Positioning at a cross roads

I'm approaching a cross-roads intending to go ahead and the lights are on
red. As I'm waiting another car pulls alongside me indicating left.

I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go either
left or straight on? I find that what usually happens is that driver
will pull out in front of me and I'll tend to hold back for my own safety.

What would everyone else do in this situation? I was thinking I could
stop in the primary position to force drivers to stop behind me instead
of at the side of me. Or should I just stop in the secondary position
like I'm doing and allow it?

On 8 June, 22:10, Brown Cat wrote:
I'm approaching a cross-roads intending to go ahead and the lights are on
red. *As I'm waiting another car pulls alongside me indicating left.

I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go either
left or straight on? *I find that what usually happens is that driver
will pull out in front of me and I'll tend to hold back for my own safety..

What would everyone else do in this situation? *I was thinking I could
stop in the primary position to force drivers to stop behind me instead
of at the side of me. *Or should I just stop in the secondary position
like I'm doing and allow it?

I usually back up and re-emerge on the driiver's right hand side.

--
Simon Mason

"Brown Cat" wrote in message
...
I'm approaching a cross-roads intending to go ahead and the lights are on
red. As I'm waiting another car pulls alongside me indicating left.

I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go either
left or straight on? I find that what usually happens is that driver
will pull out in front of me and I'll tend to hold back for my own safety.

What would everyone else do in this situation? I was thinking I could
stop in the primary position to force drivers to stop behind me instead
of at the side of me. Or should I just stop in the secondary position
like I'm doing and allow it?

Primary position, every time. Having a left turning car on your right is a
recipe for disaster.

Driver pulling alongside you while indicating left is a tosser though.

On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:10:11 +0100, Brown Cat wrote:

I'm approaching a cross-roads intending to go ahead and the lights are on
red. As I'm waiting another car pulls alongside me indicating left.

I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go either
left or straight on? I find that what usually happens is that driver
will pull out in front of me and I'll tend to hold back for my own
safety.

What would everyone else do in this situation? I was thinking I could
stop in the primary position to force drivers to stop behind me instead
of at the side of me. Or should I just stop in the secondary position
like I'm doing and allow it?

Primary, definitely. If there's only one lane, go in the middle of it. You
got there first; you set off first.

If there are multiple lanes, it's harder, but the middle of the lane for
where you want to go is good.

What can catch me out is one wide lane, where they can get alongside no
matter where I position myself, or motorbikes in any width of lane, ditto.
With motorbikes, I will sometimes ask the rider which way he's going. Once
a motor vehicle has stopped alongside, you can move to get in front if the
light is still red.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at the
population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

Brown Cat wrote:
I'm approaching a cross-roads intending to go ahead and the lights are on
red. As I'm waiting another car pulls alongside me indicating left.

I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go either
left or straight on? I find that what usually happens is that driver
will pull out in front of me and I'll tend to hold back for my own safety.

What would everyone else do in this situation? I was thinking I could
stop in the primary position to force drivers to stop behind me instead
of at the side of me. Or should I just stop in the secondary position
like I'm doing and allow it?
you should get into the primary position. Claim your space in the
lane,there is no reason for you to allow a motorist alongside you.
Although, in many cases, even if you are in the gutter motorists will
stop behind you, you do have to make it clear by your position in the
lane that you will be going straight on.

--
Roger Thorpe

Standing on a golf course, dressed in PVC.....

Brown Cat wrote:

I'm approaching a cross-roads intending to go ahead and the lights are on
red. As I'm waiting another car pulls alongside me indicating left.

I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go either
left or straight on?

Why?

If you leave enough space on your left such that another vehicle can be moved
up alongside you, you were in effect signalling that you were going straight
on (or just perhaps, turning right). Had you been turning left, you'd have
kept left and signalled left.

I find that what usually happens is that driver
will pull out in front of me and I'll tend to hold back for my own safety.

What would everyone else do in this situation? I was thinking I could
stop in the primary position to force drivers to stop behind me instead
of at the side of me. Or should I just stop in the secondary position
like I'm doing and allow it?

What vehicle are you using in this scenario? Your phrase "another car"
suggests that you are in a car.

On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:52:54 +0100, JNugent wrote:
I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go
either left or straight on?

Why?

If you leave enough space on your left such that another vehicle can be
moved up alongside you, you were in effect signalling that you were
going straight on (or just perhaps, turning right). Had you been turning
left, you'd have kept left and signalled left.

The car was on my right and I was in the secondary position.

What vehicle are you using in this scenario? Your phrase "another car"
suggests that you are in a car.

I was on a bicycle, that was a typo.

Brown Cat wrote:
On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:52:54 +0100, JNugent wrote:
I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go
either left or straight on?
Why?

If you leave enough space on your left such that another vehicle can be
moved up alongside you, you were in effect signalling that you were
going straight on (or just perhaps, turning right). Had you been turning
left, you'd have kept left and signalled left.

The car was on my right and I was in the secondary position.

What vehicle are you using in this scenario? Your phrase "another car"
suggests that you are in a car.

I was on a bicycle, that was a typo.

Ah... that's different.

On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:15:50 +0100, Clive George wrote:

Driver pulling alongside you while indicating left is a tosser though.

He was as well. Another cyclist cycled through the red light and waited
for a gap in the traffic. The driver tooted his horn a few times until
the cyclist told him to f' off. The driver then shouted back at him not
about him running a red light but that he should be using the cycle paths!

On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:10:11 GMT
Brown Cat wrote:

I'm approaching a cross-roads intending to go ahead and the lights
are on red. As I'm waiting another car pulls alongside me indicating
left.

I'm guessing that that driver should hold back and allow me to go
either left or straight on? I find that what usually happens is that
driver will pull out in front of me and I'll tend to hold back for my
own safety.

What would everyone else do in this situation? I was thinking I
could stop in the primary position to force drivers to stop behind me
instead of at the side of me. Or should I just stop in the secondary
position like I'm doing and allow it?

I'd probably have stopped in the middle of the lane to start with, but
if I hadn't and someone pulled alongside while signalling left I might
move over so he didn't have room to pull away without steering around
me or driving through me (most drivers won't consciously choose the
latter).