Do these happen to you too?
 

Two different scenerios: the first one has happened at least twice and the second happened the other day.

The first one: For me during stops, I line up with the cars in the intersection and don't filter, split lanes, or whatever it's called. I'm coming up to a red light and taking the straight through lane because I'm going straight. There is also a left turn only lane. At least twice recently I've had cars go around me in the left turn only lane and then cut over to the straight lane. Of course, they stop in front of me because there's a red light. Yesterday someone honked at me because I was taking the lane and did this move, then had to hit their brakes, and they saved what, 2 sec at most? :rolleyes:

The second one: I get over to the left turn only lane after signaling a ways before I get in the lane and I made sure it was clear. Once in the turn only lane, I'm still holding out my arm signaling that I'm turning left. There are no stop lights, but just a straight thru and the left only lane. A car passed me and then at the last second pulled into the left only lane in front of me to turn left.

I have no idea how to prevent them because I'm clearly making my intentions known by taking the lane of travel to where I'm going, signaling like I should be ahead of time, etc. Do these things happen to you guys as well?

Most drivers are self-centered, arrogant idiots who think they have an exclusive right to use the road - get used to that.

I've had similar experiences here in Jacksonville, NC.

And, though I really don't want to agree with AdamDZ, I think he's correct.

To make matters worse, not only are motorists self-centered and arrogant, they're usually ignorant of the laws.

I ride like you do in Boston. Never happen to me once. They simply don't have the space here to be really arrogant.

Live closer to the urban areas, problem solved :thumb:

"You adapt. You overcome. You improvise."

I pretty much try to adhere to this saying. Here's how I apply them to your situations.

1. I filter through traffic. I know VC people always say "Follow the rules of the road. You are a vehicle. They're gonna pass you again anyway. Etc. etc." What they fail to understand is bikes are slowwwer than cars. If you are 5th in line at a stop light do you really expect to accelerate as fast as the cars in front? No. Drivers behind you want to get beyond that light before it turns red. If you cause them to catch the red then, yeah, its your fault.

2. Stay as close to the line opposite of which lane you are on. Huh? This only applies on bike lanes and left hand turn lanes. When I'm on a bike lane I stay as close to the line separating the bike lane from the car lane, to the left. Ever since doing this I have not been right hooked. When making a left on a left turn lane I stay to the right of the lane as much as possible. This prevents cars from passing me on the right.

You can't fix "Stupid."

Beware of the idiots - I swear there should be a whole section concerning pedestrians and cyclist, in the driving test.

It's common that driver will try to cut around you anyway they can. Consider your case less extreme. Driver will do anything to get around you no matter how dangerous it is. So yeah, expect driver to do anything as if you are sharing the road but they own it.

I was on a two lane road and waiting at a red light at this intersection where turning right will take you to the freeway. I was first in the right lane taking the center of my lane so car behind me cannot pass me to turn right and sometimes almost hitting me. There was a small Honda hatchback in the left lane but she stopped more to the left of her lane. A mini Cooper behind me attempted to create a middle lane between the Honda and I. The Cooper was half way through when I decided that I may needed to get my butt out of there and just give him some room for this cirrcus clown. As I started to move right, the light turn green, so I Airzounded him and went straight through and so did the car on the left. Those car behind me and the Cooper all turned right on to the freeway while this Cooper was stuck there in an awkward angle waiting until traffic cleared up which he then went on the freeway. It turns out he wanted to turn right by getting around me and the car in the left lane by making a middle lane.

It really depends on the roads, but it sounds like you did everything correct. You just cant control what "self-centered, arrogant idiots who think they have an exclusive right to use the road" will do.

Urban area? The cutting in front at a red light happens to me in Columbus, OH. Once someone was trying to do that, and I yelled at them: "The light's red--what are you hurrying for?" They decided not to cut in front, then passed me later, laughing. This was in heavy traffic on main street, where I easily go as fast as the cars.

Yes, remember, "share the road" means "bicycles get the hell out of my way."

I haven't experienced #2, but I've had cars do #1, and even had them go further by, twice, squeezing me off the road, almost causing me to run into them, and by regularly using the left-turn only lane (on a one lane per-side street) to cut around me IN THE INTERSECTION, even in the face of ON-COMING TRAFFIC!

Here's how I ride.........
In the first case I stay on the far right, i.e. on the right of the turning lane, then when I get to the intersection, if there are vehicles turning, I just wait until they are all gone and then I go across straight ahead. Often there are courteuos drivers who wait for me if they realize I am going straight. About 90% of riders in my city on my route do it this way but the conditions could warrant different behavior in other locations.

In the second case, I just stay on the far right and I cross on the pedestrian facility when it is safe (i.e. no one turning right) then I stop at the intersection until the traffic in the other direction gets a green light and then I take off when it is safe (i.e. no one turning right).

In the second case, some riders on MTBs will swerve across before the intersection when the street is clear, and they ride along the side walk, round the corner and maybe salmon for a while then swerve across the other street. This is not my method.

NB: I have written the above for the case of driving on the right side of the road. It's different here where I live.

That hasn't happened to me but I usually ride on roads with multiple lanes going straight. I have been going slow up to a light, in the middle of the lane because across the intersection the lane is narrow and had people pass me on the right in a right turn only lane to get in front of me rather than going in one of the other two lanes to the left of me. I also was once in the middle of the lane to prevent getting hooked at a ramp and had a driver pass me on the right, driving through the ramp and onto the shoulder rather than move into the open lane to the left of me. Before the ramp there is no shoulder/bike lane there and the right lane is narrow. After the ramp, a shoulder opens up. Drivers can be amazingly stupid.

That happens to me every now and then. When ever they try to beat me to the light I split the lane and head to the front. If they try to cage me, I pass on the other side..

Ok, fixed that for you. :D

Actually, I find this really, really funny. Apparently, when you're on a bike and you try to squeeze past other traffic where there isn't really room, so you and your ego can get to the front only to be immediately get passed by the cars you just got around as soon as the light changes (which you also have to wait for anywyas), and then you do it at 5 lights in a row being really annoying to the people that have to pass you again and again, that's cool and we should all think about how great you are because you're you.

But when someone in a car tries to do the same thing - whoa, whoa, whoa, they're all selfish jerks. Don't they know they're supposed to share the road? What are they thinking being so selfish?

Seriously...Hilarious!

I'll have drivers try and pass me using the left turn lane and cut over at the last second so they are sprawled across two lanes. When this happens I filter to the front so when the left turn signal goes first they get honked at by other drivers and there is nothing there to explain that position. I think it's funny.

No, you're wrong!!! How can you say that!!! Cyclists are smart, considerate and respectful people who know how to share the road, they're familiar with the traffic laws, are nice to pedestrians (elder folk and moms with strollers in particular), like small furry animals and are generally great people to hang out with!!! Everybody else is juts out there to get them!

I've experienced #1 for sure. I once talked to a motorist in this situation and tried to explain the illegality of his maneuver. It wasn't a productive conversation. All you can really do is be visible, confident, and consistent in traffic.

Speak for yourself. :)

Most cars don't accelerate away from lights all that fast - I regularly outsprint most cars across intersections (not, of course, if they're trying to race me, but most aren't). Even the ones that do "jackrabbit" starts are not really launching all that hard. So I avoid the situation of being passed in the intersection by staying close behind the car in front (if there is one) or sprinting hard enough to surprise most drivers that I'm out of the way (if I'm at the front of the line). By the time they've realized that I'm not ambling across the intersection like I don't have a care in the world, I'm on the other side doing 25 mph.

It's not like I'm some sort of super sprinter - just a middle-aged, somewhat overweight guy on a bike. I don't find it hard to beat cars for 30-50 feet, though.

Yeah, when I'm in line with cars, I usually have no problem keeping up with them for at least the first 200 feet, which puts me well through the intersection. Usually I'm actually waiting on the cars. For being as impatient as they seem and anxious to get around me, they sure take their time getting started once the light turns.

:roflmao2: :lol: :love: :roflmao2:

:saweeet:

Deleted message, duplicate sentiment!

Near my house is an intersection with a straight/left turn lane, bike lane, right turn lane, in that order. The bike lane ends after the intersection, but the road is plenty wide (could probably be a two lane road). Occasionally people will pull up to the light halfway in their lane, and the other half taking up the bike lane. When this happens, I usually pull up directly in front of them and sit in the bike lane as I would if they weren't there.

I mostly deal with 20-30mph roads around here, but I find I almost always accelerate as fast as the cars up to about 15mph, and I'm not talking sprinting or anything. Just my normal pace.

Thats good for you. Unfortunately other commuters out there are not that fast from a stop and even if they are could not possibly out sprint cars every day for the whole year. Factors like fatigue, injuries, common cold, etc. etc. comes to play. Besides, filtering is one of the biggest advantages of riding a bicycle. The advantage is there so why not use it.

It wont solve any problems but my new Airzound sure makes me feel a lot better. It gives me a way to retaliate and that helps me feel like I have some control, when I really don't.

Pass on the left then cut you off by turning right directly in front of you is my trigger . sets me right off
I call the supervisor if it's a Fed Ex or UPS truck doing that.. they have , I did.

I had the second one happen the other day; The offender was an elderly gentleman driving, with his wife. This was during my morning commute, and the good news was I know he saw me... I think he had some notion of making his left turn before the yellow light in front of us turned red. He didn't.

In a fit of pique, I rode around him and positioned myself in front of him in the left turn lane, where I would have been if he hadn't pulled his jacka$$ stunt. I turned around and gave him a tsk tsk as any matron would have to a naughty child. Probably not the best response. I also proceeded to beat him through the intersection and for 40 or 50 feet beyond.

So who was the bigger Jacka$$, him or me?

+1.

Never happened to me. I suppose what's happening here is that the driver wants his rightful place in the queue which you're denying him by being in his spot (which he paid for with his road tax). Not willing to make a fuss about it, but wanting to assert his rights, he just takes what's rightfully his by nipping in front of you. He's doing you a favour by teaching you the lesson nicely with no yelling or cursing.

Hopefully no one fails to spot that I'm being sarcastic.

#1 happened to me last week. Dumb FEMALE in a SUV saw me on the bike and crept up to the bumper in front of her as if I were a car trying to inch into her space. Light turned to green and the Dumb FEMALE peeled out to make a left turn. I was on my bike and caught up to her at the next light. Lucky for her, the window was up otherwise she would have heard it. He kid was looking over at me and saw the gestures I made as if to let him know his mother is a bad driving moron.