Helmet Head

Thank you for clarifying this. Now we have a much more objective "common ground" standard by which to measure. Fortunately, we also have Mr. Forester here to clarify any misunderstanding we may have with the ramifications of applying these principles in real situations, such as the one at issue here.

While I was in the left lane I was centered the entire time as I was rolling forward towards the 2 cars stopped at the light in front of me, until I decided to merge right. I did that merge in two separate moves, as described above and clarified here:

1. First I merged from the center position to the right of the left lane.
2. Then I merged from the right of the left lane to the left of the right lane.

In each merge, I looked back over my right shoulder before I moved.

Contrary to what Robert understood, and for what it's worth, I did not move to the right side of the left lane in order to share that lane with the car in front of me in the left lane. I did that to be visible, predictable and orderly, as opposed to making the merge right in one move from the center of the left lane to the left side of the right lane. At no time while I was in the left lane was I sharing... that lane is too narrow for sharing. The right lane is wide enough to share with right turners when the right turners are properly merged into the bike lane on their right, which this car (the 2nd one in line on the right side, the first turning right) was. Since it was in the bike lane, there was plenty of sharing space on its left, which I used to pass the right turner on his left.

Mr. Forester can clarify, because it's his book and principles I refer to when I say: My understanding is that the above is by the book.

Assuming Mr. Forester does confirm that what I described above is consistent with the vehicular-cycling principles and practices that he writes about, the fact that Mr. Hurst and Brian did not recognize this, and thought is was a non-VC example, is exactly what I mean by VC critics criticizing something other than VC when they criticize it.

This is but one example, but I think it underscores why many of the disagreements about VC are often really about many people not understanding what the VC principles mean and how they apply, in particular with respect to taking advantage of the rights accorded to drivers of relatively narrow vehicles (like motorcycles and bicycle) while remaining in accordance with the vehicular principles, including those responsibilities that apply to the drivers of slow moving vehicles, which of course often apply to drivers of bicycles (though notably not in this particular case because all traffic was stopped or moving slowly throughout the entire scenario).