Yes, this was very jarring, leaving exactly the opposite impression the author was aiming for at that point! My memory of learning to drive a manual was also n

Yes, this was very jarring, leaving exactly the opposite impression the author was aiming for at that point! My memory of learning to drive a manual was also not nearly as fraught as the author describes, and I don't claim any particular driving prowess (this could be a function of the car, though, I learned on one that I suspect was more forgiving).