We are doing a disservice to youth over the last 20 years to not teach them to drive a manual transmission vehicle

[TravelJoy]

Business classes were fun in high school I took typing and shorthand. Shorthand was hard for me to learn, but typing was a cinch. Typing 45 WPM with no mistakes gave me an A in the typing class. Now I type much faster than that, but the basics of typing really helped me build my speed.

Our typing teacher promised us a speed typers contest end of year, that never came. I was so disappointed. I built my speed so fast the letters would sometimes jam when they flew to clunk at the paper, good times. I'm still disappointed there was no typist race.

 

[TravelJoy]

Most of this I agree with.

This is completely unnecessary. I almost never write things by hand. I went through college, not writing anything by hand for 4 years that soon after I graduated and had to sign a credit card slip I realized I'd forgotten how. I re-taught myself a signature, but today I don't even sign many credit card slips, I tap and go. I have no idea what cursive writing is useful for in most peoples life today.

Hmmm, I think GPT and it's successors will rewrite any bad e-mails soon enough that this will be like doing math, or advanced spelling. You'll feed into the computer, it'll decipher what you probably meant, you'll spot check that it seems right and done. One of the things GPT is best at is formalizing writing or generally adding clarity. It's not the great novelist, but for work e-mails it'll probably become the standard form.

I agree with this part also.

GPT is already doing much of this, just not built into the email, but you can have it write it for you then copy paste. In general though AI will displace a lot of jobs and the more reliant socitey becomes on technology the more fundamentals will be lost. In general the chasm between have's and the not's grows with technology.

 

[letsgobobby]

Too bad that there aren't more basic manual transmission cars available in the US. If I were buying a car for a new driver, it would be a manual transmission:

• It's harder to mess with your phone when you're driving
• Your kid's friends will probably not be able to drive the car

these are the reasons my 17 yo daughter was taught on a stick, and her first car is a stick, and my 14 yo son will learn on a stick. And when we go to France and they see that we rent manuals, they see the advantage. Especially when the American in front of us at the Sixt agency at CDG had to wait for hours for any automatic to be available because he hadn't realized he had reserved a manual and, well, he couldn't drive it.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I submit that sixty years ago we did a disservice to youth by not teaching them how to start a car using an engine crank.

 

[PigsDad]

I submit that sixty years ago we did a disservice to youth by not teaching them how to start a car using an engine crank.

We would just roll them down a hill and pop the clutch.

Kurt

 

[TolmiePeak]

A bigger disservice is not teaching youngsters about how to maximize their vacation dollars using timeshares. Just got back from the owners social. Average age there was 75. At this rate timeshares won't exist in a few years.

 

[ScoopKona]

A bigger disservice is not teaching youngsters about how to maximize their vacation dollars using timeshares. Just got back from the owners social. Average age there was 75. At this rate timeshares won't exist in a few years.

Most of my younger friends have trouble just making the numbers work. Vacations are something old people enjoy.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

We would just roll them down a hill and pop the clutch.

Kurt

Hey!!! I resemble that remark!

 

[geist1223]

How many know how to change their Oil and Oil Filter, Lube, replace a tire, etc.

 

[bizaro86]

How many know how to change their Oil and Oil Filter, Lube, replace a tire, etc.

I can do those things but mostly don't. I think it's quite likely my children will only ever own electric vehicles (so no oil changes) but I will teach them how to swap a tire (in our garage when I switch winters/summers).

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

How many know how to change their Oil and Oil Filter, Lube, replace a tire, etc.

Starting in my junior high school years, I started doing engine tune-ups and lubes. I did that up until car ignitions became electronic and carburetors were replaced with fuel injectors. Still did all of my oil and lube, up until about 15 years. Every time I picked up a new, I also bought a copy of the service manual.

When we moved out of our house of 30 years last summer, I found I still had my tach and dwell meter, my timing strobe light, lube oil, vehicle jack stands, and service ramps.

 

[easyrider]

So what is worse. Kids who can't drive manual transmissions or can't write in cursive?

Those kids might not know cursive or how to drive a manual transmission but they sure know how to use tech at an early age. They make it look so easy. I think my grand daughter can thumb type on her iphone as fast as I can talk. I wonder if that is a marketable skill, lol.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

How many know how to change their Oil and Oil Filter, Lube, replace a tire, etc.

Not too many. I think I can eliminate 99% of the females I know and at least 75% of the males I know. I kind of like changing the oil in our many vehicles. I do it once a year. I enjoy working on vehicles but with many of the newer models it's tricky unless you have the right tools or scanner.

Bill

 

[TolmiePeak]

Not too many. I think I can eliminate 99% of the females I know and at least 75% of the males I know. I kind of like changing the oil in our many vehicles. I do it once a year. I enjoy working on vehicles but with many of the newer models it's tricky unless you have the right tools or scanner.

Bill

I never change oil on our one car. Even doing it yourself it is too expensive. I decided to cut back and dump our extra car. One was enough for our 3 drivers now down to 2.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Not too many. I think I can eliminate 99% of the females I know and at least 75% of the males I know. I kind of like changing the oil in our many vehicles. I do it once a year. I enjoy working on vehicles but with many of the newer models it's tricky unless you have the right tools or scanner.

Bill

My favorite car for working on that I ever owned was an early 1970s model Toyota Landcruiser. Back when Landcruisers looked and drove and rode like Jeeps. Pretty similar to this, except all white and we didn't have locking front hubs. (The front tires were always locked and so that the front driveshaft was always spinning. But the front driveshaft was engaged to power only when the transfer case was in 4WD.)

Everything on that car was easy to get to, with lots of room in the engine compartment, under the chassis, and around the wheels, and did not require any special tools. It was evident that the car was designed for ease of service.

We bought it in the fall of 1974, just after we were married and we were living near Blue Jay, in the San Bernardino Mountains. The 5280' contour shown on USGS quad maps went right in front our house. We bought it to be able to get around in the snow; two-foot snowfalls were pretty common at our house, as were just over the rim, in the highest precipitation area in the San Bernardino Mtns.

I was working in downtown San Bernardino, driving down and up Highway 18 almost every working day. When it got really bad, I would chain up, and then we could get around in almost any conditions as long as we had clearance underneath. I particularly appreciated the added steering traction I got from chains on the front tires. With all of the space in the wheel well, putting on chains was a breeze. I could fully chain the tires in less than five minutes.

 

[Ken555]

Y’all are implying that we need to know how to change oil, etc. I can drive a manual transmission (I’ve had several cars with them) but have never had the need to change oil or tires. I do know how to put snow chains on, tho!


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[noreenkate]

but have never had the need to change oil or tires

Needed to and knowing how are two very different things…

 

[Ken555]

Needed to and knowing how are two very different things…

Lol. I know how to change a tire. I don’t know, and have never had any interest in, knowing how to change oil. Sure, I’ve got a basic concept of it, but there’s zero reason for me to know any more. Those that think there is are simply not living in the same reality as the rest of the world.


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[jp10558]

Needed to and knowing how are two very different things…

Lol. I know how to change a tire. I don’t know, and have never had any interest in, knowing how to change oil. Sure, I’ve got a basic concept of it, but there’s zero reason for me to know any more. Those that think there is are simply not living in the same reality as the rest of the world.


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I sort of understand the concept of changing a tire, but I generally would just call AAA, or my brother in law. With getting the oil changed, I also have a vague concept, but again can't see why I wouldn't go to a shop or call my BIL again. Oil changes in shops vary from about what it'd cost me at an auto parts store to $30 more than that depending on where I go and which vehicle and oil is specified. In any case, I'd pay $30 to not get super dirty or have to worry about waste oil so... yea. And I can't imagine an "emergency oil change" that wouldn't also still require a call to AAA and a shop because something really bad happened with my oil system.

To some of the other posters, I also think in the next generation gas cars will become as common as carburated cars are now. So most of this oil changes will be in classic cars or older lawn equipment.

 

[MabelP]

Are you scared of car theft? Buy a vehicle with a manual transmission! It’s guaranteed to not only be a natural deterrent, but you’ll also get a good laugh out of it as well, especially if you catch an attempt on video.

 

[Tia]

I learned how to drive a manual transmission at 28yo, it was fun to drive. Never driven one again after selling that one when it was not practical for driving w/kids.

 

[HitchHiker71]

How many know how to change their Oil and Oil Filter, Lube, replace a tire, etc.

I still change my oil/filter - once a year - only because more and more places won't do it if you bring your own oil/filter any more - legal reasons are given - the litigious nature of our society increasingly has its downsides IME. I used to just take my truck to Jiffy Lube or other chain type places and they would use the oil/filter I brought with me - none of those places will do this now. The other local places want to charge an arm and a leg to do it even though I'm using my own oil/filter. So, I end up doing it myself once a year. I can't do the tire rotations myself - my jacks/stands aren't large/tall enough to handle a full size truck with nine inches of ground clearance. I used to do the rotations on my cars back in the day - but just take it to a local tire center and have them do them these days - it's just easier.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

We would just roll them down a hill and pop the clutch.

Kurt

And if there wasn't a hill available, you'd get three or four guys together to get the car rolling pretty good. Then put it in third gear and pop the clutch. When the engine sputtered, throw the clutch and hit the gas.

 

[chapjim]

I think a lot of older people got a disservice by not taking typing classes in school. Or not taking computer classes. I am talking the 40-55 crowd where this was quite common, at least in high school. I know far too many people who are hunt and peck typers (even working in office settings) or don't know the basics about using a computer like clicking on "My Computer".

Cursive in this day and age is completely unnecessary. Outside of a person's signature it is probably never used. I haven't written in cursive since grade school. It isn't like math or those other classes you think are a waste of time. While you may not use algebra or calculus after high school or post secondary, it helps teach your brain to think in ways that will help you later in life.

I have a B.S., MBA, and J.D. and the single most useful class I ever took was 11th grade typing!

Obviously, anyone my age knows how to write in cursive. Problem is, no one can read my writing, sometimes including myself.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I have a B.S., MBA, and J.D. and the single most useful class I ever took was 11th grade typing!

Obviously, anyone my age knows how to write in cursive. Problem is, no one can read my writing, sometimes including myself.

DW spent 30 years on faculty in a school specializing in teaching students with dyslexia. Cursive writing is core in their educational. It's not in my field, but I understand there is solid academic research showing that learning cursive increases reading comprehension, because it reinforces how letters combine to find words - phonics. There are many academic voices in education who believe that the "whole language" teaching approach is a failure and needs to be abandoned. Public school systems are extremely resistant to the data.

Getting back to the origin of this thread, we really are doing a disservice to youth over the last 20 years to not teach them to read and write in cursive.

Why aren't kids being taught to read?

Scientific research has shown how children learn to read and how they should be taught. But many educators don't know the science and, in some cases, actively resist it. As a result, millions of kids are being set up to fail.

www.apmreports.org