Originally Posted by ventruck

good luck on your future endeavors.

In all honesty, there comes a point where driving a stick as a daily isn't a skill issue, or even a "toughness" issue, but bottom line not worth living out all the time. Actually, my last trip in la seemed to be a way better driving experience than the bay area, but i imagine you've come across more than enough situations that screw with gear selection in a given instant. If it's not manufacturers phasing out manuals, it's big city traffic/driving making it unbearable. The people that can't drive ruin it for everyone.