Getting through traffic is stressful enough in an automatic car. When you factor in timing the clutch with changing gears as well, navigating it with a manual transmission might seem impossible. But when it comes to whether it’s harder to drive a manual car in traffic than an automatic, the truth is it depends on your level of skill and experience.

As a teenager new to driving a manual, also known as a stick shift in the U.S., I was beyond scared the first time I got stuck in highway traffic. Easing off the clutch without killing the engine was hard for me under normal conditions. Now I was stuck in a nightmarish stop-and-go situation. If I timed it right, I was golden. If not, I’d have to start back up again, which happened a lot in the beginning. Sitting on a hill in city traffic was even worse, as I was terrified of rolling back when going from the clutch to the gas pedal.

But the more I did it, the more I learned how to get my timing right. I also learned how long I could stay in first or second gear without having to constantly work the clutch. I discovered that I could use the neutral gear, since the clutch isn’t needed when neutral is engaged. It took some of the pressure off mentally, gave my left leg a rest, and helped me relax. I realized that if I couldn’t master the timing, I would struggle every time.

Driving a manual in traffic was about much more than just learning how to harmonize the clutch with the gas pedal. I focused on the brake lights of the car two spots up from me. If that person stopped, I knew the driver in front of me would as well. So I would throw my car into neutral from first, which would slow me down and give enough space to roll, so I didn’t have to hit my brakes.

I used the same technique when easing out of traffic approaching an amber light. I would gear down to slow down, cutting my speed to first gear, just at the point of a full stop. I wouldn’t do this if I were the lead car, and I wouldn’t perform a rolling stop. But if I were a few cars back, I could coast without braking and shift back up from first when the light turned green. This method of anticipating driver behavior and creating space was something I became good at.

Unfortunately, traffic wasn’t always predictable. Sometimes it was impossible to get into a rhythm, and even when I did, it could break down quickly. This meant using the clutch and brakes in traffic more than I wanted, resulting in a more stressful environment. But in traffic like that, patience always paid off, and the goal was rarely to be first through. It was about getting where I needed to go safely.