Dont Do What I Did, Shifting without Declutching Options

[jabberwocky]

A word from the not so wise to the wise. I do not recomend trying to shift a side shift transmision without declutching (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) . And now I will tell you why.
So last night I was driving home from work everything was going good but I have picked up a bad (well i never thought it was bad before) habbit of shifting my ford ranger by matching my revs and shifting without declutching the engine from the transmision.
I have always figured If i can do this there is hope if i break my clutch cable or some other noncense like grind away a sincro. Anyway I started doing this on the teener up 1,2,3 no prob , down shift 3,2,1 no prob. till i go 1,2,3,4 Crap i cant get it out of 4th. Spent 1/2 hour trying to get it out of 4th in a parking lot trying to bump and force it out of 4th nothing would move (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) . I had to roast my clutch all the way home trying to drive in stop and go traffic in 4th lucky I only had 3 miles to go but 4th gear is rather high 2nd or 3rd would have not been so bad.
Long story short I was lucky to get on the this site and figured out how to remove the side shifter housing and put the tranny back into neutral using a screw driver.
Now we are back on the road (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) but I guess that clutch petal is there for more than looks.
Just though I would share maybe someone else will be saved the heartache.