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I agree with most... its fun to drive, unless you are sitting in a jam (then its like the worst thing ever !)
Also, You cannot do multitasking with the same skill as with a automatic, but its okay.
I commuted to NYC with a manual car for 3 years and it was fine. Even in the rush hour traffic, it was actually kind of fun. Once you get better at timing the clutch, you'll be fine.
My best friend commuted on a manual for years, from Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan to Greenlawn. I can't imagine anything worse than the Belt Parkway combined with a stick shift, but she (like pp) said that it kept her, on many days, from falling asleep. And she bought a stick knowing what her commute would be. She's had a company car for about 10 years now but I know she would go back to stick in a heartbeat and she still drives to work every day.
I'm just wondering if it's possible to commute with a manual. I have driven it on the major roads but if you don't move in 2 seconds, people want to murder you. It's mildly stressful especially when I'm still worried about stalling the car.
Believe me, it is doable. I did it for a number of years, dealing with the SSP, WSP, LIE, Northern Blvd in Manhasset and Roslyn (talk about impatient people) in and out of Manhattan.
I learned on manual before moving over to automatic which probably made my life easier as I had no idea what automatic was like.
My suggestion as you grow familiar with your car: head to a local parking lot (school after hours, house of worship on a closed day) and practice starting from a dead stop the shift to first and then into 2nd. Learn where the sweet spot on your clutch is. Once you find it, you're golden. I promise! You'll be able to roll in traffic without stalling and sometimes sparing you from doing the constant stop-shift-1-2-1-2-stop-shift-1
I just went through this teaching my son how to drive and his biggest concern was just like yours: stalling. We did the above practice and he was good to go.
FWIW I have found the manual transmissions on the Japanese imports to be easier than the American manual and German manual I have driven.
When you go out of the country to Europe, Asia, etc., just about EVERYTHING to rent in terms of cars is manual transmission!
Therefore, I NEVER get to drive! (Maybe that's a good thing for the drivers in the foreign country though ...)
Speaking with a local man (British expat) as I filled the tank on my antique, he told me that when he took his road test in Britain it was on a manual and that unlike here, the test was very long -- upwards of 45 mins of driving in local and highway traffic peppered with rotaries and odd parking situations. Automatics require a separate test. If I understood correctly, it was a different class of license, like an endorsement or something of that nature. If you were operating out of your class without the endorsement there were fines I believe he said.
I am certified for right hand drive and would love to have the opportunity to drive 'on the wrong side of the road' in a manual where things are reversed.
I agree with most... its fun to drive, unless you are sitting in a jam (then its like the worst thing ever !)
Also, You cannot do multitasking with the same skill as with a automatic, but its okay.
I can text, sip a latte and shift with the best of them.
Please remember personal insults are not allowed on CD
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