but are people in the US allergic to self-propelled motion or something?  I think it depends where you are. Being in Manhattan or Chicago or in the core of other major urban areas you would be hard pressed to find people who are not at least acquainted with self-propelled motion (although I am sure such people exist), but outside of there all bets are off. I walk, everyone I am friends with/coworkers/family walks if not for commuting reasons then for exercise, but I have met people who find it absolutely strange that I choose to walk from the grocery store to my house a quarter mile away instead of getting on the bus, for example. They were fat of course. Manual transmissions are less common than automatics here, but they are available (and much more fun to drive for that matter).