Quote Originally Posted by mimitabby View Post
But I Know what REALLY gets them. It's when there is a long line of cars and an ample shoulder or bike lane. The cars are all stopped, and the bike breezes to the light/stop sign does the same sort of stop the cars like to do, and passes all 10 of them. THAT's the whole deal. right there.
Filtering up to a red light, or otherwise passing on the right like that is one of the quickest ways to get hit/run over and/or killed by a car... Looking thru a lot of bike accident statistics and descriptions over the past couple of months, it's the most common cause of bike/car collisions. When you're stopped like that, most folks simply aren't looking for somebody to be passing on the right. The "How Not to Get Hit by Cars" web site (http://www.bicyclesafe.com) refers to this situation as the "Right Hook," and the "Red Light of Death." You especially don't want to be coming up on the right of a semi tractor-trailer... when they're turning, the trailer rig swings in and can easily roll the back wheels right over you.

The proper way is to take the lane, e.g., position yourself directly behind the vehicle in front of you, and take your proper turn in line when going thru the intersection. First of all, you're not putting yourself in a position to get right-hooked, and you're showing your good manners by not giving these guys an opportunity to let their normal degree of road rage bubble over by having to pass you all over again before the next intersection.