Originally Posted by
CACycling
...My main reason for using the mirror instead of turning my head is that, around here anyway, a glance to the left seems to signal to drivers that I'm about to jump out in front of them. They will often change speeds or lanes to avoid me (even though I've made no move yet). Instead, I use the mirror until I see the break I need then I do a quick head check to make sure I didn't miss anything and go. Much easier for me to time things without freaking out drivers coming up behind me especially when I'm needing to cross 4 lanes of 50 MPH traffic to get to a turn lane.
Wow, that's awesome that the motorists are so attentive and courteous where you live. I sometimes think my class 3 flagger jacket is really an invisibility cloak. (Someone else wrote a letter to the editor here last year with the same observation.)