Originally Posted by
niliraga
Unless USPS was in the correct turning lane, and made the right turn into a (possibly clear?) crossing. If I were making that turn in a truck, I would scan for pedestrians in the crossing ahead before proceeding, but it's possible that I wouldn't be able to see a cyclist zipping up behind (and in my blind spot) to squeeze past inside me, esp if they're moving at a clip.
There's a "protected" lane along Brooklyn's very busy 4th Ave where large trucks are constantly making right turns, looking ahead at a clear crossing but without checking that a bike is keeping pace with them and about to go under their turning wheels.
Regrettable as it is, I have to ride around and *assume* that every driver hasn't seen me, and is about to turn across me. Spending a full day riding on the railtrails out of the city is a joyful break from all that!
I really don't want to get into this armchair theorizing - which is why I don't go to A&S in the first place; I wrangle enough with inflexible DOTs and windshield bias every day and don't need this crap infiltrating my hobby - but if the driver was turning from the legal lane, where was the rider? That lane isn't wide enough for both the USPS truck and a rider to slide in AFRAP.
A protected bike lane and intersection provide similar safety treatments, but the intersections are often overlooked. NYC doesn't have protected intersections, IIRC.
-Kurt