Paul Barnard

Well, after being out in Colorado and enjoying off road bicycling for a while, I am back in the concrete jungle where there are people who are painfully dumb, and lots of them. I didn't get out of the neighborhood today before someone went full tilt dipstick.

I was southbound on Houma approaching the Airline Highway intersection. Light traffic as there always is early in the morning. Houma is a 20 MPH residential road. I was going very close to 20, as there was a good tailwind. I was aware that there was a vehicle closing in on me from behind. Based on my speed and the closing rate, they were doing about 30. As I came to the stop line at the intersection, the traffic light was red, so I stopped center lane at the stop line. The idiot in the car stopped beside me in the wrong lane.

I looked over and asked WTF he was doing. To my surprise, he rolled down his window and explained that he was going to take a right. There was some traffic on Airline, so I was hoping that none of them would turn down Houma. I'd end up being the sacrificial lamb on that scenario. I asked WTF he would do if I was in a car. He sat there crossed eyed, drooling and dumbfounded. I told the idiot to get behind me and I'd scoot a little left to give him room to take a right. I almost always do that when I know that someone is turning.

Encountering a bicyclist is such an emotionally traumatic experience for some people that they just lose the ability to think rationally.

10 Wheels

Nice Pic.

GamblerGORD53

There's NO reason for you to hog the lane for ONE car.

BobbyG

What if you hadn't asked...would you have known he was going to turn?

work4bike

I always "hog" the lane when I come up to a stop sign/light; I automatically do this to prevent a Right Hook, since so many people nowadays don't like to use their turn signal.

Most of the time I'm behind motorist(s), but if I'm the first one there, I watch out for those people turning right and make room for them to turn.

I have had a few (very few) idiots pull to the left of me in the wrong lane, but that's because they wanted to pass me going straight.



.

JW Fas

(right hook prevention and greater visibility to oncoming traffic have entered the chat)

jon c. 

I always take the lane at intersections. If the car behind me has their turn signal on and there isn't enough room I'll move enough to give them space to make the turn.

Not sure what I'd do if some chucklehead moved to my left. I'd sure be puzzled though.

Paul Barnard

There was no turn signal.

Paul Barnard

I am not sure if this was sarcasm or if you were serious.

Where would you position yourself while waiting for that light with one car behind you, and specifically how would that benefit the driver?

Does your answer to this change if there's a strong chance that a vehicle or two will exit the pharmacy and/or car wash and come up behind that ONE car?

BobbyG

So by instigating a verbal interaction you avoided a potential right hook!

I don't know what I would have done in your situation...engage, honk (all my bikes have air horns), gone through the red or scoot back in anticipation of dumb-assery.

Your original post gives me something else to consider on my commute...thanks for posting, because just when you think "nobody would ever do THAT" some body does just that.

SW84

I ride over to the sidewalk and hit the cross walk button. 7 out of 10 motorists will wait for me to cross before turning right.

Paul Barnard

That's exactly what I do.

Paul Barnard

What does that have to do with my post?

SW84

How I deal with people like the one you mentioned in your post.

Paul Barnard

Where is the crosswalk button at this intersection?

Trakhak

No, drivers are not idiots. We encounter far more cars at intersections than drivers encounter bikes, so of course we feel smarter.

But drivers don't know whether you're a veteran cyclist who, e.g., pointedly took the turning lane in the spirit of Vehicular Cycling or some DUI guy on his way home from the Dew Drop Inn Bar and Grille. From their point of view, we're all equally unpredictable.

1989Pre 

I support the driver's actions. You did not need to take him to task. It was you who decided to ride in the middle of the road on a multi-lane road. You are saying that you actually expected him to take the center (or passing) lane when he is taking a right? Please calm down and do not act bitterly toward those just living their lives. Stay to the right. Stay single file. Share the road. Sometimes, the answers are simple.

Chuck Naill

Expect the unexpected when using a bike, grocery cart, or any vehicle. Bike riders/ car drivers can be as unaware of themselves as a person speeding out of a grocery aisle.

JW Fas

Look at the Google Maps screenshot. There are only two lanes (one each direction). There was no center or passing lane for the motorist to enter. He was in the oncoming lane.

Rick

There is plenty wrong with some people. I have been in similar situations. The best thing you can do is avoid and don't escalate when possible. These people remind me of dogs dominating other dogs at the dog park.

wolfchild

If it was me I would stay to the right of the lane few inches from the curb. After the light turned green I would proceed cautiously making sure that there is no possibility of being right hooked.

wolfchild

Sometimes it's the safest way to avoid conflict or accident.

wolfchild

There doesn't have to be a cross walk button. All you need to do is wait for the green light, or if there is not much traffic you could of just gone through the red and avoided putting yourself at risk.

Rick

That could get you squished like a bug: I watched an old lady go around a corner with a mormon missionary in that exact position one morning. Her car hit him onto the curb and the wheels of her car moed the bicycle.

RCMoeur 

From my reading of the situation, Mr. Barnard did nothing wrong. He made himself conspicuous and occupied the proper location for a straight-through movement at a signalized intersection. Any "far to the right" rules aren't applicable because the R&P speed facing a red signal is 0, so he's going the same speed as everyone else (is or ought to be) at that location. In my experience, the reaction by that driver isn't seen often, but I've experienced it myself. There are some drivers who have such a strong compulsion to MUST PASS BIKE that they cross a double yellow even at high risk of a turning collision, as it seems the crash threat from other traffic is subsidiary to MUST PASS BIKE.