lol @ car nerds acting like they're just too enlightened to drive automatic

@mallaidh Hafta say, I'm reeeally not a car nerd* [supporting evidence: haven't owned a car in over a decade; last week I went to the supermarket (and, o'course, the pub..) by unicycle] but even I think automatics are just blinking daft!

@ej bah, that's what someone who thinks a unicycle is reasonable would say. manuals are generally alright until you have to hand them over to an american valet driver, all bets are off at that point.

@mallaidh Yeah, maybe I'm just overcompensating for my lack of any gears whatsoever..

Crumbs, valet drivers are a thing?! I've always assumed they only existed in films!

@ej some nicer hotels do it for parking, not sure how common it is. there are at least a few horror stories online of manuals coming back with the clutch absolutely shredded beyond belief.