Waiting in traffic lines.

Marz wrote:
When driving to work the other day (sorry, yes driving, cycling is not
really an option right now) I noticed the one cycling commuter ( a
very rare sight in Houston) and was surprised to see him wait in line
with traffic at the lights. For me, one of the reasons I did ride to
work is to avoid getting stuck in traffic lines and my question is, do
other folks wait in line or do you ride through stationary traffic?

laters,

Marz

If the cars are all waiting on a straight section of road, I pass them.
Gridlock is their problem, not mine.

If I am going to make a right turn, I will still ride past, but be VERY
cautious at the turn. In the US (that is, driving on the right side of
the road) most drivers don't bother to look to their right before
turning--they are only looking straight or left. Getting turned on is a
real possibility, and the few times I've come closest to being run over,
this was the scenario (a car turning right without looking right first,
or using their turn signal).

If I am gong to make a left turn, I will pull up in the right side of
the left-turn lane, right behind the first car, to wait. The second car
is paying attention to what's in front of them, and (I think) is more
likely to notice me.
-----
Splitting lanes makes the most sense when making a left-hand turn at a
multi-lane stoplight, yet 1) it's illegal in the state I live in, and 2)
most drivers seem to be pretty surprised at a bicycle riding through
several lanes of traffic (even if the traffic isn't actually /moving/ at
the moment).
~

On Apr 16, 12:27*pm, DougC wrote:
Marz wrote:
When driving to work the other day (sorry, yes driving, cycling is not
really an option right now) I noticed the one cycling commuter ( a
very rare sight in Houston) and was surprised to see him wait in line
with traffic at the lights. For me, one of the reasons I did ride to
work is to avoid getting stuck in traffic lines and my question is, do
other folks wait in line or do you ride through stationary traffic?

laters,

Marz

If the cars are all waiting on a straight section of road, I pass them.
Gridlock is their problem, not mine.

If I am going to make a right turn, I will still ride past, but be VERY
cautious at the turn. In the US (that is, driving on the right side of
the road) most drivers don't bother to look to their right before
turning--they are only looking straight or left. Getting turned on is a
real possibility, and the few times I've come closest to being run over,
this was the scenario (a car turning right without looking right first,
or using their turn signal).

If I am gong to make a left turn, I will pull up in the right side of
the left-turn lane, right behind the first car, to wait. The second car
is paying attention to what's in front of them, and (I think) is more
likely to notice me.
-----
Splitting lanes makes the most sense when making a left-hand turn at a
multi-lane stoplight, yet 1) it's illegal in the state I live in, and 2)
most drivers seem to be pretty surprised at a bicycle riding through
several lanes of traffic (even if the traffic isn't actually /moving/ at
the moment).
~

When I do ride through stationary traffic, up the middle of two lanes,
I have to be 100 times more cautious here in Houston as I used to be
in London. I guess London drivers are used to seeing cyclists and
motorcyclists traveling through gridlock. Whereas folks here seem to
be constantly amazed just to see a cyclist on the road. I don't even
know if what I'm doing illegal here in Texas.

And as for right turning traffic, you're correct drivers never look
right before going right, and I usually make sure I leave enough room
for folks to continue to turn right. And when the lights change, make
sure that the next guy turning right is aware that I'm going straight
on.

I had thought the differences in cycling habits I see here in Houston
compared to the UK was a left-pond right-pond sort of thing, but
having visit other US cities it's more of a Houston thang. As there
are so few cycling commuters on the road, drivers have no idea what to
do and never expect to have to look out for a cyclist.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:00:34 -0700, Marz wrote:
I had thought the differences in cycling habits I see here in Houston
compared to the UK was a left-pond right-pond sort of thing, but
having visit other US cities it's more of a Houston thang. As there
are so few cycling commuters on the road, drivers have no idea what to
do and never expect to have to look out for a cyclist.

It is exactly the same in different parts of the UK. I think it depends
on many things, the number of cyclists on the road is one of them.

It also seems to vary with the seasons/weather - more people are out
cycling in the better weather and people are generally happier to be out
in the sun (cyclists and everyone else) so people are a bit more courteous
to each other.

peter

On Apr 16, 2:00 pm, Marz wrote:
And as for right turning traffic, you're correct drivers never look
right before going right...

Why should they look there (beyond looking ahead to the right for
traffic in the crosswalk)?

If one is in the right most lane, it's quite reasonable to expect that
there is nothing coming up behind on the right when one is making a
right turn.

naked_draughtsman wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:00:34 -0700, Marz wrote:
I had thought the differences in cycling habits I see here in Houston
compared to the UK was a left-pond right-pond sort of thing, but
having visit other US cities it's more of a Houston thang. As there
are so few cycling commuters on the road, drivers have no idea what to
do and never expect to have to look out for a cyclist.

It is exactly the same in different parts of the UK. I think it depends
on many things, the number of cyclists on the road is one of them.

One thing I have noticed in the last couple of months, is how my cycling
speed affects how other road users treat me. The faster I go, the more I
seem to be cut up, or receive abuse.
In mid-Feb it was taking me just over an hour to commute to work, and
now I am taking 40-45 minutes (still not fast enough). In Feb, I had
hardly any trouble from motorists.

However this could be due to road positioning, the faster I go, the
further from the kerb I ride.

Martin.

wrote:
On Apr 16, 2:00 pm, Marz wrote:
And as for right turning traffic, you're correct drivers never look
right before going right...

Why should they look there (beyond looking ahead to the right for
traffic in the crosswalk)?

If one is in the right most lane, it's quite reasonable to expect that
there is nothing coming up behind on the right when one is making a
right turn.





Because if a pedestrian is stepping off the corner that they are turning
on, what will happen?
~

On Apr 17, 6:47 am, DougC wrote:
wrote:
....
Because if a pedestrian is stepping off the corner that they are turning
on, what will happen?

How does a pedestrian stepping off the corner qualify as coming up
behind on the right, as a cyclist filtering up the right edge does?

Doug Cimper wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 16, 2:00 pm, Marz wrote:
And as for right turning traffic, you're correct drivers never look
right before going right...

Why should they look there (beyond looking ahead to the right for
traffic in the crosswalk)?

If one is in the right most lane, it's quite reasonable to expect that
there is nothing coming up behind on the right when one is making a
right turn.

Because if a pedestrian is stepping off the corner that they are turning
on, what will happen?
~
Quite of few pedestrians are hit this way by drivers not looking for
them. The situation is bad enough that in some places (such as college
campuses), right turns are prohibited at certain intersections (except
for buses and emergency vehicles).

Being "right-hooked" is also a reason why riding at speed on the
sidewalk and crossing intersections is a very bad idea, and why "bicycle
lanes" on the sidewalk can be death traps.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

On Apr 18, 1:15 am, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Doug Cimper wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 16, 2:00 pm, Marz wrote:
And as for right turning traffic, you're correct drivers never look
right before going right...

Why should they look there (beyond looking ahead to the right for
traffic in the crosswalk)?

If one is in the right most lane, it's quite reasonable to expect that
there is nothing coming up behind on the right when one is making a
right turn.

Because if a pedestrian is stepping off the corner that they are turning
on, what will happen?
~

Quite of few pedestrians are hit this way by drivers not looking for
them. The situation is bad enough that in some places (such as college
campuses), right turns are prohibited at certain intersections (except
for buses and emergency vehicles).

Being "right-hooked" is also a reason why riding at speed on the
sidewalk and crossing intersections is a very bad idea, and why "bicycle
lanes" on the sidewalk can be death traps.

Ditto for bicycle lanes on the street. Two of last year's cyclist
fatalities in Portland were standing in bike lanes at red lights.
Large vehicles at their left crushed them doing right turns on red.

When you're at the same speed as the motor vehicles, you should almost
always be right in line with the motor vehicles. And "same speed"
includes zero speed.

- Frank Krygowski

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:04:15 +0000, Martin Dann wrote:

One thing I have noticed in the last couple of months, is how my cycling
speed affects how other road users treat me. The faster I go, the more I
seem to be cut up, or receive abuse.
In mid-Feb it was taking me just over an hour to commute to work, and now
I am taking 40-45 minutes (still not fast enough). In Feb, I had hardly
any trouble from motorists.

However this could be due to road positioning, the faster I go, the
further from the kerb I ride.

As you go faster, especially if you're making better time in traffic, it
frustrates other drivers so they'll try to compete with you -- as they
will when you're driving a car faster than they are. But it really gets
their goat to be "beaten" by a bicycle.

Also, if you're riding fast, they may assume you're trying to "beat" them,
and will return the gesture in-kind.

Their problem, not yours. Imagine going through life like that.

Just don't engage, or when you feel you've gotten their (negative)
attention, take active steps to disengage -- let them "beat" you, and
go on their miserable way.

Matt O.