[muawiyah]

It was also a lack of MUSCLES. Proper use of one of the older manuals (typical of a highschool typing class) took some muscle development. You'd gotten more speed by doing curls with weights than by any amount of typing.

I was able to make the typewriters bounce when I threw the platen back! (AND with either hand)

[Gabz]

That is just downright funny!!!!

I had taught myself how to type on a manual in about the 5th grade. My grandparents gave me an electric when I graduated from 8th grade and didn’t take typing until I was in the 11th grade. I was the only one in the class that aced every test when we were doing the electric, but barely passed the manual tests - no matter how much extra help/work Sister Bernadine gave me.