

Having been recently opted for a voluntary layoff to avoid my team needing to lose anyone, I’m in a spot where I can finally relax, maybe take a vacation, and center myself to decide what my next move is. It will likely be another management position, but I have the luxury of not needing to rush to answer that question. I have an idea for a project that I started working on and could turn into a business idea. Doubling my money would mean I have more time to relax and figure myself out (I’ve been VERY stressed, and didn’t even realize it until I left). Ultimately, I’ll get bored, and having more money to do something with would mean I could throw more money at the stock market to try to improve my retirement.
Does doubling my money change much? Hard to say. In the short term, no. Long term, probably.
When people actually BUY cars with manual transmissions, then they make sense. Until then, economies of scale will win, and it’s much easier and cheaper for a manufacturer to produce a single offering that works for everyone rather than multiple offerings that require multiple part numbers and tooling.
Both my cars are DCT. Would I love to have a manual again? Yes. However, these shift faster than you or I ever could. We haven’t been played, people just don’t buy the things they keep asking for, because they aren’t practical or because they can’t afford it.
I’ve owned about 10 cars in my life. Six of them have been manual. Three of the four others were never even offered with a manual transmission as an option. And, not for nothing, but it’s nice not having to deal with a clutch in stop and go traffic.
And while cars may be about driving for the likes of us, they’re merely a means of transportation for most people. Hell, the majority of people can barely gauge the size of their vehicle, and drive terribly in general. Your suggestion that all cars should be manual because all cars are for driving enjoyment is a false premise to begin with. For some people cars are a status symbol, for others it’s the best means of transportation because there’s no mass transit near them, or because they simply prefer a car to mass transit.