Zigzactly! It stuns me how bad cars operate at lights. Light turns green, pause, first car lets up on brake pedal, touches acellerator, plods through intersection, next car sees first car going, pause, lets up on brake pedal
There you are in a sense fortunate. In the UK where automatic cars are virtually non-existent then getting off of the lights is very much down to both the character and skill of the driver. Boy racers and sports car drivers see bicycles as a personal challenge and a manual can pop off the lights almost as fast as a bike. London does have a proliferation of ASLs but having to read the driver a lot more is another fun addition to your ride, particuarly where Londoners are concerned.