Editor column: Performing a lost art

By Mike Bollinger

I believe I am one of the dwindling number of people who can still do what is rapidly becoming a lost art.

I own, and know how to drive, a stick shift.

There are fewer and fewer people who know how to drive one. In fact, I own my stick shift because no one at the company I worked for before moving to Johnston County could drive it. Since no one there could use it, my former boss gave it to me when I retired.

Some people get a watch for retirement, I got a 2003 Honda CRV.

According to U.S. News and World Report, only 18% of American drivers can drive a car with a manual transmission these days. A New York Times report reveals that in 1980, 35% of cars produced for sale in the U.S. had a manual transmission. Today, that figure is 1%.

In 2019, there were more electric cars sold than manual transmission cars. Collectors are beginning to purchase manual transmission sports cars because they are becoming rare.

According to spotlightautoservice.com, there are several reasons to learn to drive a stick shift. One is that is adds a skill set to your toolbox. You will be able to do something that fewer and fewer people can do.

Owning a stick shift can also reduce the number of people who borrow your car. First of all, they probably won’t be able to drive it anyway, and secondly, you can tell them you aren’t sure they can handle it properly.

More stick shifts would likely mean less texting and driving. Of course, no one should text and drive. It’s a primary driving offense in North Carolina, meaning you can be stopped if an officer sees you doing it. The fine is $100 plus court costs.

You need that second hand to work the stick shift, which means there would be less opportunity for it to be on your phone.

Having a stick shift can help to keep a thief from stealing your car. It’s much harder for someone to steal something they can’t operate. I guess they could get it into neutral and push it, but if someone is trying to get a car the easy way and steal it, they aren’t likely to want to put all that effort into pushing it.

There could come a time when the only car available for you to drive, for whatever reason, is a stick shift. In such a case, knowing how would beat walking. Or, you could be out with a friend that has one and suddenly need to drive it.

Also, as geico.com notes, and I agree, it’s more fun than driving an automatic. You actually have to work the car as opposed to just sitting there and pressing the accelerator.

If you can find one, manual transmission cars average about $1,200 less than ones with automatic transmissions. In addition, some manual cars get better gas mileage than automatics.

Also, okcarz.com notes that young drivers will learn how to control a car better if they learn on a manual, since they will know how much power the car needs at a given time.

I’m going to do all I can to keep the old CRV alive for as long as I can, since I most likely won’t be able to find another manual if it passes away. Until then, I’ll take pride in being one of the few people who can actually get it out of the driveway.