Cars - geared or automatic?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (359922)
Rockingham, Australia
July 27, 2025 6:59pm CST
We had an interesting visit from an old friend. He runs a landscaping business and was bemoaning the fact that it’s very hard to get reliable workers at the moment. But the intriguing part was that many of the young men he interviews can’t drive a car with manual gears. I remember when it wasn’t considered very macho/masculine to drive an automatic car but times have changed it seems.
I don’t know what our laws are now but at one point if you had a licence for an automatic, then you couldn’t drive a geared car. If you took the test in a geared car, then you were licensed to drive both geared and automatic cars. I think geared cars are more expensive now that automatics but it used to be the other way around.
The photo is of our friend’s son’s bedtime buddy, Digger. I crocheted a coat for it when they stayed with us some years ago.
18 people like this
17 responses
@DaddyEvil (155525)
• United States
28 Jul
In the US, if you're licensed to drive a car, then you can drive either automatic or standard shift cars... You do need a different license to drive the large type work trucks, though.
My first cars were automatic and then I found a standard car I wanted. My son (14 years old which is too young to drive a vehicle legally 
except on a farm.) drove it off the lot and then taught me how to drive it. I drove it back to the dealership and bought it.
except on a farm.) drove it off the lot and then taught me how to drive it. I drove it back to the dealership and bought it.4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (155525)
• United States
28 Jul
@JudyEv I started driving our farm tractor pulling a hedge hog/brush cutter or plowing the garden at 13 years old. I got a permit to drive with a licensed driver at 15 and then got my license to drive at 16.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (359922)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jul
@DaddyEvil Vince's older brother bought a car before he had a licence and Vince had to drive it home from Perth for him.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (112585)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
28 Jul
Nice image of your friend's cat Digger with a coat on. I prefer to drive automatic autos over autos with manual gears.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (359922)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul
@Deepizzaguy They seem to have gone out of favour now.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (112585)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
28 Jul
@JudyEv I had a hard driving with a manual auto myself many years ago.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (123979)
• United States
28 Jul
I took my driver test in an automatic but we can drive either/or with a standard license. My dad eventually taught me how to drive manual when my sister got a car with a stick shift. Over the years I've had 3 convertibles that have had stick shifts. So much more fun to drive that way. And I always say "try to steal my car MF-ers! Most of you can't drive a stick!"
This is my current car but in black
The updated Mazda MX-5 Miata's Polymetal Grey Metallic paint debuted on the new Mazda3
2 people like this
@Beestring (15701)
• Hong Kong
28 Jul
That's a cute photo.
When I learned driving, I leanred to drive a geared car. I also took a geared car test. But I never drive a geared car. lol.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (12944)
•
28 Jul
Motorbikes
Geared
Every time
Except when I had automatics
3 people like this
@Ineeddentures (12944)
•
28 Jul
@JudyEv
Yes and I didn't a few times.
Had this thing for Scooters for a while
But then I grew up again
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (39547)
• Philippines
29 Jul
That’s quite a shift, isn’t it? Funny how the “macho” image tied to manual driving has quietly faded. Your friend’s struggle makes sense though—if fewer people learn to drive stick, it’s bound to affect trades that rely on manual vehicles. Around here, automatics have only recently become popular, mostly because the technology has improved enough to match the reliability of manual transmissions on the road. Many buyers still went for manual cars because they were cheaper and easier to maintain. But now, there’s a real push for automatics as the more practical choice, especially in city traffic. Definitely a sign of the times!
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (7654)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul
In the UK, if you pass your test in a geared (manual) car then you can also drive an automatic. If you pass your test in an automatic, then you can’t drive a manual (geared). As electric cars are all automatic, less people are taking the manual test. Eventually the manual cars will become classics or vintage and only driven by the “manual” enthusiasts. Vroom Vroom!
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (7654)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul
@JudyEv As automatics also have gears, I guess you were just gearing your post towards the Americans. 
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (38150)
• Toccoa, Georgia
28 Jul
In the US, when you get a driver's license, you can drive any car.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (120176)
• Marion, Ohio
28 Jul
I can drive what you call geared. Here they are usually called a stick shift. Once you get your license it doesn't matter what you drive
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (120176)
• Marion, Ohio
28 Jul
@JudyEv That is used often too. They are very hard to find anymore
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14033)
• Ireland
28 Jul
@judyev I drove an automatic hire car once - never again. It felt like steering one of those bumper cars at a fairground. I rode in a taxi a few months ago that was automatic and electric and the driver didn’t really do very much. Give me manual every time.
2 people like this
@porwest (104379)
• United States
28 Jul
It has changed here too. But you never had to have a special license to drive either. When I was growing up, manuals, as we call them here, were more ubiquitous than automatics. Now it's the other way around. I prefer automatic these days, just for practicality. But if I bought a sport's car, I'd want a manual, hands down. My first three cars were all manuals.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11322)
• Philippines
28 Jul
I think we also have the same rule here in the Philippines.
"A driver approved of driving a manual transmission (MT) vehicle is allowed to also drive automatic, whereas those approved for automatic transmission (AT) can not drive manual."
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (196441)
• United States
28 Jul
I've never driven a stick shift and have no interest to. In the US you are licensed to drive either stick or automatic. That's a cute coat on Digger.
1 person likes this
