Who has the right of way where trails meet roads? It depends

[rebeccaC]

we are often dealing with drivers who are just "too nice" and don't understand that sometimes that niceness in waving us across or in front of them is actually unwelcome. Once we have stopped and put a foot down, for example, we'd just as soon they go on ahead than have to wait for us to get going again, especially on a hill or anywhere where someone might be coming on in another lane so that we can't safely cross anyway. We especially encountered this over-niceness when we lived (briefly) in Prairie Village, KS and rode in that area (Overland Park, Leawood, Olathe, etc.) Drivers were just *too* nice for anyone's own good at times!

If someone stops for me and its not safe for me to go or i dont want to go yet I just smile make a no motion with my hand then a you go motion with my hand/arm and end it with an India palms together lowering my head gesture of thanks….simple and respectful. That’s the only part of the interaction I can control and I just want to feel good about my part of it. In the city on a two lane road if there is a long line of cars behind me and no traffic coming the other direction if I can do it safely I’ll slow down and stop to let a bicyclist cross the street….simple and respectful even if they decline. With all the bicyclists in the beach area here that’s happened a number of times for and by me usually with a thank you wave and nod from the bicyclist and always an eye contact thank you wave and nod by me.

[emily_in_nc]

If someone stops for me and its not safe for me to go or i dont want to go yet I just smile make a no motion with my hand then a you go motion with my hand/arm and end it with an India palms together lowering my head gesture of thanks….simple and respectful. That’s the only part of the interaction I can control and I just want to feel good about my part of it. In the city on a two lane road if there is a long line of cars behind me and no traffic coming the other direction if I can do it safely I’ll slow down and stop to let a bicyclist cross the street….simple and respectful even if they decline. With all the bicyclists in the beach area here that’s happened a number of times for and by me usually with a thank you wave and nod from the bicyclist and always an eye contact thank you wave and nod by me.

Yes, I always, always indicate thanks via a smile and wave even if I end up waving a "too nice" driver on because it's not safe or I just don't want to cross (perhaps I stopped to answer a phone call or have a quick snack, for instance). I like to provide as much goodwill towards motorists as I can in hopes of influencing their view of cyclists in a positive direction :-)

[OakLeaf]

I didn't mean to suggest that I'm not friendly or polite or grateful the first, second or even third time I indicate that a motorist should proceed (no matter what I might say about them later when they can't hear!). It's the motorists who insist on berating me, not the other way around! And I confess to expressing my irritation when it goes on for more than 30 seconds. I just want to get across the street.

Someone just got rear-ended a little bit north of me the other day when they'd stopped randomly for some pedestrians not in a crosswalk. Thankfully the passenger's injuries were relatively minor and neither the rider nor the pedestrians were hurt at all, even though their motorcycle wound up under the car. But if it had been another car rather than a motorcycle, chances are it would've been pushed right into the pedestrians. Exactly why I refuse to cross in front of one of those cars. It's usually what I say if I have to say something to them: "If you get rear-ended, we both get flattened."