Always in first gear when stopped in traffic. Also when parked. As soon as I see something happening in front of me that causes me to go for the brakes I take a quick glance in the mirrors to make sure no one is running up my a$$.

 

I suspect where you live and ride makes a difference. In the panhandle of Idaho, traffic is light and escape routes for a texting teenager or an older or distracted driver is readily available. If a vehicle is coming up behind me, I watch them in my mirror until they are stopped. Also, I watch them when the light turns green. Too many distracted drivers look up from their phone or Big Mac and jump on green. In rural towns, no vehicles behind me, I’ll go to neutral and relax.

Now I tour, so I understand traffic. Both lanes beside your filled with minimal bumper to bumper space. Also, long lights. Once traffic behind me is stopped, I’ll pop it into neutral, but I’m always ready to drop it into first and move out.

I’ve ridden in Seattle, on Storrow drive in Boston, and in New Your city, While hopeless to move independently, I am always ready and aware of cars cutting over with no regard for anyone else. Probably my worse city was St Louis, but I’m sure your tales are equally as bad or far worse. Each is different. Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Miami were terrible. I’ve not ridden in LA and I never will at this point. In fact, California is basically off my list of states. Their government hates their residents. It’s as though Putin and Xi are calling the shots for their governor and legislators. It’s a national embarrassment.

In short, I’m in gear ready to move if there is any vehicle behind me. As I stop, I already have an escape route. I don’t even think about it, I just know where I’m going.

 

In gear. And always looking in the mirror. You never know when you need to scoot quickly

 

You know another good piece of advice is to listen, when I got rear ended in my car I heard this God awful squeal and said "WTF is that" and boom.
About 2 sec. from when I first heard it.

 

Always in gear until several cars are behind me, and always leave myself an escape.

I learned to leave it in gear growing up driving manual transmission cars, and it saved my life. It wasn’t a stop light, but a sudden stop due to construction on a highway. As I was stopping I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a gravel truck with the tires smoking barreling down on me. Thankfully I was still in gear and scooted to the shoulder as the truck hit the pickup that had been in front of me. If I had been in neutral my car would have been crushed and I would have been either killed or had life-changing injuries.

 

If it's a 'stale' red light or the traffic is bad (rush hour) I hold the clutch and one finger on the front brake. I like to relax my legs at stops and will usually put both feet down. If I'm out where the drivers are calm and positioned to let the car in front of me take the hit and it's a long light I might slip it into neutral. I adapt to the situation and have no fixed rules. I do keep an eye on the mirrors all the time.