mickey85

but SERIOUSLY??

So I biked to work the past two days (had to take the car today, because I need to be home ASAP after school), and yesterday, I was stopped at an intersection, and this truck makes a left turn in front of me, but he cuts WAAAY into the right hand lane, and actually stops until I move over so that he can continue his cut-in. THEN, after he passes me, he's shaking his head. What a jackass! Would he wait for a motorcycle to move? Hell no!

Big M

If I'm in a car and an oversized vehicle needs to make a wide turn, I move as much as realistically possible to accommodate them.

Being on a bicycle, when a special circumstance like that comes up, you're uniquely able to be more accommodating. I'd have gotten off my bike and moved to the sidewalk altogether. That's comparatively much easier than it is for him to negotiate that turn.

edit: re-reading your post, I'm not even sure what you're describing. I thought a truck was making a left, and had to move to the right to make it. But now I'm wondering if you meant they were turning onto your street, but cut into your lane (the oncoming lane) before getting into his lane. Please clarify.

edit #2: ah, so it was scenario 2...yeah, that happens. Yeah, just let it roll off your back. The dude was in the wrong.

mickey85

it was a pickup truck, turning into MY road, and cutting into MY lane. And it wasn't even a large one - it was a standard cab S10.

In a car, with a semi, I'll stop early, move over, and basically do anything possible to help the guy out, but this is a bit of a different circumstance - and it doesn't only happen on a bike - I get it in my car as well. It just seems absurd that the guy thinks that he has a right to inconvenience me, simply because he didn't want to take the turn as he would if a car were sitting there.

capejohn

Your going to run into a lot of that stuff, just like you would if you were in a car. No sense getting too worked up over it.

Sometimes saying it out loud (or posting it here) helps get the blood pressure down. I hope it worked for you.

surveyor

I have had that happen before. I simply look down, check that I am in my lane and behind the wide "stop" line of the intersection, then look back up, make eye contact and stare at them until they get the hint and make their turn correctly. Works like a charm.

FredOak

Agreed, standard operating procedure for some folks.

I'm waiting at a light, first in line, and I'm in the right wheel position in the lane.
This woman pulls right up along side me, light turns green and she immediately turns right, directly in front of me. If I didn't ride by not trusting most drivers I would have gotten t-boned.

It get ugly out there, expected the unexpected and they usually won't disappoint you.

Liv2Ride

Part of my commute is in a bike path which runs alongside the street...about 6 to 10 feet off of the street. At each intersection it joins with the crosswalk. While riding the path, I always dutifully push the button and wait for the walk signal before continuing on my way. However people in their cars never look at the crosswalk signal and continue to turn right, through the bike path, not allowing you to cross the street. I even saw some guy yelling at some kids walking in the crosswalk who were preventing him from turning right... and the kids were crossing WITH the walk signal. Some idiots in cars never get it and never will. They are simply to stupid to learn. I might pity their poor, narrowminded, selfish stupidity if it weren't for the fact that they are piloting a vehicle that can kill.

Sixty Fiver

I take the lane and don't give up my space at intersections.

Drivers can honk all they want and if they try and push me out of the lane (this has happened a few times) then there will be consequences.

deez

Thats where you made your mistake. when he stopped you moved over so he could continue. If he really did stop like you said and you moved, you let him in. If you wanted to you could have asserted yourself, taken the lane and made him wait behind you until it was safe to go around you on your road.

be decisive and committed in your actions or folks will take that slack and use it against you

CliftonGK1

I finally figured it out, and I get the same situation here, too. Stopped in the LTO lane, first spot at the light, dead center of the lane, front wheel on the stop line, and people making the left turn (cross-traffic from my right) will sweep in as close as possible to me, often cutting the corner of my lane just to my left. Those people typically get a water-bottle spray down for the unauthorized fly-by.

Pezzle

Taking the lane feels awesome. I have to all the time here in central Jersey. The cops are always on my side.. I only ever yield to emergency vehicles in a situation like this.