I also find it funny that people prefer autos for stop-start traffic. But every single car I've ever owned can be moved using the clutch alone, zero throttle input, so moving in stop start traffic is easy.
That's only because some manual cars have acceleration on their clutch but many others don't. I've driven some that don't have it and if you don't know how to do it, your engine will stop and you'll have to reignite it (with the annoyance of people honking at you).
It's also an annoyance when the traffic moves at different pace in a traffic jam because you have to stop, switch to first gear, move slowly, if the cars are moving fast enough switch to second gear, if they stop back again to first gear... If you are lucky enough and you are in a slope road, you can go without any gear selected and just use the brakes.
I also find it more comfortable to hold a clutch than the brake pedal. The ergonomics of brake pedals on cars are awful, they sit really high and they are right in the middle of floor well. Clutch pedals are designed to use your entire leg in a natural motion.
