NeedhamDave
09-19-2005, 06:15 PM
Commuting is a constant education. I can't really rant here; this is more common sense defensive riding, but here's something to watch out for.
In Boston and most of Massachusets, it is customary at a stop light for oncoming cars intending to make a left turn when the light changes from red to green (no turn lane or arrow) to just go for it and turn in front of the other cars before those cars can get completely into the intersection. In some situations, the responsibility of the lead driver on the other side (facing the left turner) is to ensure that only the first car makes it through; otherwise, a chain of greedy cars will force out their own turn lane. In many places, the lights are even timed so that one side gets the green a little early. I've had cops wait while I turned left in front of them. I even did it on my bike this morning, because that's what the oncoming cars seemed to expect. But that was in the bucolic suburbs...
Crossing Mass Ave @ Columbus after approaching an already green light, I encountered a greedy truck turning left in front of me. Maybe I should have braked (risking getting nailed from behind?) but I was thinking like a car, so I was just annoyed that he was turning in front of me and that I was only going to have a short gap when I passed behind him...but in fact, he was the unintentional "lead-out" for another car--which of course could not see me because of the truck. Fortunately, I was able to thread the needle between the truck and the car tailing it, but it scared me and added to my list of scary moments.
Coming home, I get the opposite kind of situation. I can rely on the car next to me to stop the chain of left turners, but you gotta be careful and use that car as a pick (hope they don't turn right!) because often, the oncoming cars are so busy looking for their gap that they do not see a cyclist and will shoot the gap behind that first car as fast as they can. I've seen situations where the first car inches forward and the turning cars just alter their path to turn tighter and tighter (Perkins@Jamaicaway) until they are doing a sort of S-turn. It's nuts.
People wonder why cyclists run these red lights. I'm beginning to think that sometimes, it is safer to run the red light than to try and cross the intersection on a green light. Oh well, it keeps me on my toes.
In Boston and most of Massachusets, it is customary at a stop light for oncoming cars intending to make a left turn when the light changes from red to green (no turn lane or arrow) to just go for it and turn in front of the other cars before those cars can get completely into the intersection. In some situations, the responsibility of the lead driver on the other side (facing the left turner) is to ensure that only the first car makes it through; otherwise, a chain of greedy cars will force out their own turn lane. In many places, the lights are even timed so that one side gets the green a little early. I've had cops wait while I turned left in front of them. I even did it on my bike this morning, because that's what the oncoming cars seemed to expect. But that was in the bucolic suburbs...
Crossing Mass Ave @ Columbus after approaching an already green light, I encountered a greedy truck turning left in front of me. Maybe I should have braked (risking getting nailed from behind?) but I was thinking like a car, so I was just annoyed that he was turning in front of me and that I was only going to have a short gap when I passed behind him...but in fact, he was the unintentional "lead-out" for another car--which of course could not see me because of the truck. Fortunately, I was able to thread the needle between the truck and the car tailing it, but it scared me and added to my list of scary moments.
Coming home, I get the opposite kind of situation. I can rely on the car next to me to stop the chain of left turners, but you gotta be careful and use that car as a pick (hope they don't turn right!) because often, the oncoming cars are so busy looking for their gap that they do not see a cyclist and will shoot the gap behind that first car as fast as they can. I've seen situations where the first car inches forward and the turning cars just alter their path to turn tighter and tighter (Perkins@Jamaicaway) until they are doing a sort of S-turn. It's nuts.
People wonder why cyclists run these red lights. I'm beginning to think that sometimes, it is safer to run the red light than to try and cross the intersection on a green light. Oh well, it keeps me on my toes.