Originally Posted by
MnHillBilly
Sorry - 90 is right. How is it not a big deal? In all humility - why would you place yourself directly in front of a line of waiting traffic like that? Would you try this if you were in your own car?
I guess my bigger picture question is - if we want cars to see us as cars, why is it then ok to make these kind of exceptions and behave as though we're not bound by the same rules? It's like cutting in line at the grocery store when you have 2 cartloads of items to scan and the guy you cut off just needs to pay for a gallon of milk.
What would be the big deal in turning right, coming back to face west, and getting in the lane just like any other vehicle?
Wouldn't have made such an impression on me except there's already been someone killed on this same road this year. Cars aren't looking for people to begin with, and then to see some bikers cutting corners so-to-speak, just makes me cringe when we're still so new into the season yet.
You obviously know this intersection far better than I do, so I suppose I'm not really qualified to say whether this was a bonehead move or not.
But I think that this move can
sometimes be okay, given the dynamics of the particular intersection. Like others have already said, if I know I can be out of the way of the line of cars in a reasonable amount of time after the light turns green, I might consider it if the other options available to me are undesirable.
While not really the same thing, there's this one intersection that I ride through frequently where I always filter through and park my butt directly in front of the first car waiting in line. This may be considered rude, but it's the safest thing for me to do there. The intersection has cars coming in from several odd angles, and it's a complete mess for all involved. Motorist have a hard time with the intersection too and often use their size advantage to bully the poor cyclist. It's every man for himself, everyone cutting everyone else off. Getting in the front of the line lets me clear the intersection as quick as possible, and actually minimizes my interaction with motorists, which is to their benefit too. </tangent>