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Near-Miss: Blocked Sightline Behind Me

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Near-Miss: Blocked Sightline Behind Me

Old 11-15-22, 02:38 PM
  #26  
livedarklions
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
Yeah, weight-triggered traffic lights would be very frustrating ... if such a thing existed.
You're technically right, but inductive loop triggers do exist and they require a very large amount of metal to trigger the light change. Still requires a lot more metal than I can carry on a bike, so in practice no difference in effect--I'm just not magnetic enough to trigger the light because I'm not carrying hundreds of pounds of metal..

Do you put ketchup on your nits after you pick them?
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Old 11-15-22, 02:53 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
You're technically right, but inductive loop triggers do exist and they require a very large amount of metal to trigger the light change. Still requires a lot more metal than I can carry on a bike, so in practice no difference in effect--I'm just not magnetic enough to trigger the light because I'm not carrying hundreds of pounds of metal..

...
The sensors can be adjusted to be triggered by bikes, even non-metal bikes. (Maybe not all but plenty in Portland trigger nicely.) But someone has to do this. Spec the appropriate sensor, set it correctly and see to it that we know where to place our bikes. Paint a marker after re-paves for example. I don't believe any of this is especially difficult but even in bicycle-centric Portland, this doesn't happen in many places.
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Old 11-15-22, 02:55 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
I think I've spotted the major problem with this intersection--it's the magic road cones. Pull out of this driveway and take a left:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.8133...8i6656!5m1!1e3
haha yeah I saw those too, that musta been a temporary thing. funny with google street view, one day it's sunny, another day it's cloudy but if we're zooming around we get to see the same places in diff. conditions
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Old 11-15-22, 03:00 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
You're technically right, but inductive loop triggers do exist and they require a very large amount of metal to trigger the light change. Still requires a lot more metal than I can carry on a bike, so in practice no difference in effect--I'm just not magnetic enough to trigger the light because I'm not carrying hundreds of pounds of metal..

Do you put ketchup on your nits after you pick them?
When you get the technology totally wrong, it's not nit picking to point it out.
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Old 11-15-22, 03:29 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by 79pmooney
The sensors can be adjusted to be triggered by bikes, even non-metal bikes. (Maybe not all but plenty in Portland trigger nicely.) But someone has to do this. Spec the appropriate sensor, set it correctly and see to it that we know where to place our bikes. Paint a marker after re-paves for example. I don't believe any of this is especially difficult but even in bicycle-centric Portland, this doesn't happen in many places.

It never happens in NH. Even if they marked it, the paint would scrape off with the first plowing.
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Old 11-15-22, 03:32 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
When you get the technology totally wrong, it's not nit picking to point it out.

I can't set the damn things off and it's frustrating, I don't particularly care what the mechanism is.
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Old 11-15-22, 04:08 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
It never happens in NH. Even if they marked it, the paint would scrape off with the first plowing.
Do all the other lines on the road scrape off with the first plowing?
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Old 11-15-22, 05:01 PM
  #33  
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Seems like you did the right thing. The driver coming up from behind on the left had to yield to you anyway as you were ahead of them, and you wisely placed yourself out of conflict with a potential (then actual) right turn by the other motor vehicle driver by moving left. Don't change a thing.
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Old 11-15-22, 05:43 PM
  #34  
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There are a few intersections I encounter while driving where left turners will jump into the opposing lane to get to the left turn lane. Fortunately, I don't often ride through these. But if I do I get into the left lane a early as possible to be more visible in case someone behind goes early. They might still honk because now I'm "in their way" but as long as they see me I don't worry too much about their temporary annoyance. Not having been in your shoes I don't know if this may have been the case here.

As you suggest, it's always good to take a last look rather than relying solely on the mirror. That may have provided you with beneficial information, but depending on when the car first moved left, maybe not.
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Old 11-15-22, 06:50 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
Do all the other lines on the road scrape off with the first plowing?
Small stuff does quite frequently. The few sharrows there are in the state have pretty much disappeared. Lane lines seem to do better, but things like yield symbols on the pavement don't last. It's academic anyway, I've seen the bike stoplight markers in a couple places in Mass., but never in NH.
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Old 11-15-22, 07:34 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
Do all the other lines on the road scrape off with the first plowing?
Originally Posted by livedarklions
Small stuff does quite frequently. The few sharrows there are in the state have pretty much disappeared. Lane lines seem to do better, but things like yield symbols on the pavement don't last. It's academic anyway, I've seen the bike stoplight markers in a couple places in Mass., but never in NH.
The symbols disappear with the first plowing? Incredible.
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Old 11-16-22, 06:01 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
The symbols disappear with the first plowing? Incredible.

OK, a little poetic license there, but they don't last beyond a single salt, sand and plowing season. They're obviously way down on the list of road maintenance priorities so you have to stare at the road really hard to see the faint ghost of such markings. Pretty much defeats the purpose of them. I can't really blame the crews, budgets are small and potholes are the state's largest winter crop.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of traffic lights in the state are on timers, but there's a few at awkward intersections that I just cannot set off and invariably end up running a red unless there's a car I can follow.


You done with the cross examination, Perry?

Last edited by livedarklions; 11-16-22 at 06:04 AM.
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Old 02-15-23, 01:02 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by flangehead
Don't make my mistakes.

I was in this situation:


Approaching traffic signal with blocked vision to my rear



3. Most of the time I look over my shoulder before changing lanes and I failed to do so this time. I’m not sure I’d have seen the motorist on my normal quick check, but my bad for not looking.

I welcome other perspectives.
I agree not doing a shoulder check was a mistake. Especially when the following vehicle was large enough to block your view to the rear from your mirror.

Me? That close to the junction I would have stayed in the RH lane and let the truck wait a few seconds.

But I am in the UK where most drivers are tolerant of cyclists. Only you know your local driver's reactions to a cyclist slowing them up for a few seconds.
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Old 02-19-23, 09:16 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by flangehead
Don't make my mistakes.



I'm happy you lived to tell your tale!
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Old 02-25-23, 06:25 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Clyde1820
In the map shown in the OP, I would keep in the right-hand lane, head across the intersection when it turns green, then (keeping right) I'd angle off onto the indicated MUP.
That's indeed a great strategy in many places, but technically not allowed at this T intersection where the choices are only a lane that must turn left, or a lane that must turn right.

You could pull off and push the pedestrian crossing light. But with a traffic light and only one apparent following vehicle, that's the kind of thing that often seems unnecessary.

At this intersection and given visible vehicle behind the best might be be to get to the left of the lane while it is single, and then more gradually merge to towards the left one. As long as you're likely to reach the light while it's still red, you're not really impeding the vehicle behind, and the gradual merge might let the "suprise" vehicle be detected in a mirror in time. There are arguments for making a left turn from the right half of the left turn lane rather than its left half, as if you go all the way to the center you're at some risk of getting clipped by traffic turning into your road while your light is still red, or having a vehicle also turning left try to pass on your right, cutting you off from the part of the destination road you're probably aiming for. And with the right lane already occupied and the light red, you don't have to worry about through traffic blowing by the way you would when waiting for an opening in oncoming traffic to turn left.

Originally Posted by livedarklions
Even if they marked it, the paint would scrape off with the first plowing.
That might be part of why one night I watched them use a pavement milling machine to engrave depressions for what were going to be new crosswalk markings. It was actually several days before they came back and filled the depressions with some sort of paint-role substance.

Lots of detectors seem visible in the road surface itself, but have had poor luck getting them to work, mostly it takes car.

Last edited by UniChris; 02-25-23 at 06:29 PM.
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Old 02-25-23, 06:56 PM
  #41  
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So, according to the way the green line is marked, the OP went from hogging the right lane to hogging the left lane. LOL. Bizzarro.
Being on the curb is of course not the place to be, but maybe if the traffic is thick. I would ride the dotted line and be a little bit either side according to where the nearest car is.
AT the crosswalk and stopped, I would be a couple feet left of the divide line. On green, angle way right.
There is ZERO need to block the guy turning left. Depends on the light I suppose.

As for the lane markings, they are all poured plastic now, in the city. Highways are still mostly painted.

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Old 02-25-23, 08:01 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by GamblerGORD53
There is ZERO need to block the guy turning left
Well first off, there wasn't such a guy in the situation perceived and acted upon - they showed up only after OP began enacting their plan.

But actually, "blocking" them is fairly correct, because if a cyclist is going to occupy a a lane (especially one other than the outside one) they should occupy it fully to make sure they're noticed and nobody tries to dangerously squeeze them. The only time you don't do that is when there's somewhere else to be that has sufficient width that it's okay for people to ignore you.

So long as the light is red, they're not really impeding anything anyway.

What I would typically do as the light turns is to ride straight forward and delay where I actually began my left turn, which gives any following vehicle ample opportunity to overtake by turning more sharply inside of me.

I could see not contesting a vehicle that pulled leftwards up to the line on my left, but if they do so they increase the risk of someone turning on the road clipping them, so it's probably best not to take a placement that encourages that.

Last edited by UniChris; 02-25-23 at 08:14 PM.
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Old 02-26-23, 08:20 AM
  #43  
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I refer to these situations as "stalking horses" because the same principle applies.

The car farther back is (not consciously) using the car between you as a stalking horse, so you can't know he's there

You think it's safe because you can't see the danger making it easy to fall into the trap.

Hunters and predatory animals have used this method for eons because it's so effective.

As a rider you have 2 options.

1 make the lane change in stages, moving to the left of the original lane to establish a good sightline, before completing the move.

2 slow and make the lane change behind the truck knowing, for sure, it's OK.

I routinely use both, choosing which according to the situation.
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Old 02-27-23, 05:04 AM
  #44  
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One thing about the honk. It doesn't mean you necessarily did anything wrong. There are some drivers that will honk because they think they should always have the right of way.

I do use left hand turn lanes. And, it usually means starting pulling left when it is safe about a block ahead. Switched lights are a pain, but I've lost patience for "Dead Reds".

As far as crosswalks. I have been hit once in a crosswalk. No serious injuries or damage. I got to the interchange first, and had lights on my bike. The car had a red light. As soon as I as given a walk signal, the driver decided to do a right on red turn. I had thought about tapping on the car's hood, but didn't make it that far. BAM, flat on the ground.
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