Stoplights: fatwa requested - Page 2

08-03-2004, 01:27 PM

The _g_od John Forester has written "Cyclists fare best when they act and
are treated as drivers of vehicles." [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

"Luigi de Guzman" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
| On the way back home from the store, I roll up to a stoplight. The
| street is four lanes, two in each direction; the rightmost lane
| usually fills up with right-turning traffic, while the left-hand lane
| stays pretty loose. My way home is up a fairly gentle hill.
|
| Now my first instinct as a law-abiding cyclist is to stop, take my bit
| of the lane, and wait in line. But I've done that for ages and ages,
| and I already know from experience that if I do, I'll just have to get
| rolling again in twenty to sixty seconds.
|
| So today I do something a little different; I look over my shoulder,
| signal, join the left-hand lane, roll up right to the light. By this
| time, the light has changed, and I still have enough momentum to check
| back the other way, change back to the right lane, and move up the
| hill.
|
| So, fatwa time, RBM traffic muftis: Is this permissible for the
| faithful cyclist, or should I just go back to waiting in the right
| lane? I mention this because motorists do this sort of thing all the
| time--line up in the left lane to get clear of a long line of
| right-turning traffic, and then change back into the right lane when
| the opportunity presents itself.
|
| -Luigi
|
| go play in traffic!
|
| [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
| Photos, rants, raves

08-03-2004, 01:37 PM

Bob in CT <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> I'd probably do what you're doing. I find that the worst time for me is
> people taking right turns. In fact, I hit someone who turned right in
> front of me (no turn signal, of course).

if the right lane were right turn *ONLY* i'd place myself on the right side
of the left lane, but if the right were mixed (straight thru and right
turning traffic) i'd take the (right) lane & park myself right in the middle
of it to avoid what you're talking about -- someone turning in front of me.
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-03-2004, 01:37 PM

Bob in CT <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> I'd probably do what you're doing. I find that the worst time for me is
> people taking right turns. In fact, I hit someone who turned right in
> front of me (no turn signal, of course).

if the right lane were right turn *ONLY* i'd place myself on the right side
of the left lane, but if the right were mixed (straight thru and right
turning traffic) i'd take the (right) lane & park myself right in the middle
of it to avoid what you're talking about -- someone turning in front of me.
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-03-2004, 01:37 PM

Bob in CT <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> I'd probably do what you're doing. I find that the worst time for me is
> people taking right turns. In fact, I hit someone who turned right in
> front of me (no turn signal, of course).

if the right lane were right turn *ONLY* i'd place myself on the right side
of the left lane, but if the right were mixed (straight thru and right
turning traffic) i'd take the (right) lane & park myself right in the middle
of it to avoid what you're talking about -- someone turning in front of me.
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-03-2004, 01:37 PM

Bob in CT <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> I'd probably do what you're doing. I find that the worst time for me is
> people taking right turns. In fact, I hit someone who turned right in
> front of me (no turn signal, of course).

if the right lane were right turn *ONLY* i'd place myself on the right side
of the left lane, but if the right were mixed (straight thru and right
turning traffic) i'd take the (right) lane & park myself right in the middle
of it to avoid what you're talking about -- someone turning in front of me.
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-03-2004, 01:37 PM

Bob in CT <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> I'd probably do what you're doing. I find that the worst time for me is
> people taking right turns. In fact, I hit someone who turned right in
> front of me (no turn signal, of course).

if the right lane were right turn *ONLY* i'd place myself on the right side
of the left lane, but if the right were mixed (straight thru and right
turning traffic) i'd take the (right) lane & park myself right in the middle
of it to avoid what you're talking about -- someone turning in front of me.
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-03-2004, 01:46 PM

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 17:15:49 -0400, Luigi de Guzman <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>On the way back home from the store, I roll up to a stoplight. The
>street is four lanes, two in each direction; the rightmost lane
>usually fills up with right-turning traffic, while the left-hand lane
>stays pretty loose. My way home is up a fairly gentle hill.
>
>Now my first instinct as a law-abiding cyclist is to stop, take my bit
>of the lane, and wait in line. But I've done that for ages and ages,
>and I already know from experience that if I do, I'll just have to get
>rolling again in twenty to sixty seconds.
>
>So today I do something a little different; I look over my shoulder,
>signal, join the left-hand lane, roll up right to the light. By this
>time, the light has changed, and I still have enough momentum to check
>back the other way, change back to the right lane, and move up the
>hill.
>
>So, fatwa time, RBM traffic muftis: Is this permissible for the
>faithful cyclist, or should I just go back to waiting in the right
>lane? I mention this because motorists do this sort of thing all the
>time--line up in the left lane to get clear of a long line of
>right-turning traffic, and then change back into the right lane when
>the opportunity presents itself.
>
>-Luigi
>
>go play in traffic!
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Photos, rants, raves

I do this all the time. Sometimes I'll fake the turn and make a quick U-ie,
and then another turn into the intended straight-away.

If you get run over, though, it's your fault. ;-p

-B
Of course if you get run over being law-abiding, it's -still- your fault.
;-P

08-03-2004, 01:46 PM

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 17:15:49 -0400, Luigi de Guzman <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>On the way back home from the store, I roll up to a stoplight. The
>street is four lanes, two in each direction; the rightmost lane
>usually fills up with right-turning traffic, while the left-hand lane
>stays pretty loose. My way home is up a fairly gentle hill.
>
>Now my first instinct as a law-abiding cyclist is to stop, take my bit
>of the lane, and wait in line. But I've done that for ages and ages,
>and I already know from experience that if I do, I'll just have to get
>rolling again in twenty to sixty seconds.
>
>So today I do something a little different; I look over my shoulder,
>signal, join the left-hand lane, roll up right to the light. By this
>time, the light has changed, and I still have enough momentum to check
>back the other way, change back to the right lane, and move up the
>hill.
>
>So, fatwa time, RBM traffic muftis: Is this permissible for the
>faithful cyclist, or should I just go back to waiting in the right
>lane? I mention this because motorists do this sort of thing all the
>time--line up in the left lane to get clear of a long line of
>right-turning traffic, and then change back into the right lane when
>the opportunity presents itself.
>
>-Luigi
>
>go play in traffic!
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Photos, rants, raves

I do this all the time. Sometimes I'll fake the turn and make a quick U-ie,
and then another turn into the intended straight-away.

If you get run over, though, it's your fault. ;-p

-B
Of course if you get run over being law-abiding, it's -still- your fault.
;-P

08-03-2004, 01:46 PM

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 17:15:49 -0400, Luigi de Guzman <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>On the way back home from the store, I roll up to a stoplight. The
>street is four lanes, two in each direction; the rightmost lane
>usually fills up with right-turning traffic, while the left-hand lane
>stays pretty loose. My way home is up a fairly gentle hill.
>
>Now my first instinct as a law-abiding cyclist is to stop, take my bit
>of the lane, and wait in line. But I've done that for ages and ages,
>and I already know from experience that if I do, I'll just have to get
>rolling again in twenty to sixty seconds.
>
>So today I do something a little different; I look over my shoulder,
>signal, join the left-hand lane, roll up right to the light. By this
>time, the light has changed, and I still have enough momentum to check
>back the other way, change back to the right lane, and move up the
>hill.
>
>So, fatwa time, RBM traffic muftis: Is this permissible for the
>faithful cyclist, or should I just go back to waiting in the right
>lane? I mention this because motorists do this sort of thing all the
>time--line up in the left lane to get clear of a long line of
>right-turning traffic, and then change back into the right lane when
>the opportunity presents itself.
>
>-Luigi
>
>go play in traffic!
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Photos, rants, raves

I do this all the time. Sometimes I'll fake the turn and make a quick U-ie,
and then another turn into the intended straight-away.

If you get run over, though, it's your fault. ;-p

-B
Of course if you get run over being law-abiding, it's -still- your fault.
;-P

08-03-2004, 01:46 PM

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 17:15:49 -0400, Luigi de Guzman <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>On the way back home from the store, I roll up to a stoplight. The
>street is four lanes, two in each direction; the rightmost lane
>usually fills up with right-turning traffic, while the left-hand lane
>stays pretty loose. My way home is up a fairly gentle hill.
>
>Now my first instinct as a law-abiding cyclist is to stop, take my bit
>of the lane, and wait in line. But I've done that for ages and ages,
>and I already know from experience that if I do, I'll just have to get
>rolling again in twenty to sixty seconds.
>
>So today I do something a little different; I look over my shoulder,
>signal, join the left-hand lane, roll up right to the light. By this
>time, the light has changed, and I still have enough momentum to check
>back the other way, change back to the right lane, and move up the
>hill.
>
>So, fatwa time, RBM traffic muftis: Is this permissible for the
>faithful cyclist, or should I just go back to waiting in the right
>lane? I mention this because motorists do this sort of thing all the
>time--line up in the left lane to get clear of a long line of
>right-turning traffic, and then change back into the right lane when
>the opportunity presents itself.
>
>-Luigi
>
>go play in traffic!
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Photos, rants, raves

I do this all the time. Sometimes I'll fake the turn and make a quick U-ie,
and then another turn into the intended straight-away.

If you get run over, though, it's your fault. ;-p

-B
Of course if you get run over being law-abiding, it's -still- your fault.
;-P