Originally Posted by
TheWheelman
I did too yesterday, many times. So what? One of the things that they don't teach you on the internet discussion groups where you like to spend all your time, Bekologist, is that the 6-foot or whatever the number is that HH and them all spout, minimum clearance, is not sacrosanct. Rather, one may be a considerable chunk of the way inside that zone and make up for the difference by using a mirror to always know how many additional feet are available to one's left for the emergency swerve that might become necessary at any moment.
Tom, no one, certainly not me, spouts anything about any particular minimum distance being sacrosanct.
And as far as Beck's confession goes, I've long stated that when faster same direction traffic is present, staying to the right of them is often the most appropriate thing to do, even when approaching and crossing an intersection, assuming there is space to do it safely and reasonably. The faster same-direction traffic actually serves as interference against potential left and right crosses (which is why I think it's important to move left as soon as the last motorist passes and there is a gap long enough for cross traffic to try to move across your path). However, you have to maintain rearward situational awareness, and this is where a mirror is very helpful, to make sure you're not leaving yourself vulnerable to a right hook from someone in that traffic passing suddenly turning right.
Of course, you can also get away with it dozens if not hundreds of times without paying attention to that, just like you can probably get away with riding dozens if not hundreds of times in door zones without get whacked. It's a numbers games, after all.
Beck's relatively frequent close calls and crashes attests to that.