Honked at for NOT running a red light
10-06-09, 06:30 PM
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Honked at for NOT running a red light
I had a new one today. On my inbound commute, I came to an intersection in the downtown area. It was still early enough that the traffic wasn't really busy, but there were a few cars around.
I stopped at a red light on a 2 lane road the intersects with a 4 lane road. There were enough cars on the 4 lane road that I didn't want to just ride across, so I stopped and unclipped.
A city bus pulls in behind me and starts honking his horn. Mostly, I ignore honking things behind me (I worry much more about the ones who don't see me, and the honkers must have seen me or they wouldn't be honking). This time, I turn around and look at him, and point at the red light. He opens his window and starts shouting "Right on Red!!! Right on Red!!!". Of course, I was going straight, but that didn't seem to be important to him.
There was really no place to go to get out of his way. A full size bus turning right would take up most of the intersection. A few seconds later, the light turns green, and I pedal across the intersection. The bus turns right behind me (I checked the mirror to be sure).
My theory about all of this is that for all of the anger about cyclists who run red light and stop signs, terrorize little old ladies and go up one way streets the wrong way, there are really only 2 important facts:
1) On average, a bicycle is slower than a car
2) Occasionally there will be bicycle in front of a car.
Personally, I don't think I've ever held up a motorist for more than 30 seconds. Of course, by second number 12 or 13, the driver is ranting and fuming (and/or honking). I think we have to recognize that we cannot change these facts, we just have to smile and wave and ignore the idiots.
I stopped at a red light on a 2 lane road the intersects with a 4 lane road. There were enough cars on the 4 lane road that I didn't want to just ride across, so I stopped and unclipped.
A city bus pulls in behind me and starts honking his horn. Mostly, I ignore honking things behind me (I worry much more about the ones who don't see me, and the honkers must have seen me or they wouldn't be honking). This time, I turn around and look at him, and point at the red light. He opens his window and starts shouting "Right on Red!!! Right on Red!!!". Of course, I was going straight, but that didn't seem to be important to him.
There was really no place to go to get out of his way. A full size bus turning right would take up most of the intersection. A few seconds later, the light turns green, and I pedal across the intersection. The bus turns right behind me (I checked the mirror to be sure).
My theory about all of this is that for all of the anger about cyclists who run red light and stop signs, terrorize little old ladies and go up one way streets the wrong way, there are really only 2 important facts:
1) On average, a bicycle is slower than a car
2) Occasionally there will be bicycle in front of a car.
Personally, I don't think I've ever held up a motorist for more than 30 seconds. Of course, by second number 12 or 13, the driver is ranting and fuming (and/or honking). I think we have to recognize that we cannot change these facts, we just have to smile and wave and ignore the idiots.
10-06-09, 06:34 PM
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Transit buses can be really nasty. I nearly got clobbered because I was stopped at a red light and he wanted to turn. He didn't even bother to honk, he just rolled on through. This is one reason I don't like bike lanes near signalled intersections.
10-06-09, 06:36 PM
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RacingBear
or it could be you were blocking him from turning right. I am not sure where the whole running red lights is coming from.
UD
UD
10-06-09, 06:57 PM
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When I read your subject line I thought to myself, "sounds like Boston." Sure enough.
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10-06-09, 08:10 PM
#7
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Could've moved to your left and left room for him to make his turn. That way he could see your position a lot better and, unlike if you were on the right, he wouldn't have been able to run you over with his rear axles.
You're on a bike -- you're a LOT skinnier and more mobile than a car. You have the flexibility to share the road even better than a car can.
You're on a bike -- you're a LOT skinnier and more mobile than a car. You have the flexibility to share the road even better than a car can.
10-06-09, 08:13 PM
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People just don't think. A few days ago, I was in the car with a buddy of mine and we were waiting to turn right behind a commuter who was going straight in the bike lane. A 4 second delay made my buddy fume at all bikers made me stop and say to him. "It was 4 seconds, relax wtf could you do with 4 extra seconds at applebees? Made him shut up.
10-06-09, 08:16 PM
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Normally I move far left to allow right turners, but a bus probably needs to crowd the center line to turn so they wouldn't be able to turn anyway, and I wouldn't want to encourage them to do so.
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10-06-09, 08:22 PM
#10
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
The reason why these drivers are getting so pissed is because they know a cyclist can scoot over. They don't get nearly as upset at other cars or trucks in the same position because they understand that they can't go anywhere else.
Why not behaved like a civilized human being with some consideration for others and let them go past?
10-06-09, 08:26 PM
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+1 you did the proper thing with the bus.
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10-06-09, 08:39 PM
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I generally move over to let cars get through to make right turns. But one time I was waiting at an intersection where the crossing street was one way [the wrong way] and a car started creeping up on my ass. I looked back and made like a "no" motion but he was clearly upset that I was blocking his path. The light changed and I went and he tried to make his right turn [the wrong way] into oncoming traffic approaching their light.
Last edited by umd; 10-06-09 at 09:22 PM. Reason: Edited for clarity
10-06-09, 08:39 PM
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Move in front of the car waiting in the next lane, then. They're not going anywhere, after all, because it's a red light.
The reason why these drivers are getting so pissed is because they know a cyclist can scoot over. They don't get nearly as upset at other cars or trucks in the same position because they understand that they can't go anywhere else.
Why not behaved like a civilized human being with some consideration for others and let them go past?
The reason why these drivers are getting so pissed is because they know a cyclist can scoot over. They don't get nearly as upset at other cars or trucks in the same position because they understand that they can't go anywhere else.
Why not behaved like a civilized human being with some consideration for others and let them go past?
You come across as a total asshat.
On a two lane road, to clear enough space for a normal size bus to make a right turn on red you'd have to go ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE STREET.
OP handled it correctly, driver was an asshat.
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10-06-09, 08:49 PM
#14
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
There WAS no next car. No next lane. READ before you go off on the OP.
You come across as a total asshat.
On a two lane road, to clear enough space for a normal size bus to make a right turn on red you'd have to go ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE STREET.
OP handled it correctly, driver was an asshat.
You come across as a total asshat.
On a two lane road, to clear enough space for a normal size bus to make a right turn on red you'd have to go ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE STREET.
OP handled it correctly, driver was an asshat.
Asshat.
10-06-09, 08:52 PM
#15
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
I generally move over to let cars get through to make right turns. But one time I was waiting at an intersection where the crossing street was one way and a car started creeping up on my ass. I looked back and made like a "no" motion but he was clearly upset that I was blocking his path. The light changed and I went and he tried to make his right turn into oncoming traffic approaching their light.
10-06-09, 08:53 PM
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Retired Bus Driver here: The OP had No reason to move for the bus...
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Fred "The Real Fred"
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10-06-09, 09:01 PM
#18
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Maybe I just have usable spatial recognition skills.
Really -- how difficult is this?
Really -- how difficult is this?
10-06-09, 09:03 PM
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People just don't think. A few days ago, I was in the car with a buddy of mine and we were waiting to turn right behind a commuter who was going straight in the bike lane. A 4 second delay made my buddy fume at all bikers made me stop and say to him. "It was 4 seconds, relax wtf could you do with 4 extra seconds at applebees? Made him shut up.
10-06-09, 09:05 PM
#21
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Ohhh, I see -- you forgot to tell about the giant barricade that kept you from going anywhere.
And the shark tank.
Or was the one-way street going from your right to the left? They go the other way, too, ya know, so maybe you should've written that in the first place.
And the shark tank.
Or was the one-way street going from your right to the left? They go the other way, too, ya know, so maybe you should've written that in the first place.
10-06-09, 09:07 PM
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Ohhh, I see -- you forgot to tell about the giant barricade that kept you from going anywhere.
And the shark tank.
Or was the one-way street going from your right to the left? They go the other way, too, ya know, so maybe you should've written that in the first place.
And the shark tank.
Or was the one-way street going from your right to the left? They go the other way, too, ya know, so maybe you should've written that in the first place.
"The light changed and I went and he tried to make his right turn into oncoming traffic approaching their light."
10-06-09, 09:07 PM
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If you're in the mood to argue, try P&R or A&S... it's pretty much expected for people to argue against common sense just for the sake of arguing in both forums.
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"There is no greater wonder than the way the face and character of a woman fit so perfectly in a man's mind, and stay there, and he could never tell you why. It just seems it was the thing he most wanted." Robert Louis Stevenson
"There is no greater wonder than the way the face and character of a woman fit so perfectly in a man's mind, and stay there, and he could never tell you why. It just seems it was the thing he most wanted." Robert Louis Stevenson
