I'm a newbie to BikeForums but have been lurking for quite some time.

I've recently gotten into commuting by bike... I performed my first test run of my route on Saturday and things went really smooth. I have some questions though regarding some situations that arose while riding on Saturday and today.

1.) Triggering a red light
According to a "How to" video I saw on YouTube if you're the only one at a red light waiting to turn left, you can "trigger" the light by placing your wheel on top of the wires that are on the ground in the road. But all the intersections I've come across don't have these "wires" for whatever reason. What should I do? I've been just making a complete stop and check for traffic before proceeding with my left turn.

2.) Taking a lane
Today I was riding to the right as I was supposed to, but up ahead I had to proceed straight through a traffic light with a center lane that went straight with two turning lanes on either side. I checked for traffic behind me (none) and proceeding to get in the center of the through lane. All the sudden, this car comes blazing up behind me and honks his horn at me. I move to the left a little to let him pass. Was I doing anything wrong?

Your advice and tips would be appreciated!