A "fun" encounter earlier today

[Digital_Cowboy]

Earlier today when I was on my way home from my usual (albeit somewhat shortened) ride. I was stopped at a red light when an impatient gal pulls up behind me wanting to make a right hand turn. She starts honking her horn and inching forward. I finally turn and look at her and ask "Where do you want me to go?" Her response was "I'm turning." She than returned to honking her horn, and inching forward. Trying to intimidate me into moving out of her way.

I could figure out from her actions what her intent was i.e. wanting to make a right hand turn. And had she been polite about it I would have moved to my left to allow her to make her turn. But given her behavior I was not inclined to be accommodating. Fortunately because of the red light and my being stopped she also had to slow down and stop and the only way that she would be able to make her turn was by going very slowly so I knew I wasn't in much if any danger by holding my ground.

 

[mr_cellophane]

How could she turn if the light was red ? If there was a filter light, then surely you were in the wrong lane.

 

[Spinney]

How could she turn if the light was red ? If there was a filter light, then surely you were in the wrong lane.

I'm guessing here, but OP is in the USA, and I think there you can turn right on red...

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I'm guessing here, but OP is in the USA, and I think there you can turn right on red...

That had me puzzled before you pointed out the location; I hadn't noticed.

The first time I drove in the USA, I was stopped at a red light waiting to turn right and I couldn't understand why all the drivers behind were sounding their horns ... doh!

 

[wiggydiggy]

I'm guessing here, but OP is in the USA, and I think there you can turn right on red...

Best road rules they have IMO, and they have no roundabouts !

 

[sabian92]

Best road rules they have IMO, and they have no roundabouts !

They have a couple - I've been on them, and Americans have no idea how to actually use them. It's ridiculous - they just sit there because they don't know who's right of way it is.

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

How could she turn if the light was red ? If there was a filter light, then surely you were in the wrong lane.

I'm from the US, here we are allowed (unless posted) to make rights on red. After coming to a full stop (in theory).

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

That had me puzzled before you pointed out the location; I hadn't noticed.

The first time I drove in the USA, I was stopped at a red light waiting to turn right and I couldn't understand why all the drivers behind were sounding their horns ... doh!

It can be a little confusing, and not all streets allow right on red. The theory is that one is suppose to stop first and than make their right turn. But so few actually do, they just keep going.

 

[Adasta]

Best road rules they have IMO, and they have no roundabouts !

Terrible.

I don't know why people hate roundabouts. Maybe it's because I spent 7 years in Swindon, the home of the roundabout, but they are so easy to use. They also keep traffic flowing, which traffic lights at every crossroads certainly do not.

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

Best road rules they have IMO, and they have no roundabouts !

We have them, but they're "too few, and too far apart" and as such not many people know how to use them.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I don't know why people hate roundabouts. Maybe it's because I spent 7 years in Swindon, the home of the roundabout, but they are so easy to use. They also keep traffic flowing, which traffic lights at every crossroads certainly do not.

I think roundabouts are terrible if you don't adopt a vehicular cycling approach to them, and vehicular cycling is scary for people who aren't used to it and/or aren't very fit/fast. I find roundabouts are not much of a problem now I have more experience and am a lot fitter, but I was mightily scared of them at first. I do often still get prats overtaking inappropriately on roundabouts, though, especially ones that cut across me at the exits to save one or two seconds.

 

[Adasta]

I think roundabouts are terrible if you don't adopt a vehicular cycling approach to them, and vehicular cycling is scary for people who aren't used to it and/or aren't very fit/fast. I find roundabouts are not much of a problem now I have more experience and am a lot fitter, but I was mightily scared of them at first. I do often still get prats overtaking inappropriately on roundabouts, though, especially ones that cut across me at the exits to save one or two seconds.

Where possible, I avoid roundabouts on my route, but I think I would rather use them than not have them at all. It is irritating that people seem to hate cyclists going round slowly (i.e. 15 mph) but no-one bats an eyelid if an HGV slows to a crawl while it attempts to reach the third exit.

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

I think roundabouts are terrible if you don't adopt a vehicular cycling approach to them, and vehicular cycling is scary for people who aren't used to it and/or aren't very fit/fast. I find roundabouts are not much of a problem now I have more experience and am a lot fitter, but I was mightily scared of them at first. I do often still get prats overtaking inappropriately on roundabouts, though, especially ones that cut across me at the exits to save one or two seconds.

The few that I have close to me I haven't had any problems with. But they are only single lane roundabouts. I don't know how I'd feel about a multi-lane roundabout.

 

[Glow worm]

There's a nasty roundabout on my commute that is awful. I take the third exit (so turning right) but the one lane on approach is designed for right turning traffic to head into two lanes after the roundabout. What makes that difficult, is that on exit, the cycle lane after the roundabout is in the middle of the two lanes! This means you often have some imbecilic caged arse either cutting across you on the RAB or whingeing that you are in their way. Of course it's way beyond your average moton's intelligence to figure out the road layout is the problem not the cyclist. I'll try to attach a pic.

Edit: blimey it worked (I approach the roundabout from the right- you can just make out the cycle lane in red - bloomin' nightmare)

 

[captain nemo1701]

On the subject of roundabouts, Swindon has this:

http://www.swindonwe...=8&s=115&ss=289

I've driven around it (Oh my God!!!), has anyone survived cycling around it?