What do you do in a queue of traffic?

Cheeble

Do you fight to get to the front at the traffic lights, or wait your turn with all the other road users?

Lumen

Admire myself whilst engaging in light crotchal massage.

edit: oh, it's an either/or. Poll?

Chips Lovell

It depends on the queue of traffic.

Chips Lovell

But if I'm riding with Lumen, I'll usually stop and watch him feel himself up.

DBCyc

It depends, if there is a gap, I will get to the front. If there is no gap, I will wait in the queue in front of another vehicle, i.e. not alongside them where they may not see you.

Oh and if there are large trucks/buses at the top of the queue, I always wait in case the light goes green when I would have been passing them and they veer over left or right.

Raam

I guess it depends on the situation. If I expect traffic directly in front of me to move in a matter of seconds (< 30 or there abouts) I'll wait where I am. Otherwise I may move up to the front if the queue is long, positioning myself directly in front of another road user. This may or may not be the road user at the top of the queue. It's a specific call to make at each junction based on what is happening at the time.

Glitterangel76

Hmmm ... If its safe to get to the front of the traffic (i.e. no teeny tiny gaps, artics/buses) then I will cycle carefully to the front of the queue of traffic. However if there are numerous cyclists already sitting at the top of the queue then I will claim my bit of the road behind a car, so they can clearly see me in their rear view mirror.

Saying that I'm all for love and peace

Lumen

I prefer to wait at the stop line to the left or in front of the cars (depending on who gets there first). Then when the lights are about to change, I roll forward (ped traffic permitting), clip-in and track stand, checking for cross-traffic, before launching myself as the lights go green.

If other cyclists attempt to subvert these manoeuvres I just relax and go back to touching myself up.

Jip

Ah, but is the queue fellow cyclists or cars ? If cyclists I'll take my place in the queue, if it's a car I'll make my way to the front if possible. However that's not always possible due to some motorists aversion to stop as close as possible to the kerb.

Raam

What about in an organised group of cyclists?
My view is that the entire group should stop as one and wait in a bunch without swarming the other road users.

-K2-

It depends on the vehicles in the queue. If there's a bus or truck, then I'll hang back as they won't be expecting (or noticing) a bike to come up alongside them.

This is especially true of artics which have a tall cab (can't see the 6 feet directly in front) and a trailer which can drag in unexpected ways when they move - the most dangerous situation would be to try to squeeze past just as the lights change and the truck begins to move. That's a *bad* situation.

DePurpereWolf

depends, depends, depends, depends

Bad poll, so didn't vote

Caroline_ie

i think the choice are too vague in this poll. I would go up to the lights from the left or the right if it's safe. And by that I mean I would trust myself making my own decision whether it is or not. I would not squeeze between curb and truck or buses, in wuch case I would stay behind them.

I think people do what they do because they think it's safe, and that can be a very big gap between what I think is safe and what another think is not, and it's the case with everything ... ie: I don't think eating McDonalds for breakfast is safe :P

PS: I did not vote either.

Lumen

Raam wrote: »

What about in an organised group of cyclists?

Does not compute.

Beasty

If there is plenty of room, I'll move up on the inside, and position myself at the front, or between two vehicles, where I can be clearly seen by the vehicle behind.

If there is no room on the inside, I will overtake on the outside, if it is safe to do so (there are some queues on my commute home that can go on for 1km+ and I will typically overtake if there is nothing coming in the other direction)

Vélo

If there's a large vehicle at the front I'll wait behind it. If I see there's a couple of cars or more in front of it I'll go up to the top, as long as there's enough time before the lights go green.

Didn't vote myself as there wasn't enough options.

irishmotorist

It depends on mitigating factors (like a tight space that isn't safe to go through in the event of lights turning green), but generally, I'll go to the top and into either the left hand side of a left/straight lane or the lhs/middle of a right turning lane. For straight and left, I can't see any arguement. For the right turn, I'm fast out of the blocks so I won't be holding up traffic to any discernable time and I'm in the most visible/safe position for myself.

Idleater

When on the motorbike, I'll go through as much as possible to the top of the queue.

If I am prohibited in doing so by two vehicles of jeep or less proportions, I'll wait between the two annoyingly revving and allowing them appreciate 1000cc's of v-twin audio.

Generally they get the message.

Vélo

nereid wrote: »

When on the motorbike, I'll go through as much as possible to the top of the queue.

If I am prohibited in doing so by two vehicles of jeep or less proportions, I'll wait between the two annoyingly revving and allowing them appreciate 1000cc's of v-twin audio.

Generally they get the message.

I'll remember this the next time I'm driving my wife's jeep. If I see someone revving up I'll give you a wave and then of course block you even more.;)

Idleater

I have good ear plugs

DirkVoodoo

Depends for me too. You have to judge each situation on its own. Generally, if I can't pass safely or there is a bus/truck in front of me, I am happy to wait.

I don't think it matters where you are as long as you are visible, i.e. in the lane and not hugging the kerb like a good little commuter.

NeilMcEoigheann

go to the front otherwise whats the point in commuting by bike? and anyway the queues go on for ages... its also safer at the front because you can get away from the lights first and theres less chance of being squished by a left turner

stesh

Cheeble wrote: »

Do you fight to get to the front at the traffic lights, or wait your turn with all the other road users?

I will only go to the front if there is enough clearance to do it without weaving/overtaking the lane.

Gavin

NeilMcEoigheann wrote: »

go to the front otherwise whats the point in commuting by bike? and anyway the queues go on for ages... its also safer at the front because you can get away from the lights first and theres less chance of being squished by a left turner

Being right at the front is not always the best. Particularly in scenarios where you need to remain in the middle of the lane for some reason. For example, a left turn a few hundred metres after a traffic lights. You are going straight on, so obviously don't want to be in on the left in case of getting left hooked.

If you stop at the lights and go to the front you are delaying the cars behind. If you stop behind one or two cars from the front, it's much easier to keep up at the speed of the car in front. Far less likely for an impatient driver to perform a dangerous overtake.

jen-

Its best to get to the head of the queue of traffic, becasue the cars wont give you a chance otherwise. its also best to get infront of the people on bikes too, especially the ones you have passed out down the road, but insist on waiting ahead you at the traffic lights:mad: sorry, its just annoying. especially when they know you are faster and going to pass them out again

starbelgrade

Up on the footpath, top of the queue. Easy.

jen-

starbelgrade wrote: »

Up on the footpath, top of the queue. Easy.

nah your just cheating then, and and pedestrian dodging isnt always fun

DirkVoodoo

Gavin wrote: »

If you stop at the lights and go to the front you are delaying the cars behind. If you stop behind one or two cars from the front, it's much easier to keep up at the speed of the car in front. Far less likely for an impatient driver to perform a dangerous overtake.

The junction of the N11 Southbound and Anglesea rd is one of these "left hand filter goes first. Since sitting in the cycle lane to go straight means you are either (a) blocking traffic or (b) pinned against the kerb by the usually steady stream of left turning traffic, I find the best solution is to move over to the right of the LH lane and just ahead of it. This puts you a bit ahead of the straight on traffic (almost in the middle of the junction) but since the traffic coming from Ailesbury road direction has the light, you are miles away from any intersecting traffic and not at risk of being clipped by any left turning vehicles.

I've included a high tech diagram to clarify. The red lines show traffic that has the light, the red box is where I think it's safest to be. As you can see as well, this is one of those badly designed cycle lanes where a cyclist thinking that there is room for a car and a bike is sadly misguided. Why they have them I don't know, it's a busy intersection and cars can't be expected to not take the lane.

thecornflake

what do i do in a queue of traffic ?

i queue in a queue of traffic !

Lumen

starbelgrade wrote: »

Up on the footpath, top of the queue. Easy.

Footpad, please.