Tom Keats wrote:
> In article <aca55e21-c101-45dc-a9cf-63e86d07a4d0@c65g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>,
> frkrygow@gmail.com writes:
>
>>On Apr 19, 5:55 am, tkeats2...@hotmail.com (Tom Keats) wrote:
>>
>>>In article <0d94641c-e85f-457f-9746-7fdc7974c...@c58g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>,
>>> frkry...@gmail.com writes:
>>>
>>>
>>>>When you're at the same speed as the motor vehicles, you should almost
>>>>always be right in line with the motor vehicles. And "same speed"
>>>>includes zero speed.
>>>
>>>Then that precludes filtering. Might as well just
>>>drive a fat-assed, greenhouse-gas-farting machine
>>>and get in line & wait with the other lusers.
>>
>>I tend to evaluate options by comparing benefits vs. detriments.
>>
>>Now, as I explained, it's very rare that filtering forward would save
>>me catching a red light. So what's my benefit to filtering forward?
>
>
> Not having to miss a traffic light cycle because some
> bone-headed driver up ahead is yacking on his cell,
> arguing with his S.O., obsessively picking those li'l
> lint balls off his sweater, or asleep at the wheel,
> or the whole lineup except you is turning left while
> you want to go straight through, on an un-lane-lined
> but wide and busy street.
>
> In the latter situation, the streets of Vancouver often
> have cyclists' push-buttons for the traffic lights. I'm
> doing a favour for the drivers to my left by getting up
> to the button and pushing it. Sometimes the drivers wave
> me up to it and ahead of them, just to get the light to
> change in their favour.
>
>
>>Getting through the intersection ten seconds earlier? That's not a
>>significant benefit, and to me, it's not worth the detriment of the
>>risks involved. I'll keep my place in line, avoid any possibility of
>>a right hook, and reinforce that I'm operating a legal vehicle. (I
>>like doing this just to educate motorists.)
>
>
> I find there are times when it is more advantageous to
> be at or near the front of the lineup in terms of
> maintaining one's visibility to other street users.
>
> I find myself sizing-up (literally) the vehicles in
> all directions of an intersection, and considering
> (among other factors) where I'm most visible at a
> given situation when I decide where I place myself.
> Sometimes that means getting ahead of a cube van or
> garbage truck or whatever, sometimes that means hanging
> back behind 'em, and sometimes that means getting in
> line. It's a dynamic, on-the-spot, on-the-fly judgment
> call. The point is: there is absolutely no Standard
> Operational Procedure (other than local, jurisdictional
> traffic [by]laws) as to where a rider should place her/himself
> in a lineup at a controlled intersection. Just take the
> best of what you've got at the time while, as you say,
> considering the risks involved.
>
>
>>For me, there's a lot of joy in bicycling that has nothing at all to
>>do with the ability to filter forward. So no, I wouldn't say I might
>>as well be driving a car.
>
>
> Canoeists & kayakers can adamantly stick to the shipping
> lanes too, if they wanna.
>
> The joy in bicycling is that the world becomes
> your oyster, not your inescapable rail line.
Pretty much agree w/ you.
One of the benefits of bicycling in traffic is you can move
when the four wheeled of the road species can't.
On the other hand, I can't go as fast as they do, so pretending
I'm a car and waiting in line with them may not be a safe thing
to do in its own right if the spacing is tight (narrow
or unlined lanes).
The main thing one must be careful about when moving to the
front of the line is the timing of the light. You don't
want to be passing someone (on the right) as the light changes
and cars start moving.
Best to move up to the front, or as close to it as the light
allows, then sit in front of the car (or off to the side) so
they know you are there.
But sometimes, waiting in line is OK too. Just depends on
the traffic and road situation. It's not really about saving
time. If that were the issue, one would probably not be on a
bicycle (although in heavy traffic, the bike can certainly be
faster than the car some times).
SMH