You shouldn't really need to worry about people behind you, there are plenty of ways to get the car started without losing ground. In the case of traffic, it's far better to just let the car roll around in 1st or 2nd and let the gap between you and the next car grow, you don't have to always be nose to bumper. I usually take back roads anyway around peak hour though and as I understand it, traffic in AUS is no where near as bad as a lot of US cities.

It offers a degree of control unparalleled by any auto system, for those who just don't want from A to B. Sensations from the gearbox and the engine are more direct (albeit gas pedal nowadays is no longer...).

> it is not worth the pure agony of traffic jams

You just don't notice if you don't want to. It's second nature.

> pray the person isn't too close behind you

true, but never had an issue with this

> Add in hills and snow for more "fun."

This is a non-issue for anyone that likes it, and has been driving more than a month.

I love my manual tramsission but traffic is hellish on long drives. If my daily commute was in traffic (like many parts of LA and other major cities), then I definitely wouldn't want an manual for that.

But yeah, I do love my stick shift. Now that I know how to, I especially love driving on hills. Nothing like shifting through the gears on a windy mountain road. And for traffic on hills you quickly learn to use the handbrake so that you don't roll back at all.

I don't understand not noticing traffic jams. The sequence you need to do isn't hard, but you need to do it so often with a mistake chance every time.

And no amount of driving makes snow and hills a non-issue. Winter roads are inherently more dangerous, adding just more pressure to an already annoying situation.

You are correct about not noticing... at least until you get an automatic or an EV. Then you realize what you didn't notice you suddenly appreciate being gone.