>>The handbrake thing is NOT a question of nationalities, but of gearboxes! In the UK we have manual gearboxes as standard (no I don't know why either) and so Gary assumed that in his post. Those of you reading it on the other side of the pond assume an automatic gearbox, with which there is no need to use a brake at traffic lights/stop lights. OK? :0) <<

Nope, not OK. This just plain doesn't make sense to me--I've only ever had one automatic tranny, and it sure never worked like that for me. Assuming level ground, with an automatic in "Drive," leaving your foot off the brake will let the car creep forward. With a manual in "Neutral," leaving your foot off the brake will cause the car to ... do nothing. It just sits there.

The way I was taught (manual tranny): when you stop at a traffic light, put it in neutral and release the clutch. I've only ever had one car with a handbrake strong enough to hold it still, anyway.

The peeve that smokes my own personal shorts: cell phones. In movies, in concerts, in elevators, in doctors' offices; in places where signs are posted begging the inconsiderate nitwits to please turn 'em off.

Oh, and employers who load their workers up with the aforementioned devices (and pagers) with the expectation that they'll be on call 24/7. A paycheck or a life--increasingly it seems you can have one or the other, but not both.