Small good deeds from drivers appreciated...
 

Since friendly drivers, especially of taxis, are not as common as I'd like...

Today, at a red light on a local street, there was a truck parked on the left, a taxi stopped to its right, leaving a small gap that was hard for me to ride past to get to the front due to their mirrors, so I got off the bike and carefully walked between the truck and the taxi. Suddenly the taxi front wheel turned right and it made a small move, giving me more room to pass (while still waiting for the light to turn green). I almost felt flattered :D. As I passed the open window, I thanked the driver, and the driver (seemed to be an Arab like many of them are) nodded very casually.

A few days ago, in a similar situation, but instead of getting off, I rode carefully between a car and a parked vehicle, my handlebar hit the car mirror slightly. I immediately said sorry to the driver, but she waved to me like, "Don't worry! Go on!" (Long ago once when I was in a same situation on the same 6th avenue, the driver got super nasty to me.)

So thanks to the friendly and courteous drivers. Every small politeness, kindness and even tolerance from you to someone on the bike is recognized and appreciated--definitely not taken for granted. :thumb:

(Re-reading the above, I guess it's a bad habit to try to squeeze past cars at red light, whether riding or walking.)

Nope. I can't fathom squeezing between cars. Between a car and a sidewalk/shoulder/grass/ whatever...sure. but not between cars/trucks. When I was learning to drive my dad told me to always try and have an escape route in case something were to happen - don't get yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Being a more vulnerable road user on a bike, I always remember that advice. I always give myself an "out" even if that means queuing up like I was another car to get through a light/4 way whatever. It's easier to assume responsibility for my own safety than relying on other people to be paying attention

Well taken. Just to clarify: I was talking about squeezing between parked cars when the light was red and we were all behind the pack. I think it's unnecessary to risk hitting mirrors etc.