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Old 10-01-23, 05:46 PM
  #38  
Mtracer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Albuquerque NM USA
Posts: 660
Liked 428 Times in 267 Posts
I almost always take the lane. I don't give two cents about anyone who wants to turn right on red. If I were in a car, they'd have to wait. I have as much right to the road as they do. I'm not putting myself in a situation inviting a car to squeeze by on either side of me. If any driver gave me lip about that, I'd just point to all the rubber on the curb. I spend way more time waiting on cars than cars do waiting on me. I'm not arrogant about it, I simply do what I believe is safest for me. And where it doesn't put me at risk, I do what I can to make things easier for traffic to get around me.

As to the topic of idiot drivers, I do think the main issue is some drivers just seem to not have the ability to deal with an uncommon situation for them. I think this gets worsened by some people who simply see a bike as something they must get past, no matter what. Like a big pothole. The idea of simply falling in behind a bike and being slowed for a moment, seems to be a concept beyond many drivers.

I have NEVER been honked at, or yelled at etc. for taking a lane and perhaps holding someone up from making a right on red. Honestly, that has surprised me. Even at a few intersection were 99% of the cars are turning right rather than going straight. I suppose mostly it's the car immediately behind me that sees me, everyone else probably just assumes the car behind me is going straight.

In the end though, I think most drivers are trying to do the best they can. I've made mistakes driving, I've made mistakes riding. So, I don't get upset about drivers who likely just made a mistake.
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