The death of the manual is a self proclaimed prophecy

[IPD]

This is a terrible strawman argument. I don't think commercial airline pilots have to worry about bumper-to-bumper traffic and crossing intersections with any of these innovations.

John, I know what you mean. I'm absolutely in love with the new Fusion, but they don't offer a manual with the 2.0T AWD. That really torqued me!

I'm in a similar position that you're in. At the end of the day, I may just keep my current DD since it will fit my twins and any other future kids we decide to have comfortably. That will allow me to buy whatever the hell I want without worrying about how practical it is.

not a strawman argument at all. the basic premise of your position is that the only way to fight waning attention is task-saturation. i think that's a dubious premise. by that rationale, a driver should have more and more tasks to accomplish while driving--for each consecutive hour behind the wheel.

i also don't agree that it doesn't apply to pilots. there IS traffic in the air--and just because it's not 5 feet from your wingtip doesn't mean you collide with it in a matter of seconds (when closing speeds are well over 800 knots between planes). there's also terrain, weather, etc. and that's just airborne. it's a madhouse directing traffic on taxiways at some large airports.

bottom line here, i would sooner see legislation requiring everyone to carry a loaded firearm on them at all times than see legislation cracking down on automatic just because of the idiots behind the wheel.

[Boost4VR4]

On topic:
I personally believe driver's training courses should require you to learn on a manual transmission. Also driver's training courses should force you to actually validate your driver's log instead of faking your way through it. My parents made me log all of my driving. I actually had a big interest in driving and enjoyed driving even though I got yelled at by my dad on more than one occassion. These days, kids just want the instant gratification of getting their license by having their parents pay their way through their driver's training to get their license.

I also think automotive makers are going to automatic transmissions due to the crazy amount of vehicles on the road today. Years back the number of vehicles was significantly less. Now everyone has to have a new car and every kid has to have a car regardless if they plan to be productive in life or not.

Off topic:
I honestly think cars will come with cellular signal deadening glass and padding in the coming years of vehicles due to the amount of problems with drivers on the roads thus making cars continue to be highly unaffordable because of the ridiculous amount of technology in them.

[IPD]

cars are increasingly coming with automatic transmissions for the same reason that tv's no longer come with analog tuners: technology changed.

the conventional manual transmission is an incredibly arcane piece of "technology". i've heard the same arguments levied for them as people used for why they prefer carbs over fuel injection.

[94stealthr/t]

Manual > auto any day

[IPD]

Manual > auto any day

i'm sure that mindset would take you far in formula 1.

[94stealthr/t]

I hate driving automatics, simple as that. It's not even driving to me. I'd rather sit bitch and take a nap.

[1990AWD]

I hate torque converters. A F1 style gearbox, that's a whole different animal.

[IPD]

I hate driving automatics, simple as that. It's not even driving to me. I'd rather sit bitch and take a nap.

then don't have a FB account or a smart phone. because interacting with people other than face-to face isn't even interacting to me.

[94stealthr/t]

I don't

[IPD]

I hate torque converters. A F1 style gearbox, that's a whole different animal.

i hate them too. at the same time, no one has come up with any better option for my 3/s that does away with the rowing machine.