Watch the driver, if they make one continuous motion as they move back in front of you, end up at the curb and then do not eyeball you in their mirrors (looking for your reaction); then the driver simply overcorrected (as many do) or they are making a right turn. On the other hand, if they move into the middle of the lane and then at the last second before stopping, they swerve right, OR the driver eyeballs you; then the driver did it intentionally.

For the first type of driver, I just pull up behind them. The second driver, with the in your face style, I pass them on their left side.



And cyclist should be allowed to then pass them on their left side, sharing the lane.

But a motorcycle, in the state of California at least, is allowed to lane split and move to the front of the line at a light. Why not do it on a bicycle? It isn't the motorcyclist and bicyclist that have the problem, it's the cager. If the 2 wheeled vehicles do it enough, the cagers get used to it, and it's completely normal... as in Japan.

For the record, I am all for lane splitting(I ride a motorcycle too). But I am also all for much stricter driver's license requirements, I don't think we should give a license to every idiot that applies.

Even if the car isn't turning right, it also leaves as much room as possible on the left side, avoiding blocking oncoming traffic that's trying to turn into that street. Remember, a car can't just shift sideways like pedestrians or bikes can.

Can't say anything about cars that race you to a red light, but it's generally a bad idea to stop the car in the middle. Stopping close to the curb is the right thing to do.

Well to be fair it doesn't sound like the traffic this guy is dealing with if fallowing the law ether. I dought they went into another lane to pass them like the law states you have to, too pass any vehicle. I am sure most of these cars buzzed him then cut him off. One of the things that piss's off cyclests is passing too close and generally being aggressive around them. Really it can go both ways. I don't think you will find a cop that see's a bike riding to the front of a line something of interest. How ever passing a cyclest too close will nab you a nice big ticket here in oregon.

Sharing a lane is a state-by-state thing. In California it's legal (yay!) In Arizona it isn't (boo hiss), but at least we don't have helmet laws. It's hard to imagine a cyclist being ticketed for it, however, especially if you do it on the right side, where most people (LEO included), intuitively believe you belong (double boo hiss).

Exactly.

There's one intersection I commute through where I do that with regularity. Right turners take the curb, so I take the lane and go around on their left, but still within the right lane.

There is nothing worst for a motorist then to have to pass a cyclist but having to pass the same cyclist twice... outrageous! It is there god given right to be faster then cyclists no mater what.

ftfy. :p

I filter on both sides. Cars expect cyclists to filter on the inside and motorcycles on the outside. I think that most drivers look in their nearest wing mirror more often - looking out of motorcyclists rather than cyclists. So I often go on the outside as there is often more room and it feels safer.

My compromise: I sometimes filter if there is a nice wide shoulder or wide lane up ahead of the light. If things are tight up ahead, I wait my turn. Why make a car --who passed me courteously once-- pass me again? My way of saying "thank you."

If I get sort of buzzed mere feet before a red light, I have gotten up in front of the passing car to make a point. Only a few times. No one needs to tell me how unwise this is. I hope to contain my indignation better, but come on. A dangerous pass just so you can go sit at the light?

Not just differ state by state but also by city. Cars in San Francisco downtown will block there right side so that other car cannot pass them in the parking space area. If they do that to each other, then it's no surprise they do it bicycle. Cops just let it goes, but if that happen in the smaller city around here, they will pull the vehicle over. Unfortunately, they sometime will do the same to cyclist who filter wildly through traffic in the smaller city but it's ok to that in the much more crowded city. It's a jungle out there! If you have to filter, then do it safely and wisely.

I've seen people move to block my path while I filtered through grid locked traffic, on the left. I know a few people that have had doors opened on them for doing the same thing. People just can't stand it that they have to sit in **** traffic while the bicycle gets to go unimpeded.

I get right hook attempts more in bike lanes than anywhere else. Drivers don't "see" us when we are ahead of them, so there is NO CHANCE of them seeing you next to their right quarterpanel. You will get right hooked every time UNLESS you are traveling at 20+mph, because most cars can't turn at that speed. Otherwise, just expect it, hands on the brakes, ready to turn WITH them when they do it. And they will do it. That will never change.

You're going to hate me, but I do this all the time while driving my bus specifically to prevent cyclists from passing me on the right in downtown traffic.

I'm not doing it to be a prick but for safety reasons. In downtown traffic cyclists like to pass me on the right and then plant themselves just in front of my front door while I'm stopped at a light. There is a blind spot there caused by our farebox as well as the window frame and I have had plenty of "oh s*it" moments when I didn't notice somebody sneaking into that little pocket. If you're going to pass me, do it on the left side where I have better visibility.

That said, when I'm cycling to work I try to keep my place in line when I arrive at a light. If traffic is really thick and I'm sure I know the light sequence I'll sometimes filter up on the right to turn right, but I *never* pass on the right if I know I'll just be impeding that driver further up. It's legal for cyclists to pass on the right where I live but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.

So a motorist is asserting his right to the lane?

I don't understand the question. I would be filtering at a RED light most of the time. So not sure how I could "make" a red light.

My intention would be to run the red if it is safe, but it does not matter if the light turns green while I am filtering, or even before I start because, what is maddening to most drivers works FOR me - cars don't all start rolling at once so gaps between them appear as they get up to speed. I just filter forward, let all of the cars gain speed until I catch up with a gap, then merge right into the gap and become part of the flow through the intersection and for as long as I can before moving toward the right curb.

I almost never filter far right. I filter to the left of the cars in the right lane virtually eliminating the possibility of right hooks.

Every situation is different. So no one can really say what they would normally do, because there is no norm. Each situation must be assessed on it's own every time.

Busbiker, I've seen an accident vid that illustrates what you say (can't find it right now, sorry), and it's not pretty. So I can agree with your motivations.

Yup, motorists need to be aware of cyclists, respectful of them, and courteous; cyclists need to do the same in return.

Not likely to see in my lifetime, but I keep a good thought. (wink)

It's just the social responsibility that USED to be taught when I was knee-high to a high knee....

I've had people do this to me on bike lanes quite often. It's illegal. Not much I can do about it. We've also had situations like busbiker mentioned where buses would prevent bikes from passing by moving to the right. Couple years ago, a biker ended up squashed by said bus.

Don't buses have to get near the curb to pick up and drop off passengers?

The last time I tried filtering up the right side of a bus, I nearly ran over a disembarking passenger. Never tried that stunt again.

Yeah they do, but you'd think they would look for cyclist next to them. I don't think it happened in the cyclist death here in Beaverton. Buses are the thing I'm the most worried about when I'm riding near town.

Ask BusBiker how easy it is to look at their right rear quarter.

It's hard enough in a car (even if the driver has their mirror adjusted correctly).

Until you've sat in the driver's seat, you can't claim to know what they can or can't do.

sometimes I filter, sometimes I wait in line. it depends on the situation. a-holes are everywhere. recently at a couple of lights, after filtering I waited for everyone to pass me before continuing through the intersection last. it saved them from having to pass me again and I didn't have to wait very long to get going again. but it still made sense to filter up from to a safe spot where everyone could see me and pass safely

I don't think I did claim anything. All I said was you would think they would be looking for them. If they can or can't see them is something only the driver can say. I do agree with you though, I couldn't imagine doing that in a bus. Even cars get into the blind side and accidents can happen. Because of this, I stay the hell away from buses.

If the lane is wide enough for a car to share the lane between the lights it is wide enough for me to share when they are stopped at the lights . I therefore filter to the front either on the right or between lanes, but make sure I am not next to a car when the light turns green.

I don't mean to nitpick, but sharing the lane is legal in Arizona, and is encouraged just like pretty much every other state. I ride by cops daily while taking the lane as drivers pass; I sometimes wave and usually get a nod from them. Are you sure you aren't referring to lane-splitting? I'm guessing that's what you meant. I understand lane splitting in Arizona to be not-legal, but not illegal either, though I may be mistaken as I haven't heard about or read any laws to make the legality of it clear or not to me.

To OP: I do lane-split / filter-forward to the left occasionally, in gridlock situations where it is an efficient and safe maneuver. I find in Tempe, near ASU, motorists cutting off cyclists on the right is pretty common. There are always college kids jumping out of the passengers' doors of vehicles that are stopped in traffic. It's a sure recipe for getting doored, or at least running right into pedestrians that appear in the bike lane out of nowhere, so I just take my place in line and stop behind the car in front of me to avoid that scenario unless it's grid-lock.