, and that is all. The thing is perfect for plowing snow too, not even the worst Wisconsin snow stands a chance. :P I really love that truck, but unfortunately everything on it is finally starting to go, so I am not sure how much longer I will have it.
GMC still makes an ok truck, but it is nothing to Ford. Chevy trucks with few exceptions are jokes, and are mediocre at best. Toyota trucks aren't. Dodge makes a mean truck, there is no denying that, but Ford still makes the best out there.

:oops: sorry, i just think it's funny when americans call a ute a truck

yeah i know what you mean about old vehicles that just dont quit, my family is full of labourers and car lovers. My pop has a datsun from the sixties which is basically just pieces of rust riveted together, the only reason it passes rego is cause he "knows" someone. the thing almost never breaks down and it goes like the clappers though.

And my nanna(different side of the family) has an old fergie that does absolutely everything, and has been doing so for over 30 years, it can climb a hill like a bloody sheep and hasn't once flipped, and its a godsend if you get bogged. all of my cousins first learnt to drive in it aswell, i knew how to drive it before i was old enough to go to school, i just wasn't tall enough :laugh4:

bloody hell i sound like an old timer don't i? better shuffle off before start talking about the good old days.

[Vuk]

Yes.

lol, haven't met my family Strike. I come from a very hardworking family, and lots of people around where I grew up are very hard working.

EDIT: I think Texans just have big egos. :beam:

[Strike For The South]

lol, haven't met my family Strike. I come from a very hardworking family, and lots of people around where I grew up are very hard working.

EDIT: I think Texans just have big egos. :beam:

Whatever you say yank.

That's a personal attack...on all three of me

[Vuk]

It is not a personal attack, just an observation.
Sorry Strike, but my family lived below the poverty line when I was growing up. My dad worked three different jobs and myself and all of my brothers and sisters worked outside and in the house as soon as we were old enough to. Life was not easy at all for me growing up, and being in a poor family, wearing the same two pairs of second hand clothes for a year, not having a TV, etc does not really increase the respect you get from people. The only thing I really had to be proud of as a kid was a good family, a good education, and that I knew how to work. I have been working my own way through college, and since my dad died, along with my two sisters, working for my family as well. I think knowing how to work is an important part of who I am, so I find it a little arrogant to hear someone on a message board who for all I know has never done a full days work in his life tell me I do not know how to. :P

[miotas]

there is nothing, in my book, quite as deserving of respect, as a hard days work to feed the family.

we never had things quite as hard as you vuk but my sister has a degenerative muscle disease and just achieving a basic standard of living for her is quite expensive for my dad.

*i should add that he is a labourer

[Vuk]

there is nothing, in my book, quite as deserving of respect, as a hard days work to feed the family.

we never had things quite as hard as you vuk but my sister has a degenerative muscle disease and just achieving a basic standard of living for her is quite expensive for my dad.

My early childhood was pretty hard on my family, because I have 5 siblings, and it is quite hard to support a family that size. When we started getting old enough to hold our own jobs and when my dad found better paying work things got a lot better for us. Not say that we ever became even "well off", things aren't bad.
Kudos to your dad. Is that anything that she can recover from?

EDIT: What does he do?

[miotas]

My early childhood was pretty hard on my family, because I have 5 siblings, and it is quite hard to support a family that size. When we started getting old enough to hold our own jobs and when my dad found better paying work things got a lot better for us. Not say that we ever became even "well off", things aren't bad.
Kudos to your dad. Is that anything that she can recover from?

EDIT: What does he do?

Unfortunately not.

What doesn't he do might be a simpler question, but the majority has been truck driving, recently he got a job out west trucking water for oil rigs(trucking oil was better money but if something happened we would have up **** creek) and now he's kind of a supervisor/plane refuler. That's about half of his working life but about a 10th of his resume :laugh4:, he even raced cars for a bit before i came along, guess that's where the car lovin thing comes from.

[Vuk]

Unfortunately not.

What doesn't he do might be a simpler question, but the majority has been truck driving, recently he got a job out west trucking water for oil rigs(trucking oil was better money but if something happened we would have up **** creek) and now he's kind of a supervisor/plane refuler. That's about half of his working life but about a 10th of his resume :laugh4:, he even raced cars for a bit before i came along, guess that's where the car lovin thing comes from.


LMAO! Boy that sounds like my dad! My dad was a professional driver for most of his life. He worked for the Post Office, a gas company, and trucked for Del Monte to name a few. He did tons of other things in his life though. He was a marksmanship trainer for the police, an avionics technician for the Marine Corps, and even a janitor once. :P lol Work comes and goes in life though I guess.

[miotas]

LMAO! Boy that sounds like my dad! My dad was a professional driver for most of his life. He worked for the Post Office, a gas company, and trucked for Del Monte to name a few. He did tons of other things in his life though. He was a marksmanship trainer for the police, an avionics technician for the Marine Corps, and even a janitor once. :P lol Work comes and goes in life though I guess.

i guess a good bloke's a good bloke no matter where he's from

[Strike For The South]

Do I really need to put smileys after everything?

[PanzerJaeger]

Pickup trucks and are great and all, but it is inconceivable to me that so many people in the US buy them who have no use for them, when for the same money, they could have a sweet car. I mean, some of those big trucks are BMW money. Why would someone purposely choose a vehicle with less handling abilities, less acceleration, less gas mileage, and less feedback for absolutely no reason?

I'm a free market guy and I support people's right to drive whatever cars they like, but it does make me chuckle to see these guys trying to navigate their chromed out, lifted barges through parking lots, slowing to 15MPH around corners for fear of rolling over, and laboring to make it up to speed merging onto the interstate. The funniest thing of all is watching their wives try and climb up into them in skirts. I wonder if the image is worth it...

Of course I feel the same way about the legions of CamCord buyers who spend their money on boring appliances that don't even offer a pretense of style, performance, or interest. :shame:

[Strike For The South]

Questioning the pick up truck? Bringing up the BMW?

Does INS know where you are?

[miotas]

lol, yes those american utes are just ridiculous, if any are seen here, and they are few and far between, then it is seen as more as a novelty really, there are much more practical utes here.

of course we have our novelty utes too but they are more like sporty sedans than baby dump trucks

[Lemur]

Just stumbled across an article about the vanishing stick-shift (http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/05/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-the-stick-shift/):


In 1980, J.D. Powers and Associates estimates that more than 35% of all cars sold had a stick shift. By 2005, that number had dropped to 6%. Four years later, finding a car with a manual transmission is a big challenge -- you have to go either high end or very low end. 2008 was the last year that any manufacturer of full-size trucks offered a manual transmission. The 2008 Dodge Ram was the last to make manual an option. In 2009, the macho truck propelled by a driver with skill has gone the way of the buggy whip. [...]

It used to be that manual transmissions were lighter, more reliable, easier on gas. Today, that's not necessarily true, according to this report from Progressive Insurance (http://www.progressive.com/auto-tech/manual-vs-automatic-transmissions.aspx), which favors automatics and says they get slightly better gas mileage than their manual cousins.

[miotas]

It used to be that manual transmissions were lighter, more reliable, easier on gas. Today, that's not necessarily true, according to this report from Progressive Insurance (http://www.progressive.com/auto-tech/manual-vs-automatic-transmissions.aspx), which favors automatics and says they get slightly better gas mileage than their manual cousins.[/indent]

well maybe if you can afford a brand spanking new car, but most drivers can't, so maybe in 5 - 10 years this will be more relevant.

I'm quite surprised that all trucks have gone off manual in the states, an auto truck is a very rare thing here, although maybe in the city it is different :shrug:

[CountArach]

In australia the opposite would be quite true, if there are people here who can't drive a manual it's usually because they can't drive at all.
I can't drive manual...

[Raz]

Please, if you want the true authentic manual driving experience, take a spin in the Karl-n-Bertha-mobile.

https://img26.imageshack.us/img26/7074/carlandberta4wheel.jpg

[pevergreen]

I can't drive manual...

Ah. Finally. My revenge.

Get out of my country.


Finally got back at you for that. :laugh4:

[CountArach]

Ah. Finally. My revenge.

Get out of my country.


Finally got back at you for that. :laugh4:
Queensland isn't part of my country.
Seriously... what did I say? :laugh4: