I see how someone can think that, but I don't think there's much truth to it.

I can also see how someone could think that it's impossible to eat, drink, smoke, operate windshield wipers manually while keeping an eye on a drunk "friend" in the backseat to be sure they weren't about to throw up in your car and drive a stick at the same time, but I know this is not only doable, but repeatable.

There is more truth in this. More importantly, knowing how to drive a stick means they will never stranded or at the mercy of someone that does because they don't know how.

This makes even less sense in our climate. Black/black. Our Focus has a light grey cloth interior, and I find it a pain trying to keep clean. But what do I know/care I think I have washed the outside of it 4-5 times in 3+ years, but the interior gets cleaned about once a month.

I hope the pictures were taken on a very cold day on this black one, or I'd say it has interior water leak issues. Almost looks like the interior is fogged up, not the exterior

This sounds very specific, happened to you?

The question isn't "how?" but "how many?"