"Right Hook" Vent
 

I've been seriously right hooked a couple of times and find it extremely upsetting. Recently, I've been riding past driveways that a trailing motor vehicle wants to turn right into. Instead of laying back and letting me clear the driveway, they have been pulling up past me to the driveway and waiting for me to clear them from behind. This messes up the whole equation because now I can see them, but I don't know what they intend to do. Are they going to wait? Are they going to right hook me? I know the driver sees me when approaching me from behind, but I don't know if he/she is keeping track of me in their side view mirror once they go past. I end up slowing to a virtual stop to be sure they are not going to turn right. If they would lay back for a second and let me clear the driveway unimpeded, the whole process would be more efficient.
It just seems to be happening more frequently for whatever reason. So there.

Always leave yourself an out. Even if that means not riding "as far right as is practicable"

yup happens to me all the time but they usually dont wait for me to pass, they try to squeeze the turn in, i slam on the barkes, yell a few choice words and off i go again

I got right hooked while commuting yesterday. Coming up to a stop sign, I made sure to move and take the whole lane so no one would pass. Well some lady passes me anyways, and has to stop in the middle of the road because there's no space to come back over. Then she tries to make a right turn, but I cut her off, made her wait, and gave her a few words.... Yeah I probably shouldn't have done that, but it felt good to.

I try to always be on the lookout for the right hook. It's more understandable if they use their signal... sometimes it's hard for people to judge distance and speed. However, there are times when it can get pretty close.

If they are fairly well-ahead (it's not clear that they are) and are signalling, why can't you pass them on the left side?

You don't seem to really be describing a "true" right hook, when the driver turns right with you being immediately to the right (or almost) of them. This is a problem because you don't really have any chance to act (ie, it's a surprise).

See that's the thing. When they've done this, they are so close to the turn, that I can't even back off and go around them on the left. I have done that in the past to avoid the potential right hook. Sometimes, I don't like doing this because moving to the left could put me in the way of faster moving traffic. My main point is that people cannot stand to wait...even for a fraction of a second. Honestly, in NYC, if you are at a red light, the guy behind you is on his horn before you can react to the green light. Let the bike go by, wait the half a second, then turn to your heart's content. That would be quicker by far.

People these days seem to have forgotten the fundamental necessity of using turn signals.

And you don't want to get me started about those ass holes in NYC who start honking the instant the light turns green.

That's why the language is there, it's intended for the safety of the rider, you are allowed to take the lane.