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I guess it is bicycling: there is a price to pay in blood 😉 My suggestion: in Romania, take a few hours of driving lessons with a professional teacher who can explain everything to you.
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Submitted 11 months ago by distance@sh.itjust.works to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
Comments
thfi@discuss.tchncs.de 11 months ago
Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 11 months ago
I think that's overkill, he already knows how to drive.
He just needs to learn how to use the clutch.
A few YouTube videos, and a few hours of practice getting used to the clutch and he should be good
spankmonkey@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You could rent an automatic, get the lesson, then see if you want to use their cars or keep the rental. I do recommend giving it a shot since it would be a new experience!
There is a small learning curve to manuals, and it is slightly harder in hilly areas.
schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 11 months ago
Are you sure you will be allowed to drive a manual car in Romania with your American license if you didn’t take the test with a manual car? I live in a different European country and here if you take the test with an automatic car, you are only allowed to drive automatic cars. You should research this.
It’s definitely different from an automatic car and requires more concentration. Once you get used to it, it’s not difficult. I was older than you are now when I learned to drive at all (which I did on a manual car) and managed it anyway.
distance@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
[deleted]thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You might want to check the details here: I know that in some European countries, you’ll have trouble renting a car at all with an American license unless you pass a driving test in a European country first to get certified. In fact, in several countries I don’t think an American license is valid at all until you pass a test. It’s probably worth checking out the details for Romania.
Another_username@lemmy.world 11 months ago
When I was in Romania last year the rental company (enterprise) wouldn’t accept my US driver license…not sure if it is Romanian law or company policy though.
OhmsLawn@lemmy.world 11 months ago
US licenses don’t differentiate. There’s no way to tell by the license which transmission you used on the test. Shouldn’t be a problem.
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 11 months ago
For that exact reason some countries (my country included) don’t accept an American license unless you do a test here first.
Though IIRC, that applies for both manuals and automatics, because American drivers education isn’t really trusted here.
bigkahuna1986@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
Manuls aren’t super hard, but there’s definitely a learning curve you can’t avoid. Since you’ll be in a new country you’ll have enough going on and don’t want to add to any stress, I would really recommend renting an automatic.
kambusha@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Yeah, you’re going to stall the engine in the beginning. A lot. That means turning the engine back on in traffic in unfamiliar surroundings.
Also, if you’re going to be driving on any hills, you’ll need a separate new skill set for a manual car.
Stick to automatic, but take the offer to learn.
hydrashok@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
This. It takes a bit to figure out the rhythm, but it’s not hard once you know how it feels. If you do, definitely be prepared to be frustrated at least once and stall the car at least more than once (I know I did)!
Once you figure it out, though, it can be much more fun and engaging (and sometimes more annoying) than an automatic.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Eh, he’s alright. Whenever I pick up Emanual in my Uber, he’s decent people…
…what?
Did I misread the situation?
FistingEnthusiast@lemmynsfw.com 11 months ago
It’s easy
It’s also a great way to be more connected to your vehicle and what’s happening. You have to be more aware of things, anticipate corners, hills etc.
Automatics have made people lazy and disconnected
SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 11 months ago
That’s why I drive a manual with no power steering, power brakes, ABS or traction control.
Manual windows and no power locking and I find power window wipers make this generation soft too.
Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You don’t have an automatic starter do you? Things started going downhill when we stopped manually cranking the engine
LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
dhork@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It’s definitely something you can learn in just a few lessons, particularly if you are just driving around town here and there. There’s a rhythm and muscle memory to it, and once you get it, it becomes super easy.
I think I traded in my last stick-shift (a Jetta) 13+ years ago, and there are still times when I am driving and my left foot instinctively moves toward an invisible clutch…