I thought this kak had been done to death several times.
If you are not an INSTRUCTOR you are a PASSENGER, It doesn't matter if you are a 50000hr ex Mil ATPL Bush pilot, Unless it says INSTRUCTOR on your licence & INSTRUCTOR is up to date you are still a passenger & cannot sit in the aircraft in any of the seats. "Sole manipulator" is meant to mean "the instructor shouldn't help".
Shirley it ain't rocket science, unless as somone said you are trying to fiddle it.
Absolutely. There's no ambiguity.