We in the U.S. have only one kind of license avaliable to us. It permits you to
drive cars or "light" trucks equipped with manual or automatic transmissions.
The test can be taken in a car with either type of transmission. Heavy trucks
and motorcycles require a different class of license. The *vast* majority of
cars here are automatics, especially in large cities such as Los Angeles, where
near-constant heavy traffic both on surface streets and highways makes some
people shy away from manual transmissions. I myself drive a stick, but I'm
somewhat of a rarity.

 

In article <20030823201729.11748.00000416@mb-m11.aol.com>, Steve Grauman
<oneactor1@aol.com> writes
>We in the U.S. have only one kind of license avaliable to us. It permits you to
>drive cars or "light" trucks equipped with manual or automatic transmissions.
>The test can be taken in a car with either type of transmission. Heavy trucks
>and motorcycles require a different class of license. The *vast* majority of
>cars here are automatics, especially in large cities such as Los Angeles, where
>near-constant heavy traffic both on surface streets and highways makes some
>people shy away from manual transmissions. I myself drive a stick, but I'm
>somewhat of a rarity.

Thanks for the reply.

So you *can* take a test in an auto, then drive a manual? I find that
amazing. Here, if you take your test in an auto, you can only drive an
auto.
--
Toby

 

In message <vV2IsfBecAS$EwRP@iconia.org.uk>
"Toby Groves" <news@iconia.org.uk> wrote:

> So you *can* take a test in an auto, then drive a manual? I find that
> amazing. Here, if you take your test in an auto, you can only drive an
> auto.

But that's only in the last 40, or so, years. My mum took her car test
in an auto (in 1959?), and obtained a full driving licence. Hehe, she
took her motorbike test on a 30cc moped (in around 1952) and obtained
an unrestricted bike licence!

--
Peter Bell - peter@bellfamily.org.uk

 

"Toby Groves" <news@iconia.org.uk> wrote in message
news:vV2IsfBecAS$EwRP@iconia.org.uk...
> In article <20030823201729.11748.00000416@mb-m11.aol.com>, Steve Grauman
> <oneactor1@aol.com> writes
> >We in the U.S. have only one kind of license avaliable to us. It permits
you to
> >drive cars or "light" trucks equipped with manual or automatic
transmissions.
> >The test can be taken in a car with either type of transmission. Heavy
trucks
> >and motorcycles require a different class of license. The *vast* majority
of
> >cars here are automatics, especially in large cities such as Los Angeles,
where
> >near-constant heavy traffic both on surface streets and highways makes
some
> >people shy away from manual transmissions. I myself drive a stick, but
I'm
> >somewhat of a rarity.
>
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> So you *can* take a test in an auto, then drive a manual? I find that
> amazing. Here, if you take your test in an auto, you can only drive an
> auto.

You are forgetting also the varying definitions of the word "test". It
varies from actually measuring whether you can drive a car properly (call me
old fashioned) to testing if you know whether to sit in the front or the
back

Chip.