Advanced Stop Line Question...

[TheGlasgowCyclist]

Hey guys...

I have a question for you regarding the advanced stop line...its something that happened to me me a few nights ago and its really been annoying me since!

Ok heres the situation:

Your out enjoying your cycle at 9:30pm as it is much cooler at this time, your approaching a set of lights at a road you feel you would benefit greatly from the use of the advanced stop line (asl) as you get closer to the lights you see that the asl is completely taken up by a car, but not just any car...a police car who is using the full asl to wait for the lights to change...what do you do? Would you just ignore it?

Let me know,
Many thanks, Connor aka The Glasgow Cyclist!

 

[redcard]

Get in front of them and take a picture.

Nah. I'd probably just ignore it,

 

[gaz]

It's not against the law to be in a bicycle box. He could have entered it perfectly legally and by you making a comment you would be making some assumptions as to how he got there.

As for it being beneficial to use the bike box. Is it really?
What it does is put you in front of everyone else, so you're visible right? But what if the driver at the front wants to get away from the lights quickly and is just watching for that red light to change to green, he isn't going to see you.

There is also this mentality that drivers have, where by if they can see the open road in front of them, then they will want to be in that space. So if they can see past you as you set off, and there is no traffic, then they want to get past so they can go at the speed that want to, this often means a poorly judged overtake. But if you wait in the traffic (in a central position so you are just as visible) then as you set off the cars behind will see cars in front and not open road and are much less likely to perform a poorly judged overtake.

For me personally, I only really use the box if I feel that it will save me some time, this usually means if I think other cyclists are going to use it. As generally I find they are slower off the line and will hold up the cars which in turn hold up me. Where as if I use the box then I'll be off the line quicker and be on my merry way with little hassle as all the drivers have to overtake the slower cyclists.

 

[redcard]

It's not against the law to be in a bicycle box. He could have entered it perfectly legally and by you making a comment you would be making some assumptions as to how he got there.

You're assuming that he's going to accuse the driver of entering illegally.

 

[gaz]

You're assuming that he's going to accuse the driver of entering illegally.

Going by the thread title, poll question and the way his post is worded, why would I assume otherwise?

 

[TheGlasgowCyclist]

Not assuming that they entered it illegally, although they may had.
Was purely just wondering if anyone would have said anything about it...

 

[redcard]

Going by the thread title, poll question and the way his post is worded, why would I assume otherwise?

Most people, seeing a driver in an ASL, would also assume they had entered illegally.

You can assume but someone else shouldn't?

 

[Alan Frame]

I probably wouldn't have actually said anything.

But it's amazing what a raised eyebrow can convey.

 

[summerdays]

Hey guys...

I have a question for you regarding the advanced stop line...its something that happened to me me a few nights ago and its really been annoying me since!

Ok heres the situation:

Your out enjoying your cycle at 9:30pm as it is much cooler at this time, your approaching a set of lights at a road you feel you would benefit greatly from the use of the advanced stop line (asl) as you get closer to the lights you see that the asl is completely taken up by a car, but not just any car...a police car who is using the full asl to wait for the lights to change...what do you do? Would you just ignore it?

Let me know,
Many thanks, Connor aka The Glasgow Cyclist!

You haven't seen him enter so you haven't a clue whether he entered illegally.

 

[summerdays]

Most people, seeing a driver in an ASL, would also assume they had entered illegally.

You can assume but someone else shouldn't?

No I wouldn't ... you often see cars queuing near the lights in heavy traffic. What I see more often that annoys me, is a car waiting outside the box UNTIL it sees me on a bike, then it rolls into the box. Then I roll in front of it, and often in those situations I seem distracted and don't make a quick get away!

 

[gavroche]

A car can only use the asl only if it was close to the lights when they turned amber but still had time to stop safely, otherwise, a car should always stop before the asl.

 

[Hip Priest]

I wouldn't say anything. I'd just wait behind them.

 

[ianrauk]

I wouldn't say anything. I'd just wait behind them.

This. Because it really doesn't matter. There are plenty of other things to worry about then a car in a box.

 

[glenn forger]

I'd go in front and ignore anything they said or did.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Not assuming that they entered it illegally, although they may had.
Was purely just wondering if anyone would have said anything about it...

If I'd seen him enter the box illegally, I'd point it out to him. Otherwise I'd mind my own business.

GC