Free Republic

Two teens who carjacked a man at a gas station in Germantown, Maryland were unable to drive away because they didn't know how to operate the car's manual transmission, police say. A 16-year-old from Rockville and a 17-year-old from Washington, D.C. were arrested after the carjacking on Saturday at the Sunoco gas station on Frederick Road, Montgomery County police said. A man had just finished pumping gas and was getting into his car when he saw the two teens running toward him, police said. The teens then forced his door open, grabbed him and demanded his keys, which he handed...

Only around 18% of American drivers can handle a manual transmission, according to U.S. News and World Report. You know: the clutch pedal and the stick shift—three on the tree, four on the floor or, I don’t know, five to drive maybe. Different gears, manually engaged. Turns out that “basically” isn’t the same as “actually.” When my father’s Oldsmobile died this month, my family replaced it as the backup car with a used Chevy. Since I’m the backup driver, I climbed in, stepped on the clutch, started the car, stepped off the clutch. The engine promptly stalled. Only by grinding...

Even if you already understand the concept behind a stick-shift transmission, this 1936 film explains it so perfectly a school kid could grasp it. take a 10-minute educational break and learn the basics of what's going on inside your stick-shift transmissions. Even if you understand the concept implicitly, we're certain you'll learn something from the irrepressible Jam Handy.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Three men who attempted to steal a Massachusetts delivery driver's car found their getaway impeded by the manual transmission, police said. Springfield police said the driver was stopped to drop off an order around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday when he was approached by three men, one of whom was armed with a knife, the Republican, Springfield, reported Thursday. Sgt. John Delaney said the robbers took the food intended for the delivery and the driver's car keys. "The trio jumped into his car and attempted to steal it, but not one of them knew how to drive a stick-shift car,"...

Go to any given dealership with 100 new cars. On average, just four of the 2012 models will have manual gearboxes. The trend of the vanishing third pedal is nothing new, notes The Detroit News. Even a decade ago, just 8.5 percent of 2002 models were manuals. The paper’s own automotive reporter even confesses she never learned to drive a stick shift until it essentially became a job requirement. It’s more than a little contradictory to automotive reviews (including many you’ll read here) extolling the pleasure of enthusiastic driving with a true manual gearbox. Likewise, purists gravitate to manuals for...

Go to any given dealership with 100 new cars. On average, just four of the 2012 models will have manual gearboxes. The trend of the vanishing third pedal is nothing new, notes The Detroit News. Even a decade ago, just 8.5 percent of 2002 models were manuals. The paper’s own automotive reporter even confesses she never learned to drive a stick shift until it essentially became a job requirement. It’s more than a little contradictory to automotive reviews (including many you’ll read here) extolling the pleasure of enthusiastic driving with a true manual gearbox. Likewise, purists gravitate to manuals for...