Snarky driver query?

[Crusoe76]

Genuinely curious driver posting here: if I'm waiting to turn left at a junction am I correct in thinking that a left turning cyclist should not be coming up on my driver side then turning sharp left across my bonnet as I'm about to set off into the clear lane? I want to believe he was just impatient and didn't want to have to unclip and put a foot down, but genuinely interested if this is some kind of advanced filtering manoeuvre? You can assume I was sitting in the lane perfectly fine, indicating left while waiting for the gap in traffic. There was no cycle space at the end of the lane coming into main road and no prior run in or incidents with said cyclist on the way to junction.

I feel that a less observant or patient driver would have run into the cyclist by pulling away from the junction at speed.

[PT1029]

If you were signalling left and I wanted to turn RIGHT, I'd either wait behind you until you'd moved off OR if circumstance/space to filter/pass on you right side and wait off your front offside wing. I would only do the latter if there was space for a car to turn into the side road while I was on your offside.
If I was turning LEFT, I would either
wait behind you until the car had moved off OR
filter up your left side and wait near your front left wing - ONLY if I felt there was space, AND I felt I wouldn't get hit when you set off (which all depends on road width/vehicle size/road positioning/impression (if any) of what sort of driver it was (reasonable vs fast/impatient).

The manouver you describe (up off side and then across your front to turn left) sounds absolutely balmy to me. Turning across the front of a vehicle about to move off has a certain lack of logic about it........ May be one for the Darwin awards......
I have never heard of the manouver you describe being put forward as good/advanced practice - or even being done before.

[drossall]

These threads have an unfortunate habit of turning into heated debates, which is unfortunate.

Probably not, but it depends on the specifics of the situation. It's unwise for any cyclist to put him/herself in the way of a vehicle that is about to move off. On the other hand, I've seen situations where a car is unable to move and a bike can, and you can be pretty certain from the approaching traffic that the car isn't going anywhere. For example if there's an unoccupied cycle lane in the road into which you are turning, and a constant flow of traffic coming from your right.

I doubt if there's a specific rule against it, as it would come under the heading of filtering, which is allowed. However, as I said, it defies common sense to appear suddenly in front of a vehicle that's likely to move off without warning.

There again, road users of all types defy common sense regularly

[De Sisti]

I don't know what snarky means; but the cyclist should have waited behind you
for their opportunity to turn left.

[Lance Dopestrong]

Genuinely curious driver posting here: if I'm waiting to turn left at a junction am I correct in thinking that a left turning cyclist should not be coming up on my driver side then turning sharp left across my bonnet as I'm about to set off into the clear lane?

Not it they want to live very long. I teach advanced skills and its phooey. Ideally they should be waiting behind the first vehicle in the queue, allow the vehicle to concentrate on getting out without throwing a slower moving vulnerable road into the mix for them to account for and avoid (unless they happen to be at the front of the queue anyway). And before anyone moans, I don't teach ethics - I teach staying alive.

Pulling the stunt you describe while even a diligent driver is having to divide his intention betwixt two or more different directions is simply smug self entitlement, with a dollop of carefree lunacy. It's a good thing Lord Winston wasn't there or we'd all have number plates riveted to our buttocks by now.

[gaz]

Genuinely curious driver posting here: if I'm waiting to turn left at a junction am I correct in thinking that a left turning cyclist should not be coming up on my driver side then turning sharp left across my bonnet as I'm about to set off into the clear lane?

In my opinion you're correct in your thinking. People sometimes do the strangest things, like the driver heading the wrong way up the one-way street towards me this evening.

[Crusoe76]

Thanks very much for your feedback. I think I'm pretty sympathetic to the cyclists on my commute but I'll freely admit being cut up like that just felt like he was taking the proverbial!

Didn't want to come across as just rage venting so I'm glad to have so many helpful replies.

Cheers and safe cycling to you!

[LollyKat]

I've done something like that in an unfamiliar road, but a little negotiation sorted it out:

Me, on right of bus going straight on, calling up to bus driver at a red light: "I'm sorry - I've mistaken my route and want to turn left here."
Bus driver: "That's all right, hen - I'll no run you down."

And when the lights changed he waited while I ground past him up the steep hill.

The cyclist in the OP sounds crazy.

[mjr]

Thanks very much for your feedback. I think I'm pretty sympathetic to the cyclists on my commute but I'll freely admit being cut up like that just felt like he was taking the proverbial!

It's far more likely he misjudged something, or several things. Keep calm and let him carry on, like the highway code says. Still no excuse for hitting him.

[goddardsharon482]

I have seen this a fair bit lately, and generally I think it is taking the proverbial. But I guess it could happen if the cyclist was going round a long queue of traffic which they expected to gradually shuffle up and create spaces but it didn't work out for them. But in that case I would make an effort to be let in 2 or 3 cars before reaching the front of the queue.

The other similar thing I have experienced is going round traffic to get to the empty bike box at traffic lights, only for the lights to go green before I get there, then it can be a bit tricky filtering in.

[mjr]

I have seen this a fair bit lately, and generally I think it is taking the proverbial. But I guess it could happen if the cyclist was going round a long queue of traffic which they expected to gradually shuffle up and create spaces but it didn't work out for them. But in that case I would make an effort to be let in 2 or 3 cars before reaching the front of the queue.

Some drivers edge forwards to stop you merging back in. I even had a driver today move forwards to attempt to prevent me and others crossing on a cycle crossing that they'd queued onto - they couldn't move on because of cars queuing ahead of them and I guess it upsets the fragile flowers to see people on bikes still moving when they're stuck.

The other similar thing I have experienced is going round traffic to get to the empty bike box at traffic lights, only for the lights to go green before I get there, then it can be a bit tricky filtering in.

Or sometimes there's no bike box where you could have sworn there was (either you're mistaken or it's been removed on resurfacing).

[Oldjohnw]

And as I discovered over this last weekend in both Carlisle and Newcastle, the bike boxes were inaccessible as cars were on them so I had to take my turn.

[ambodach]

Common sense told me many years ago that filtering up the inside where vehicles are turning left is probably not a good idea if I want to stay alive.

[drossall]

It's certainly an issue when three junctions in succession have ASLs (bike boxes). You can't tell whether there's going to be one at the fourth until you've already gone up the side of the traffic, at which point you can be left stranded on the wrong side of the road.

[awavey]

checked the indicators are working ? are you sure it was the first time youd encountered that cyclist that day ? were you inadvertently blocking a cycle lane ?

it sounds an odd thing to do to filter right side and then turn left in front of you like that, but we can only just guess trying to work out why they did that, some people ride like idiots, just like some people drive like idiots, its not a move Id attempt to do, but thats about all I can say on it