re: Study: Only 18% of Americans know how to drive stick shift

quote:

---

sitting in Baton Rouge traffic every day get to g into the bridge, I'm glad I don't have a manual trans!

---

Now...this is true. I've driven nothing but manual for over 20 years, so at this point I really don't ever think about shifting, hitting the clutch, etc. After a while all that becomes second nature and it's just part of feeling the vehicle.

But...driving in bumper to bumper traffic with it can be fricking brutal. Likewise, if there's traffic and you're heading up an incline it can be a giant pain in the arse. Not just to do it...especially for new drivers who getting freaked out by the prospect, but because there are so few manuals on the road asshats will get 6" from your bumper on an incline while everyone is stopped and then looked enraged at you the entire time as the vehicle slides back a few inches every time as you re-engage the gear to move forward.