> > If you are learning to drive, try to learn on an automatic. You have enough to do contending with traffic, pavement markings, signs and electric signals. After you learn to drive, you may want to switch to a manual transmission so you can really enjoy driving. Anybody with the brains of a goldfish can learn to push in the clutch and change gears.
>
> Heh heh. I'm not even bothering with manual transmission yet. At least, not until I actually begin to *see* other things on the road; I'm too often stuck in my own little world to pay attention. (I just wasn't made for driving, I guess...)
>
> Got any suggestions on actually being able to enjoy driving, rather than fear for one's life while doing same? ;-)
>
> -- codeman"hey, there oughta be a Driving for Dummies-- it's just not easy for some of us"38

After driving well over 1,000,000 miles in the last 50 years, I guess I could say that I enjoy driving. I don't like heavy traffic and think anyone who does must be crazy, but open highways and small towns are fine. I switch back and forth between manual and automatic with relative ease, but every now and then, habits get me. Sometimes in an automatic, I go for the clutch and catch the left end of the brake with my left foot, bringing about a sudden stop. Very embarassing. Or if I've been driving an automatic (usually a rental) for a few days, I get into my own car and forget to push in the clutch at a red light or stop sign. Jerk, jerk jerk. It makes me look like a jerk and that also can be very embarassing.

If you only crave excitement, I recommend the Ventura Freeway. I didn't say it was fun, but it can be exciting.

If you want to put the fun back in driving, get a really old car that most people have never seen before (or not in a long time) and cruise around in that. If you're poor like me, a really old motorscooter works almost as well.
Howard