Originally Posted by va_cyclist
Roody made the best point of this thread. Turn signals are nice, but I don't usually trust them to the point of putting my body out in front of a 3000-lb. vehicle. I'll believe that car is turning when I actually see it turning -- until then, I'm assuming it's headed straight for me.
True true.
But I believe that the lack of use of turn signals, not only to cyclists, but to other motorists is a sign of the general discourtesy on the roadways. Many many drivers simply don't care about anybody else on the roadways... therefore, they don't signal, they fail to properly check for clearance, and they tend to be hostile to anything that they feel "impedes" their own personal progress.