Afraid of LEFT turns

31 Mar 2005 14:27:54 -0800,
.com,
"Martian Biker" wrote:


After surveying the area and reading all of your helpful posts, I think
my safest bet is to dismount at the intersection and just walk the bike
across the street.

Rather than dismounting, I use the position labelled (3) in the
illustration demonstrating the "perimeter turn" under the section
"Making a left turn".

http://www.bikesense.bc.ca/ch4.htm
--
zk

In article ,
Zoot Katz writes:
31 Mar 2005 14:27:54 -0800,
.com,
"Martian Biker" wrote:


After surveying the area and reading all of your helpful posts, I think
my safest bet is to dismount at the intersection and just walk the bike
across the street.

Rather than dismounting, I use the position labelled (3) in the
illustration demonstrating the "perimeter turn" under the section
"Making a left turn".

http://www.bikesense.bc.ca/ch4.htm

A pedestrian, however, can often get the kinder drivers
to give him/her a break. Especially if they look forlorn.
Maybe carrying in-hand a length of busted chain or a
deflated, sorry-looking inner tube might enhance the image.

And then there's always the "slowly encroaching into the
traffic line" method to get cross traffic to stop. As long
as one remembers that just 'cuz one driver stops, doesn't
mean they're all gonna. And if a 3 or 5-ton truck that you
can't see around stops for ya, all bets are off.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

"Martian Biker" wrote in message
oups.com...

I know I'm supposed to use hand signals whenever changing lanes, but I
still have the fear that my signals may not be understood by many
furious drivers in southern California. How would you overcome the
fear? Also, at such high vehicular speed, how far from the
intersection would you starting signaling?

I believe in relatively dynamic hand signalling. For example, I don't just
lazily hang my arm out to signal a left turn, I thrust my arm out, and then
snap my wrist out, with the finger pointed to the left. I might do repeated
wrist snapping until the turn is executed. If the driver doesn't get that
I'm about to do a left turn, s/he is brain-dead (yeah, there are some out
there like that).


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Claire Petersky wrote:
I believe in relatively dynamic hand signalling. For example, I don't
just
lazily hang my arm out to signal a left turn, I thrust my arm out,
and then
snap my wrist out, with the finger pointed to the left. I might do
repeated
wrist snapping until the turn is executed. If the driver doesn't get
that
I'm about to do a left turn, s/he is brain-dead (yeah, there are some
out
there like that).

I 'flash' my hand when I signal a left turn. With white-palms gloves,
it really enhances the visibility of my signal.

I also move my whole arm up and down a bit, so my hand moves about
10-20 cm vertically, when I feel the need for extra visibility.
Considering a lot of my left turns also involve crossing streetcar
tracks, I need every break I can get.

"Martian Biker" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm thinking of biking to work. The most straightforward route
consists of one left turn on a busy street, on which most cars fly by
at 50+ mph.

I know I'm supposed to use hand signals whenever changing lanes, but I
still have the fear that my signals may not be understood by many
furious drivers in southern California. How would you overcome the
fear? Also, at such high vehicular speed, how far from the
intersection would you starting signaling?

I'm a true novice and would like to listen to your suggestions. Many
thanks!

3 right turns = 1 left turn.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 21:09:52 -0800 in rec.bicycles.misc,
(Tom Keats) wrote:

I'd think a painted crosswalk should elicit extra caution from drivers.

unfortunately it doesn't, especially with drivers that are
driving too fast for conditions --- by the time they see the ped,
it's too late to stop.

We've got some signalized crosswalks for places where real traffic
lights aren't viable, or where crosswalks normally wouldn't be
expected -- mid-block crosswalks, for example. An overhead sign
indicates to drivers that a crosswalk exists there, and the sign
lights up from a pedestrian-activated pushbutton, to signal that
the crosswalk is in use.

I wonder what the traffic planners' excuse for not using something
similar would be.

probably that it slows the cars down too much. they don't care
about anything but moving cars. peds don't matter. bikes don't
matter.