Personal Narrative: Driving A Manual Car

Driving A Manual Car

When I was 14 years old, me and my father were heading to my grandma and grandpa’s house in one of our manual vehicles. I remember as we had left I was contemplating the idea of driving manual due to my slight curiosity of the subject and of course, as we had left I didn’t really get the concept of a third pedal so as all kids do I asked my dad, “Why do you have a third pedal?” and I remember as we went he showed me that as you press the clutch pedal it would disengage the transmission from the car therefore letting him shift to the following gear of the sequence. We get nearly half way there and then find ourselves on a back road. I just had that feeling in myself that I had to ask to drive. I finally work the nerve to ask to drive but right as I do my dad shuts the car off and hops out in assumption I wanted to anyways. “Switch me spots and you can drive” he said as he jumped out of the car. Nervous yet excited I switch spots and little did I know this was completely different to me. Systematically I get the car started and I learn to engage and disengage gears as we sit there then the decisive moment came. I turn the car on and as I have the clutch pressed I also have the break pressed which then the issue arose. I had been sitting on a
There was much to learn but I was getting a hang of it. Coming to a stop sign shortly down the road I had been in 4th gear and he said to me “Neutral is your friend in these instances so pull it out of gear.” As I pull it out of gear I find neutral and remember praying that it wasn’t an uphill battle once again. To my advantage, it was a downward facing corner so with slim confidence and nerves tingling I began to drive… stalling once again, and again, etc. Once I finally get a hang of it I decide that I’m very enticed to the difficulty and enjoy the learning of the car and the new skills I’ve