Stop - or not?

[G3CWI]

On my commute I cross two main roads at crossroads. I take primary and wait. Yesterday at the first, a car coming from the left on the main road and indicating right stopped to let me go. He pipped his horn and flashed his lights. I always hate this as the road is just wide for a car behind him to squeeze by. There was also a car waiting to cross on the other side of the main road and sometimes they don't signal and turn across me. Being uncertain of the situation I just waited. Eventually the driver shrugged his shoulders and made his turn. I cycled on.

At the next junction a numpty delivery chap had parked his van in the road on the left with his flashers on - completely obscuring the view left. Again I waited. This time a driver coming from the right stopped and flashed me. Again a tricky situation. This time I edged forward until I could see left and went as the road was clear.

Kind drivers, but in some ways it's easier if they do the more predictable thing. It's less stressful just waiting until the road is clear: Although in the second case it was trickier.

I'm thinking that the next time it happens I will shake my head and beckon the kind driver to continue on his way. Perhaps a bit more polite than ignoring them.

Anyone else find this sort of helpful driving just causes confusion?

 

[ianrauk]

I always refuse in those type of situations and always beckon the driver to go first. You can trust a driver beckoning you to proceed but you can't trust another driver to see what is happening.

 

[Paul99]

I always refuse in those type of situations and always beckon the driver to go first. You can trust a driver beckoning you to proceed but you can't trust another driver to see what is happening.

Same for me, and I always give them a smile and a thumbs up to let them know I appreciated the gesture.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I'll signal to them to finish their manoeuvre first, otherwise the junction has other vehicles arriving and drivers have to start guessing what's going on and that's what can lead to accidents. If they're the insistent type I just stay where I am and look away from them. They get fed up sooner than I do.

GC

 

[Turbo Rider]

Agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed. If in doubt wait & pee them off. Better than getting leathered into by something you never saw.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Same here, I like to make my own decisions about things I can really see. I'll step right off both pedals and straddle the bike to show that I'm properly stopped. Also if I'm driving and a cyclist calls me past near a blind summit/bend etc (which has only happened a couple of times that I can recall) I ignore them until I can see if it's safe to pass.

 

[raleighnut]

I don't trust them either, only takes 1 idiot so I just wave them on til I can see the road is clear.

 

[G3CWI]

Looks like everyone is in agreement. I will practice my friendly beckoning technique. Cheers.

 

[Ciar]

I prefer drivers to finish what they are doing rather than give way to me, it's just too unpredictable.

 

[BrynCP]

I hate this too.

Some drivers will give way to you without any knowledge of what is happening around them and I don't mean somebody squeezing into a gap: the amount of times on a dual carriageway near work a car has stopped in the offside and waved me across (as a pedestrian), despite a steady stream of traffic on their inside!