5/22    Where is a good place in the east bay area to teach someone how to
        drive a stick shift (wide open spaces, litte traffic, flat ground)?
        \_ Coliseum?  no good lots at UC Berkeley, unfortunately.
           one of the area malls during offhours?
        \_ Berkeley Steamworks
        \_ Actually, if you can find a slight downgrade somewhere,
           isn't that actually easier to learn on?  Of course, at some
           point you'd have to head back up.
        \_ Golden Gate Fields, lower lot
           \_ seconded, that's where I learned :)
        \_ there's a huge department store (boarded up) with parking
           lot in richmond, toyrsur parking lot, or make a man
           out of them and hit the hills of SF
        \_ Bear Creek Road (take Wildcat Canyon over the hills, go straight
           on the other side). There are a number of trailhead parking areas,
           the road has some gentle hills, then some somewhat-tight curves,
           and there are places where you can get into high gear and work on
           downshifting. Not much traffic, particularly outside of commute
           hours. Wide shoulders. It's where I learned. -gm
        \_ I went to a church parking lot in El Sobrante. I felt blessed
           in the holy place and didn't get into any accident there. Church
           parking lot is the best place to learn stick shift.
        \_ I taught myself to drive stick shift in the parking lot above
           Foothill because it was the only reasonably empty lot I could find
           in Berkeley.  It's an oval with two long flat straightaways, and
           edges that feature a slight grade.  Having the graded edges was a
           nice way to get a feel for stick on hills, and was useful for
           practicing starting on a grade.  Plus, when you're done, you can
           test them by having them drive up Hearst. :) -dans
           \_ I taught my sister to drive stick behind Foothill/Stern, but as
              I recall it, it's a long oval, one way going up hill, the other
              going downhill. I had to replace my clutch 4 months later.