You learn skills so that you can ride; you don't ride to show off your
skills. Don't use a hard-won skill just because you spent a lot of
time learning it.

Negotiating your way into the left-turn lane and going with the flow
of traffic is the quickest, easiest, and safest way to make a left
turn most of the time, but in any vehicle there are times when it's
better to make three right turns instead. On many occasions, I've
turned right into a deserted side street, made a U turn, and crossed
with the light. Or I'll turn into a not-so-deserted side street and
turn around in a parking lot or driveway. And it isn't unknown to
ride straight through, get off the bike, walk back to the
intersection, and push the pedestrian-crossing button.

Selecting the best technique for the situation at hand is, perhaps,
the hardest-won skill of all.

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://joybeeson.home.comcast.net/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.