Originally Posted by surfncycling
Just something to do at an intersection where cars turn right is to just pull up far enough so that the cars can still turn right. I can't tell you how many times I've seen cyclists just sitting there blocking those cars turning right for no reason. You're safety isn't in question, and doing something small like this helps the car/cycling relationship. Anyone else have something small that others might over look?
I've found that letting cars turn right at a stop light gets the the greatest positive response from motorists. If there's a right turn lane, I'll pull far enough to the left to let traffic get through, if there's not a turn lane, I get all the way to the right. If the drivers seem tentative about going by, I'll wave them through. I almost always get a thank you, wave or a smile. I don't get it when I see cyclists sitting in the middle of a right turn lane with traffic behind them waiting to turn right, no wonder motorists think we're jack asses. I agree that being assertive and making your intentions obvious are the key to successfully riding with traffic. I think more motorists are scared or anxious than angry about what to do when passing/encountering cyclists.