I mean, there are cities with far worse traffic (New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Lagos) yet people daily manual all the time - in cars often without A/C. I think it is a matter of perspective. In USA, our perspective is predominantly automatic therefore a manual is seemingly much worse. But for people in developing countries - until recent times - manual represents a majority market share and that’s all they know.

I was recently in Eastern Europe. Everything: passenger venicles, delivery vans, ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, taxis, buses, trucks, street sweepers, army vehicles, etc. is all manual (or for the most part). That would never fly in USA, not because the human brains are different, but perspective & culture never taught us to grow up with manual. It’s a pretty automatic society. But again, all perspective.