Originally Posted by Jeffblue

Doesn't matter which you do. You can put it in gear, keep your foot on the clutch and turn the car off. or turn the car off, then clutch and put it in gear.

There is a benefit to parking in gear. If you are parked on an incline, front of the car uphill, it would be beneficial to put the car in first to prevent rolling backwards. If you are parked on a decline, front of the car downhill, it would be beneficial to put the car in reverse when you park to prevent from rolling forwards. As far as the technicians fault, it really isn't. I, for one, 90% dont park in gear, because i don't usually park on an incline. i put it in gear if its a moderately steep incline. get in the habbit of making sure your car is not in gear before letting out the clutch which you start your car. Just like you would at a traffic light. you dont need to stare at the guage cluster very long to see the 1 or the R, and all you really have to do is wiggle the stick to see if its in Neutral. don't worry about it though. you just stalled your car, thats all.... but its your fault.