[chrisseaton]

There's really no magic to it - there's an extra pedal you depress when changing gear, and you bring up to re-engage the engine. Anyone can figure it out when presented with the pedal and the gear lever. People with no no education do it all around the world every day - I'm sure an American can figure it out.

[kelnos]

I doubt that. Most people in the US getting into a car with a third pedal and a stick shift would just not have any idea what to do. The more enterprising would think, ok, I guess to I need to put it in first gear. So they try to move the shifter, and they can't move it. Assuming they don't break anything, maybe they figure out they need to press the clutch pedal. So they shift, and release the clutch pedal, and the car stalls.

Many people would just give up right there.

Those who don't, might get that they need to release the clutch slowly. So they try that, but maybe it still stalls (maybe they're on a slight incline, and the car won't move without giving it a little gas).

Let's say they do manage to get the car moving. I expect that further shifting will be incredibly rough, and there will be a lot more stalling. And that's basically the best scenario. I don't think most Americans would get anywhere near this far.

As an American who learned how to drive manual by accident in the Netherlands, but who already understood the basic mechanics of it, it was still very difficult. It took me over a half hour to get out of the parking lot, and then I stalled quite often in embarrassing ways over the next day or so (including on the highway during stop-and-go traffic, where I rolled back into the front of a box truck behind me). By the time I returned the rental car, I'd more or less figured it out, but I also had the benefit of my dad owning a manual car when I was young (though Mom made him get a car she could drive too by the time I was 8 years old or so). But someone who'd never even thought about a manual transmission before? Like, most Americans? Not a chance. (I did end up buying a manual car back at home, a few months later, when my existing car died. Drove it for 15 years until I finally had to get rid of it earlier this year.)

Remember, we're talking about a hypothetical car thief here who hops into a car, gets it started, and then notices it's not an automatic. We're not talking about someone who has actively decided to teach themselves how to drive manual, and rents or borrows a manual car for that purpose.

[coldtea]

>I doubt that. Most people in the US getting into a car with a third pedal and a stick shift would just not have any idea what to do. The more enterprising would think, ok, I guess to I need to put it in first gear. So they try to move the shifter, and they can't move it. Assuming they don't break anything, maybe they figure out they need to press the clutch pedal. So they shift, and release the clutch pedal, and the car stalls.

In what scenario they'd go right into driving a manual car without prior instruction, looking up some instructions online, or someone knowledgable explaining it to them like 10-15 minutes?

[KineticLensman]

Picking up a hire car in a non-US airport?

[coldtea]

Dunno, one is able to find automatic rentals all over the world - and if not that, one can certainly find ahead of pick-up time that the car is going to be manual...

[CSDude]

Based on your comments, it seems you really can't emphasize with others that cannot drive a stick for some reason. It's not obvious, it requires a cordination and timing; unless you know what to do, you will stop your car, over/under-rev the engine, slide back on a steep road.

I taught many people how to drive and it was always a challenge with manual. Anyone cannot figure out without any verbal or written instructions.

People do drive a stick with education whether its formal drivers license course/exam, or some one is teaching them. An American usually does not need to learn a manual because almost no one uses a manual. But some other parts of the world, automatic transmission can be a considerable cost item. Even some countries started to have automatic only drivers licenses.

[Osiris]

Feathering the clutch to move slowly in first gear can be very tricky.

The clutch in my Subaru has a very specific and narrow bite point. I've been driving stick for decades and I still stall the car on occasion.

Imagine someone that's never driven a manual trying to go up hill from a stop.

[ryanianian]

> no education do it all around the world every day

I taught myself to drive stick on a rental car. It was probably extremely obvious to other cars that I had no idea what I was doing. Grinding gears, over-revving the engine especially in reverse, and stalling at every full stop. That would catch any cop's eyes. But to your point, after 3-4 hours I got the hang of it and was no longer attracting attention.

But to parent's point: A thief who doesn't drive stick is almost certainly going to prefer stealing an automatic.

[millzlane]

Did you teach yourself to drive it without ever seeing one driven?

[ryanianian]

I had ridden in manuals as a passenger. I watched some youtubes and understood the general principle, but it was sink-or-swim learning. Pretty unsafe to be honest, but this was in a pretty remote area, and the car was a very forgiving Japanese micro-SUV.

[chrisseaton]

Ever seen someone shift a gear in a movie?

[kube-system]

I'm not sure hollywood has the best instructional material: https://youtu.be/NFQgO4LScWA?t=25

[kube-system]

I understand, I drive one, and I have taught nearly a dozen others.

If you put someone behind the wheel of a manual transmission vehicle and don't give them any pointers, they will turn the key and complain that the vehicle doesn't start... even if they understand the general idea of a manual transmission. Muscle memory is a powerful thing. (In the US clutch interlocks are universal)

It is highly unlikely that someone with no prior experience with a manual will successfully pull off a time sensitive and high pressure task like a car theft. They will steal another car instead.

[sokoloff]

In US. Our 2005 CR-V has a clutch-starter interlock. None of my other (older) five manual cars have/had them. It does not appear to be a federal motor vehicle standard requirement*. On some cars which are factory-equipped, there are instructions on how to defeat the system (typically for off-road/trail riding).

* https://www.nhtsa.gov/interpretations/24473drn

[alanbernstein]

This is like comparing a microwave meal to one cooked from scratch on a stove. Yes, anyone can do it. No, experience with the automatic version does not meaningfully translate to the manual one.

[millzlane]

If they can get the car started.

[chrisseaton]

You just turn the ignition. You may have to push the clutch in for some cars, just like you have to push the break in for some automatic cars. Manual cars aren't as different as you think they are.

[kube-system]

Unless you're driving an antique vehicle, every manual transmission car in the US has a clutch starter interlock.

[chrisseaton]

That's what I said about pressing the clutch isn't it? Just like pressing the brake in many automatic cars.

[kube-system]

If you put someone who has developed their muscle memory driving automatic transmission vehicles behind the wheel of a manual transmission car, they will press the brake and turn the key.

Successfully starting a manual transmission vehicle has two prerequisites:

* knowing that you have to press the clutch in

* identifying the clutch

People without this knowledge lack these prerequisites.