Cars - Do you drive a manual or automatic?

[MentalGiant]

Interesting responses. Some people in other internet websites told me that America has a bad public transport system, and therefore it was necessary to find a way to make people drive and afford cars without too much hassle- Hence why it's popular to have an automatic and why apparently there are kids as young as 16 driving. In Europe, public transport is at least decent and many young people wait until mid-20's to take a drivers license. Also, I noted European cars are smaller, but I dunno why. Again, the cost of fuel plays a part, it's damn expensive. I'm learning a manual because it's the standard way to go, I think it's possible to learn only automatic if I pay in a special school, but most only teach manual because it's the normal way and then I can drive both.

Depends on where you live in the US whether public transport sucks or not. West Coast- you NEED a car, east coast (unless you live in the sticks) public transport is a much more viable option. I live in the 'suburbs' and normally drive, but when I need to go downtown, I take the train since parking is always a bitch and the roads are narrow. Taking the bus around my local area though? Not happening. I could probably walk faster than it would be to take the buses around here (and Portland supposedly has one of the "best" public transport systems on the west coast!). 

I got my learned permit at 15, license shortly after my 16th birthday. It always amuses me that other countries have such high driving ages. I would say over here, it's not so much a matter of youthful age as it is distraction when it comes to bad/irresponsible drivers (not to say some young people aren't terribly distracted). I can't tell you how many middle age soccer mom types I see driving like they're drunk because they're on their phone, doing their makeup, eating ect... And don't even get me started on the elderly! An 87 year old who probably shouldn't have been on the road anymore plowed into my husbands car the other day. I wish we could send them in for a road test every year from social security age on.