Originally Posted by Minok

And the German traffic lights are set up for this precisely.
When the light is red, you is there in neutral, clutch out.

When the traffic signal is going to turn green, the yellow/amber light comes on along with the red, to tell you the light is about to turn green. That gives you the notification to go ahead and depress clutch and select first gear and get ready... and a second or two later the red&amber go out and the green comes on.

When the lights go from green to red, the amber/yellow comes on all by itself (so you don't confuse the two uses of yellow/amber).

In the US we only have the yellow on when we go to red. From red, we go directly to green, so there is no warning. With such an abundance of drivers with automatics that like to launch from green lights, the need to then shift and go, delaying movement for a second or two at green causes some anxiety. So we have folks 'gear ready' on red...

I'd prefer to stay in neutral till needed, but sometimes the impatient folks behind and overly short light cycles force me to 'wait at the ready'.