This is kind of, by-definition, wrong, not just unpopular.
For the simple reason that even though I only tried to learn manual once, I can drive any electric car without issue.
Hell even before that, some people could drive trucks or buses or motorcycles, but not all people with driver’s licenses could.
If we came up with a different word for driving other types of cars, then it would make sense. But we didn’t, so driving just refers to the broad concept of operating various types of motor vehicles, usually at relatively high speed, but not exclusively.
And that’s quite frankly because even without manually operating a clutch, driving is still a huge skillset that most people struggle to excel at.
Ill upvote since the amish feel if you don’t use a harness you are just letting a machine drive.
Pfft, amateur.
If you can’t manually adjust ignition timing and air:fuel ratios you can’t really drive a car.
Are we talking points, HEI, or injection? I don’t often have my laptop with me for the latter.
Early cars had controls for ignition timing, sometimes on the steering column.
If you don’t push your vehicle with your own physical strength, you can only suggest/“point” a car
I like you :)
Fred Flintstone may have been an asshole…but he sure knew how to drive!
Where is this unpopular, America? That’s just a fact.
Driving has to involve a clutch? I’m very confused by this. Manual driver btw.
You are absolutely allowed to money shift, rev-match “slot” your gears, anything you like. If you can handle the stick you have my respect.
Gatekeepers be keepin gates.
Look at this amateur with power steering, automatic choke, and an electric starter.
Plenty of motorycles in this world with none of those things. You’re telling me you need a roof, too? I used to ride mine to school in the snow and the rain. Uphill, both ways!
and doors
If you’ve never used a hand crank to turn the engine over, you’ve never really started a car.
I mean- technically this is 100% true and I’m on board
Oh, we’re gatekeeping driving?
No, and if you learn manual, you’ll know what we mean!
If you can’t shift gears faster than 120ms you’re inferior to the automatic already.
You think f1 drivers are fucking around with a clutch? Get off your horse and realize everyone and their half siblings have moved on.
This is from a crusty guy who taught many a fine lady how to drive the ol stick shift. That was such a great pickup line.
F1 doesn’t use torque converted automatics or CVTs. They use much faster transmissions.
I don’t see where that was stated at all, just automatic.
And DCTs are definitely automatics.
There are other forms of automatic besides torque-converter based systems, even in the 50’s.
I thought F1 used sequential transmissions.
I haven’t driven the newest vehicles, but you can have control over an automatic and where it shifts. And I’m not even talking about the shifting selector, but how you give it gas at certain points to trigger the shifting pattern. Do many people drive like that, probably not, but it’s not the machine that determines the driver.
I daily a manual and this is a braindead take
I’ve driven both extensively and you know what? I’m down for an automatic transmission and turbo in city traffic. I’ll reconsider a manual if I move out to the sticks again.
I drove a manual for a long commute for years. Developed sciatica as a result.
If your car is not drawn by animals, you are not driving it. You might be piloting or controlling it, but not driving it.
I don’t see the problem.
The cow keeps dropping the damn pencils IDK how you guys do this.
I’m about as big a car enthusiast as a person can be. I’ve built everything, rock crawlers, drag cars, drift cars, and road race cars. I’ve had lowriders and lifted trucks. I’ve owned automatics, 4, 5, and 6 speed manuals, 3-speed column shift manuals, cvts, an electric car, and a push button shifted Chrysler imperial. I’ve driven cars, heavy machinery, boats, planes, and even a hovercraft one time.
While I love my manual cars, to say a person can’t drive until they learn to operate a manual is one of the dumbest opinions I’ve ever heard.
You know it was posted to “unpopular opinions”, yes?
Its actually not that unpopular of an opinion in car communities, it’s just a really stupid one held by stupid people.
It’s not that it’s unpopular, it’s that it’s objectively dumb.
