Is Manual Transmission More Masculine Really?

Technology is taking away what we grew up knowing and replacing it with advanced ways of doing things in an easier, faster way. One of the things that are slowly disappearing is the manual gear sticks. Well, the debate about whether these sticks are better than the automatic transmission can go on from here to Timbuktu with both parties having great points to put forward. What is definite is that manual transmissions are part of being a man.

Like sword fighting and the use of catapults in war, manual transmission is on the verge of disappearing and so will the beauty that comes with it pressing and depressing the clutch, the masculine crunch as the gear refuse to shift. Shifting a gear is considered a manly act and has given a lot of ladies a lot of trouble in the car. This is because, ignoring all multitasking debates, the ladies find it difficult to concentrate on the road and still shift the gear perfectly, making it an art that only men have mastered to perfection. This is not to say that there are no women who can shift as good as the boys, but the latter make a bigger number.

It will not be a wonder if in the near future you turn on the history channel and find actors driving automatic transmission vehicles but pretending to shift using a manual stick and a pretend clutch pedal. Then there will be an explanation of how the manual transmission vehicles worked and it will sound like it’s in the same category as dinosaurs or the medieval ages. Maybe this is a bit ridiculous but the truth is that soon the manual transmissions and their gear sticks will be faced out of the automobile world.

It is natural that women are attracted to easy fast things and the automatic transmission presents to them a hassle free way of enjoying their drive. The fact that the manual transmission presents challenges that ladies do not seem to handle well has made the old school gear stick synonymous with masculinity. Understanding and knowing how to shift the manual gear stick is perceived as a rite of passage for many men, and for women, let’s just say it is a small hell in form of a gear stick most of them find unnecessary, and the increase of automatics does not save the situation in any way.

The driving of a manual car connects a man with the machine under the hood, and trunk in some models. You get the connection of the drive train as you hold the steering wheel with one hand, the ball on the gear shift on the other and your leg on the clutch. On the other hand, it is feminine not to connect with the vehicle so a smooth drive with both hands on the steering wheel will do just fine. Before the age of the manual transmission is overtaken by automatics and electric vehicles, it is important that the debate about whether this gear shift is masculine or feminine be settled, and considering all aspects, manual transmissions were designed for the boys.

What is your take on this?