Ever since I moved back to NC, I have been driving my parents’ extra car, a Toyota minivan. It’s not a bad car; in fact, it has many advantages, the main one being that it is free, no small consideration given that I blew all the money I made from selling the car I had before on an emergency plane ticket back out of Taiwan. But it has, as is usual with minivans, an automatic transmission.
This afternoon, I traded cars with my uncle, who does large-format photography, so that he might go pick up one of his prints from the place where it’s been on display. He drives a Subaru Impreza WRX sport wagon, (though not the 2007,) with manual transmission. He decided to keep my van for a while longer so he could go pick up another print, and called to ask me if I felt okay driving his car home from my office.
Now, for one thing, my office is a mile away from my apartment, but for another thing, every car I’ve ever driven regularly before the van has been a manual, so I told him no problem. He warned me that it was easy to stall at step-off, but, out of caution, I took the way home that involved more stoplights than usual, and I never once had a problem. In fact, that’s now one of my favorite parts about driving a manual, seeing how smoothly I can manage the transition from clutch to gas with as little delay as possible. His car is a baby, and now I want one! I had more fun driving home in those 5 minutes this afternoon than I’ve had in the past two years of driving.
Now he’s coming to get his car back. *sniff*
Farewell, fun manual transmission car! I will miss you!
I might point out that it has been more than seven years since you promised to do so, but that you still haven’t taught me how to drive a manual-shift vehicle. S’okay. You are in good company with a large cadre of other people who promised once upon a time to teach me how to drive manual, and never quite got around to taking the time to walk (or drive) me through the basics.
How did I know you were going to leave that comment?
Seriously, so not my fault. You’re the one who keeps moving to far-away states when I have actual access to a manual transmission car. Should you bring me a car and your person, I could teach you in a couple hours.
Ah: promises, promises. Just like all the other girls.
I’ll try eBay in Raleigh, and see what I find. I almost bought a slightly used manual-shift BMW 4-series down here in Florida once upon a time before I lived here, but decided to go to graduate school instead. I promise to go fiscally crazy and irresponsible after I graduate and get a real job again.