Used to mash my gears at every red light until a guy in a pickup rolled down his window on 5th Street
He just yelled 'shift down before you stop, not after' and drove off, which felt rude until I tried it on the next 2 mile ride home and my knees stopped aching. Now I drop 2 gears during the last 50 feet of every slowdown and start in an easy gear instead of grinding from a dead stop. Anyone else get their best bike advice from a total stranger who did not even slow down?