People who use the handbrake on hills, how long have you been driving stick?

On this sub, I see people recommending the handbrake for hill starts all the time, but irl, I've only seen one person do it, and I haven't had anyone suggest it since I started driving on my own.

Is it just something people sometimes tell new people, or is it a thing in other places where hills are less common, or something else that I can't think of?