Newbie commuter question...please help!!

[boy in a kilt]

In case the bike lane becomes the right turn lane, I just move left into the right side of the next lane over.

People get a little uppity but most drivers seem to appreciate it. Or they think I'm barking mad and are afraid to provoke me.

[KnottedYet]

I've gotten "trapped" in the right curb-edge of a right turn lane, when I didn't want to be there cuz I was going thru the intersection straight. I can be mighty uncomfortable in hairy traffic situations, and if I don't feel good about trying to move over into another lane for whatever reason, I just don't.

So I cheat. I bump my bike up onto the sidewalk and walk thru the intersection in the crosswalk.

Nice thing about being on a bike: you can quickly go from being a vehicle to being a pedestrian pushing a bike! I like it because it gets me out of situations that I feel are beyond my skill or comfort level, and it can also give me a little breather so I can assess the traffic/road/car-behaviour before I get back on the road.