Stoplights: fatwa requested - Page 11

08-04-2004, 04:59 PM

"the black rose" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I take the
right lane, for the same reason. I position myself smack in the middle of
the lane behind the next car. I sprint like a snail myself,(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My solution will probably bring criticism from more expert cyclists, but it
is: I don't want to go to the curb, because of the cars which will likely
turn right from the right lane. I don't want to take the right lane,
because I want people turning right to be able to do it without waiting for
the light to change. I don't want to take the left lane, because then I
wind up in the traffic trying to accelerate, and work my way back to the
right lane where I belong. So, I position myself on the line separating the
two lanes. Cars can pass me on the right and turn. Any cars on my left are
stopped, and when the light changes, they don't have to wait for me.

In those few cases where cars from both lanes proceed straight, I have to
work my way into the right lane--it has rarely been necessary, but in every
case, the cars on my right have POINTEDLY held back to give me safe access.

08-04-2004, 07:59 PM

"Luigi de Guzman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 00:07:43 -0700, Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >This is an _excellent_ idea. Heck, it's why cycling in traffic isn't a
> >chore. The key to re-entry to the right lane after the intersection is a
> >fairly fast start,
>
> I'm still working on that. I sprint like a snail on quaaludes. I can
> roll up to a good speed once I've gotten myself going, but I'm not as
> fast off the line as my little brother.

As long as you don't, like some riders I've seen, sprint out ahead of
everyone and right into the advanced green for turning traffic coming the
other way. If you get to the head of the line before the light changes its
easy to position yourself so you block traffic in the right lane. If not, I
just watch for which cars turn and which don't. Turning cars usually slow
down and also delay any following straight-through cars making it usually
easy to move back into the right lane after the corner. In the rare case
things turn grim, Ryan's salute signal works.

> I've lane-split in this way at other intersections, but pretty rarely,
> because it makes me nervous. whenever I come to stoplights, I tend
> not to be moving through them or up queues of traffic pell-mell, since
> all those idling cars make me nervous. (Funny how I'm nervous when
> they're idling and less so when they're moving!)

If traffic is unusually jammed in the area, lane splitting to the front has
sometimes seemed to cause a little road rage in some drivers, so watching
for post-splitting wackiness might be a good idea. And there's often a
driver who decides to go for the left lane in front of you, then they change
their minds halfway in both lanes.

But aside from that I too feel more nervous when lane splitting stopped
traffic than seems warranted by my experiences. After all zooming up past a
line of traffic next to the curb is more dangerous from a dooring aspect. I
think I'm more nervous in the middle than at the curb because I just don't
know what's going to happen when traffic gets flowing again. It's more
predictable at the curb.

Doug

08-04-2004, 07:59 PM

"Luigi de Guzman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 00:07:43 -0700, Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >This is an _excellent_ idea. Heck, it's why cycling in traffic isn't a
> >chore. The key to re-entry to the right lane after the intersection is a
> >fairly fast start,
>
> I'm still working on that. I sprint like a snail on quaaludes. I can
> roll up to a good speed once I've gotten myself going, but I'm not as
> fast off the line as my little brother.

As long as you don't, like some riders I've seen, sprint out ahead of
everyone and right into the advanced green for turning traffic coming the
other way. If you get to the head of the line before the light changes its
easy to position yourself so you block traffic in the right lane. If not, I
just watch for which cars turn and which don't. Turning cars usually slow
down and also delay any following straight-through cars making it usually
easy to move back into the right lane after the corner. In the rare case
things turn grim, Ryan's salute signal works.

> I've lane-split in this way at other intersections, but pretty rarely,
> because it makes me nervous. whenever I come to stoplights, I tend
> not to be moving through them or up queues of traffic pell-mell, since
> all those idling cars make me nervous. (Funny how I'm nervous when
> they're idling and less so when they're moving!)

If traffic is unusually jammed in the area, lane splitting to the front has
sometimes seemed to cause a little road rage in some drivers, so watching
for post-splitting wackiness might be a good idea. And there's often a
driver who decides to go for the left lane in front of you, then they change
their minds halfway in both lanes.

But aside from that I too feel more nervous when lane splitting stopped
traffic than seems warranted by my experiences. After all zooming up past a
line of traffic next to the curb is more dangerous from a dooring aspect. I
think I'm more nervous in the middle than at the curb because I just don't
know what's going to happen when traffic gets flowing again. It's more
predictable at the curb.

Doug

08-04-2004, 07:59 PM

"Luigi de Guzman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 00:07:43 -0700, Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >This is an _excellent_ idea. Heck, it's why cycling in traffic isn't a
> >chore. The key to re-entry to the right lane after the intersection is a
> >fairly fast start,
>
> I'm still working on that. I sprint like a snail on quaaludes. I can
> roll up to a good speed once I've gotten myself going, but I'm not as
> fast off the line as my little brother.

As long as you don't, like some riders I've seen, sprint out ahead of
everyone and right into the advanced green for turning traffic coming the
other way. If you get to the head of the line before the light changes its
easy to position yourself so you block traffic in the right lane. If not, I
just watch for which cars turn and which don't. Turning cars usually slow
down and also delay any following straight-through cars making it usually
easy to move back into the right lane after the corner. In the rare case
things turn grim, Ryan's salute signal works.

> I've lane-split in this way at other intersections, but pretty rarely,
> because it makes me nervous. whenever I come to stoplights, I tend
> not to be moving through them or up queues of traffic pell-mell, since
> all those idling cars make me nervous. (Funny how I'm nervous when
> they're idling and less so when they're moving!)

If traffic is unusually jammed in the area, lane splitting to the front has
sometimes seemed to cause a little road rage in some drivers, so watching
for post-splitting wackiness might be a good idea. And there's often a
driver who decides to go for the left lane in front of you, then they change
their minds halfway in both lanes.

But aside from that I too feel more nervous when lane splitting stopped
traffic than seems warranted by my experiences. After all zooming up past a
line of traffic next to the curb is more dangerous from a dooring aspect. I
think I'm more nervous in the middle than at the curb because I just don't
know what's going to happen when traffic gets flowing again. It's more
predictable at the curb.

Doug

08-04-2004, 07:59 PM

"Luigi de Guzman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 00:07:43 -0700, Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >This is an _excellent_ idea. Heck, it's why cycling in traffic isn't a
> >chore. The key to re-entry to the right lane after the intersection is a
> >fairly fast start,
>
> I'm still working on that. I sprint like a snail on quaaludes. I can
> roll up to a good speed once I've gotten myself going, but I'm not as
> fast off the line as my little brother.

As long as you don't, like some riders I've seen, sprint out ahead of
everyone and right into the advanced green for turning traffic coming the
other way. If you get to the head of the line before the light changes its
easy to position yourself so you block traffic in the right lane. If not, I
just watch for which cars turn and which don't. Turning cars usually slow
down and also delay any following straight-through cars making it usually
easy to move back into the right lane after the corner. In the rare case
things turn grim, Ryan's salute signal works.

> I've lane-split in this way at other intersections, but pretty rarely,
> because it makes me nervous. whenever I come to stoplights, I tend
> not to be moving through them or up queues of traffic pell-mell, since
> all those idling cars make me nervous. (Funny how I'm nervous when
> they're idling and less so when they're moving!)

If traffic is unusually jammed in the area, lane splitting to the front has
sometimes seemed to cause a little road rage in some drivers, so watching
for post-splitting wackiness might be a good idea. And there's often a
driver who decides to go for the left lane in front of you, then they change
their minds halfway in both lanes.

But aside from that I too feel more nervous when lane splitting stopped
traffic than seems warranted by my experiences. After all zooming up past a
line of traffic next to the curb is more dangerous from a dooring aspect. I
think I'm more nervous in the middle than at the curb because I just don't
know what's going to happen when traffic gets flowing again. It's more
predictable at the curb.

Doug

08-04-2004, 07:59 PM

"Luigi de Guzman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 00:07:43 -0700, Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >This is an _excellent_ idea. Heck, it's why cycling in traffic isn't a
> >chore. The key to re-entry to the right lane after the intersection is a
> >fairly fast start,
>
> I'm still working on that. I sprint like a snail on quaaludes. I can
> roll up to a good speed once I've gotten myself going, but I'm not as
> fast off the line as my little brother.

As long as you don't, like some riders I've seen, sprint out ahead of
everyone and right into the advanced green for turning traffic coming the
other way. If you get to the head of the line before the light changes its
easy to position yourself so you block traffic in the right lane. If not, I
just watch for which cars turn and which don't. Turning cars usually slow
down and also delay any following straight-through cars making it usually
easy to move back into the right lane after the corner. In the rare case
things turn grim, Ryan's salute signal works.

> I've lane-split in this way at other intersections, but pretty rarely,
> because it makes me nervous. whenever I come to stoplights, I tend
> not to be moving through them or up queues of traffic pell-mell, since
> all those idling cars make me nervous. (Funny how I'm nervous when
> they're idling and less so when they're moving!)

If traffic is unusually jammed in the area, lane splitting to the front has
sometimes seemed to cause a little road rage in some drivers, so watching
for post-splitting wackiness might be a good idea. And there's often a
driver who decides to go for the left lane in front of you, then they change
their minds halfway in both lanes.

But aside from that I too feel more nervous when lane splitting stopped
traffic than seems warranted by my experiences. After all zooming up past a
line of traffic next to the curb is more dangerous from a dooring aspect. I
think I'm more nervous in the middle than at the curb because I just don't
know what's going to happen when traffic gets flowing again. It's more
predictable at the curb.

Doug

08-04-2004, 08:07 PM

"Leo Lichtman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net> wrote in message
news:TDfQc.174541$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].worldnet.att.net...
>
> "the black rose" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I take the
> right lane, for the same reason. I position myself smack in the middle
of
> the lane behind the next car. I sprint like a snail myself,(clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> My solution will probably bring criticism from more expert cyclists, but
it
> is: I don't want to go to the curb, because of the cars which will likely
> turn right from the right lane. I don't want to take the right lane,
> because I want people turning right to be able to do it without waiting
for
> the light to change. I don't want to take the left lane, because then I
> wind up in the traffic trying to accelerate, and work my way back to the
> right lane where I belong. So, I position myself on the line separating
the
> two lanes. Cars can pass me on the right and turn. Any cars on my left
are
> stopped, and when the light changes, they don't have to wait for me.
>
> In those few cases where cars from both lanes proceed straight, I have to
> work my way into the right lane--it has rarely been necessary, but in
every
> case, the cars on my right have POINTEDLY held back to give me safe
access.
>
Watch out! I almost got run over by some drunk I didn't even know was there.
It's usually possible to ensure you've blocked the straight through option
while still leaving room for turns by moving ahead instead of the the left.
I've had impatient types zip through on the right too. I no longer assume
what they are going to do.

Doug

08-04-2004, 08:07 PM

"Leo Lichtman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net> wrote in message
news:TDfQc.174541$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].worldnet.att.net...
>
> "the black rose" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I take the
> right lane, for the same reason. I position myself smack in the middle
of
> the lane behind the next car. I sprint like a snail myself,(clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> My solution will probably bring criticism from more expert cyclists, but
it
> is: I don't want to go to the curb, because of the cars which will likely
> turn right from the right lane. I don't want to take the right lane,
> because I want people turning right to be able to do it without waiting
for
> the light to change. I don't want to take the left lane, because then I
> wind up in the traffic trying to accelerate, and work my way back to the
> right lane where I belong. So, I position myself on the line separating
the
> two lanes. Cars can pass me on the right and turn. Any cars on my left
are
> stopped, and when the light changes, they don't have to wait for me.
>
> In those few cases where cars from both lanes proceed straight, I have to
> work my way into the right lane--it has rarely been necessary, but in
every
> case, the cars on my right have POINTEDLY held back to give me safe
access.
>
Watch out! I almost got run over by some drunk I didn't even know was there.
It's usually possible to ensure you've blocked the straight through option
while still leaving room for turns by moving ahead instead of the the left.
I've had impatient types zip through on the right too. I no longer assume
what they are going to do.

Doug

08-04-2004, 08:07 PM

"Leo Lichtman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net> wrote in message
news:TDfQc.174541$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].worldnet.att.net...
>
> "the black rose" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I take the
> right lane, for the same reason. I position myself smack in the middle
of
> the lane behind the next car. I sprint like a snail myself,(clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> My solution will probably bring criticism from more expert cyclists, but
it
> is: I don't want to go to the curb, because of the cars which will likely
> turn right from the right lane. I don't want to take the right lane,
> because I want people turning right to be able to do it without waiting
for
> the light to change. I don't want to take the left lane, because then I
> wind up in the traffic trying to accelerate, and work my way back to the
> right lane where I belong. So, I position myself on the line separating
the
> two lanes. Cars can pass me on the right and turn. Any cars on my left
are
> stopped, and when the light changes, they don't have to wait for me.
>
> In those few cases where cars from both lanes proceed straight, I have to
> work my way into the right lane--it has rarely been necessary, but in
every
> case, the cars on my right have POINTEDLY held back to give me safe
access.
>
Watch out! I almost got run over by some drunk I didn't even know was there.
It's usually possible to ensure you've blocked the straight through option
while still leaving room for turns by moving ahead instead of the the left.
I've had impatient types zip through on the right too. I no longer assume
what they are going to do.

Doug

08-04-2004, 08:07 PM

"Leo Lichtman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net> wrote in message
news:TDfQc.174541$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].worldnet.att.net...
>
> "the black rose" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I take the
> right lane, for the same reason. I position myself smack in the middle
of
> the lane behind the next car. I sprint like a snail myself,(clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> My solution will probably bring criticism from more expert cyclists, but
it
> is: I don't want to go to the curb, because of the cars which will likely
> turn right from the right lane. I don't want to take the right lane,
> because I want people turning right to be able to do it without waiting
for
> the light to change. I don't want to take the left lane, because then I
> wind up in the traffic trying to accelerate, and work my way back to the
> right lane where I belong. So, I position myself on the line separating
the
> two lanes. Cars can pass me on the right and turn. Any cars on my left
are
> stopped, and when the light changes, they don't have to wait for me.
>
> In those few cases where cars from both lanes proceed straight, I have to
> work my way into the right lane--it has rarely been necessary, but in
every
> case, the cars on my right have POINTEDLY held back to give me safe
access.
>
Watch out! I almost got run over by some drunk I didn't even know was there.
It's usually possible to ensure you've blocked the straight through option
while still leaving room for turns by moving ahead instead of the the left.
I've had impatient types zip through on the right too. I no longer assume
what they are going to do.

Doug