Digital_Cowboy

I've had this happen way too often. And have had the same thoughts as you.

BarracksSi

That's what I get, even if I have to stop at a red light. As long as I can go before the light changes to green (which is, yes, technically running the red), I can get pretty far down the street without any cars having to pass me, often all the way to the next light.

It's the closest I can get to riding as if I had bike-specific traffic signals.

Digital_Cowboy

Or he might have been surprised that you had forgotten one of the basics of traffic control. That is that if there is a cop present s/he takes priority over all other traffic control devices. He gave you a legal order and was probably surprised that you weren't doing as he instructed you to do.

BarracksSi

+1. Cop trumps traffic signals.

Digital_Cowboy

I know that feeling. At least twice now when I've left the library that I go to I've had some moron in a red pickup truck do the exact same thing. After he cuts me off we exchange verbal and non-verbal "pleasantries" and continue on our respective ways.

Digital_Cowboy

A couple of years ago while I was the first vehicle sitting at an intersection I had a soccer mom pull up and ask if I could move a little over to the left so that she could make a right. It surprised the s#@t out of me. And I accommodated her.

chephy

I sometimes have a problem with lights that stay red by default and will only change to green if they detect a vehicle sitting there for a while. Usually these detectors can notice my bike, but I have to sit right in the middle of the lane for that to happen. That is a problem if no cars are already at the intersection, and one or more are approaching from behind with the intention of turning right. Unfortunately, in this sort of situation a car approaching from behind is most likely to be turning right, because drivers who want to go straight or turn left are more likely to pick another route (even a slightly round-about one), to avoid waiting for the light to change, whereas a right on red is permitted here and thus is no inconvenience. More than once I've been in a situation when I had five or six cars behind me and each driver wants to turn right. And unfortunately, a right-turning car doesn't spend enough time at an intersection to trip the detector.

This, of course, creates a conflict, because most drivers don't understand why I'm sitting right in the middle of the lane, blocking their right turn. That sometimes causes the drivers to lay on the horn, yell, or try a dangerously wide pass, going all the way into the oncoming lane to go around me. Moreover, some lights do not detect my bike after all, so even when the drivers behind me are patient, I feel really dumb sitting there knowing that I might be slowing down myself and six other people for absolutely no reason at all.

That's why I run such lights sometimes. Not very often at all (usually there is someone at the intersection to trip the detector for me or I know the detector can pick me up even when I'm waiting off to the side), but it definitely happens every once in a while... maybe once or twice a month. The only safe alternative is to dismount at each one and press the ped button, but I am not a pedestrian and shouldn't have to do this, so I usually don't.

chephy

Are you sure? What about all the people who step on the gas when the light turns amber while they're several seconds away from the intersection and step on it even harder once it turns red and they STILL haven't reached the intersection and could still safely stop? You don't get those where you live? Boy, that's some really civilized motorists you've got there, if so!

chephy

A very valid point. I don't habitually run lights, but when I'm able to hit them so that I pass through each intersection JUST as the light turns amber, and everything else works out just right (i.e., no streams of right turners etc.), I have a really pleasant ride with really few drivers passing me.

bicyclerampage

eh i get things yelled at me on occasion nothing too bad though. but one day i feel i hadnt hydrated well enough and i got to the last intersection on my way home and went to put my toe down on the ground and my leg locked in a horrible cramp i almost fell over and the light turned green i was the 1st one in line and im trying to push myself back upright with a gimp leg. so basically i looked like a guy who could not mount my bike for the life of me and almost held up the light for a full cycle..... stretch drink water and eat bananas

Mitchxout

If I'm first in line at a light and it won't change, I'm taking off. Why cause a long line of traffic to start piling up for no reason?

ItsJustMe

Yeah, that just doesn't happen where I live. A few people go through on the yellow and of course sometimes the light goes red before they clear the intersection, but I rarely see anyone accelerating into a yellow, and never have seen one running a red.

We used to live about 25 miles east of here, closer to Detroit, and it would happen there. In fact my wife's car was totalled when she was in the intersection waiting to turn left, with a large truck in the oncoming left turn lane so she couldn't see the other oncoming lanes, and she proceeded only after the light turned red. An oncoming driver blew the red at about 45 MPH and spun her car around twice. So it does happen in SE Michigan, but not really in the small towns I ride through.

I also haven't been honked at in probably 3 years now, and almost everyone passes me in the other lane. Yeah, drivers are quite nice around here in general, though of course there are a55holes everywhere.

Chuck G

I stop for all red lights. There is one light on the way to work that will not turn green for me at odd hours (not commuting times or on the weekend), at those times I will either run it if no one is around or do the right turn+U turn+right turn fakey thing.

At stop signs I am about 50/50 either completely stopping with one foot down, or just slowing down as much as possible without unclipping, it depends on how close any cars are. I am a fairly cautious driver, slightly less so I'm cycling (I never roll through a stop sign in my car).

In Cary there seems to be mix of red light/stop sign running cyclists and those who obey the law.

Grim

Sorry but I think it was totally the bicyclist fault. She put herself in that postion from the way that story reads. You NEVER get up in the blind spots of a truck at a intersection. If she was leading she should have taken the lane. If she was following she never should have filtered on the right into the MASIVE blind spot a truck has regardless if the truck did or didn't have a signal. She failed to recognize the danger of being between that truck and the curb at an intersection.

As for Joey's original question. Never really had an issue. I pretty well never run lights but I also don't deal with gridlock on the level you do.

It confuses people when I take the lane at intersections and prevent the cars from sharing the lane sometimes but I think most people understand why I did it when after the intersection I move to the curb if it is safe for them to pass. All but one of the run is I had was people getting inpatient when passing me on straight aways. the one exception was somebody making a right honked to get me to let them squeeze the right turn. I didn't let them because I didn't want to open the door for the next driver to jam up beside me.

Xsmoker

I always stop at reds, its just not a relaxing ride for me when I have to quickly look around to dodge any cars. Last week I was trying to beat the cars accross to the other crosswalk and my freehub slips right in the middle. Almost went over the bars. I see in my city now when they repaint the intersections they are leaving about a 7 foot gap from the crosswalk to the big white stop line for cars and painting a bicycle in the space.I was emailed they are adding 33 miles of new bike lane too.

rhm

The scary scenario for me is that I am stopped at the front of the left lane, waiting to go left when the light goes green, when car approaches on the crossing street, coming from the right, making a left turn. Not seeing me, the car makes the turn too tightly and would run me over if he didn't see me in time. This happened to me maybe three or five times. Only close calls; I never got hit. I believe it was my wheel reflectors that saved me. At any rate, that was enough; now I take prophylactic action, either crossing (illegally) to the sidewalk on the left side of the street, or running the light (illegally), whichever seems appropriate at the time.

dr_bovine

Except that he wasn't directing traffic, he was just sort of standing in the intersection making sure everything went smoothly (again, for those of you not familiar with Boston, just because a cop is assigned to an intersection/road repair area, doesn't mean he/she is actually directing traffic or even remotely paying attention). He was letting the lights control the traffic. And he didn't "order" me through, he simply suggested that it would be ok (ie, he wouldn't care) if I decided to run the light.

Artkansas 

I had one friend who got hit like that. Another friend was sitting at a light on his motorcycle when a policeman and a perp came rushing up behind him and blew through the light. The perp came so close that my friend's ankle got caught between the motorcyle and the car.

As for myself, I was run over when standing over my bicycle in the left turn lane waiting for a light. Fortunately, the car only rolled over the back wheel. The frame and I were scratched but survived.

Chop61

No trouble at reds...and I get off work at 11pm, and have to ride through the strip clubs and liquor store strips on Cheshire Bridge and Piedmont. I did have one driver roll down his window and say, "This ain't China, you better be careful."

echotraveler

for me red lights are = to stop sings... stop and proceed with precaution. but i dont wait for the light, NO WAY!
just follow the flow...

rumrunn6

one intersection - if I wait for the green I am battling with the opposing traffic to make my left turn. if I go when everyone has a red light - I'm golden