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Quick question:

Why is neutral between 1st and 2nd gears? I'd have thought that N-1-2-3... would have been more natural. I asked this question at my MSF class tonight and the instructor wasn't sure, although he made a good guess of it I suppose.

Hmm...

The instructor explained it pretty well to us, but I forgot.

I think it's so that you sit there at the light in first instead of Neutral.

That way if a car comes screeching behind you you can get out of the way instead of finding out you accidentally shifted too far down and now just rev your engine instead of saving your life.

It's easiest to find the VERY bottem then it is 1 up from the bottem. Especially in an emergency.

So if you do a good emergency stop, chin up, clutch in, smoothly apply the brakes, tap dance on the shift lever, then shoulder check.

And see a car zooming towards you, you don't need to toe up one to get into gear. You just rev and release the clutch.

I've never heard a definite reason, but I think Sev basically has it. You don't want to ever be caught without a link to your driveline unless you specifically look for it. Even being a gear too high is better than no gear at all when your death is barreling down on you.