Road etiquette

[Crankin]

Lisa, I hope you didn't misinterpret what I said. I am in the left turn lane, but over to the right side of it. In fact, I am straddling the line between the left lane and the right (which in my case, the cars can only go right, since it's a T intersection). Otherwise, I always take the spot in line, directly behind the cars. One day my husband rode to my school and rode home with me. At my last major left turn (not the one above) there were 2 cars waiting ahead. I stopped behind the last one. My husband went around the left side of both and turned I patiently waited and then when I went, another car coming onto the main street made a left in front of me (I yelled and scared the c***) out of her). So I got punished for waiting and acting "good" while my husband rode agressively, the way that makes drivers hate cyclists, and I got punished!!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, I hope you didn't misinterpret what I said. I am in the left turn lane, but over to the right side of it. In fact, I am straddling the line between the left lane and the right (which in my case, the cars can only go right, since it's a T intersection). Otherwise, I always take the spot in line, directly behind the cars. One day my husband rode to my school and rode home with me. At my last major left turn (not the one above) there were 2 cars waiting ahead. I stopped behind the last one. My husband went around the left side of both and turned I patiently waited and then when I went, another car coming onto the main street made a left in front of me (I yelled and scared the c***) out of her). So I got punished for waiting and acting "good" while my husband rode agressively, the way that makes drivers hate cyclists, and I got punished!!!

I do understand what you were saying. And even when we ride in the safest possible way (as you did in your example), sometimes cars will STILL do the bizarre and unexpected. In fact, we should COUNT of them to do the unexpected. When I am riding in traffic, I move in such a way as to create a buffer zone and envision an "escape route" for myself at any given moment. After deliberately doing this for a few months it becomes second nature, like glancing at your rearview mirror while driving your car becomes automatic.

In fact, I often glance at my helmet mirror while walking down the street without my bike or helmet on! It's an odd sensation. And last week I was driving my car and I slowed way down on a little road curve with a bit of gravel, momentarily forgetting i was not on my bike!