Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
Is that what motorists do in NYC, or any other East Coast metropolitan area in the U.S? Yeah, sure.
It's what they are obligated to. Also most intersections in the city itself have traffic lights or stop signs, so there are relatively few situations where you encounter an uncontrolled crossing.
And in practice it works out fairly well on the bike trail into the suburbs north of the city that has lots of situations geometrically similar to the posted picture. Sure, you get occasional self-absorbed ******* who blow by, even every once in a while one with a bike on the roof. But generally it works. And once one car stops, that reminds the other direction of their obligation. Don't go until you are confident it is safe, but don't obstinately refuse what you are offered on a silver platter, especially where the drivers are legally obligated to make that offer to at least some modes of trail use.
(Sadly the peer effect works the other way, too - if one car blows by a crossing, following ones are likely to as well. It may be that their attention is more on the car in front than the peripheral details of what is ahead)