Green for me does not mean green for you

[HotelMinion]

I've noticed a recent trend of pedestrians and bicyclists do this. I'd be waiting in the my car for the light to turn green, and they'd come, stop, look at my light, and when it turns green, cut ACROSS me. So annoying. Green is not for YOU. You wanna be a pancake? Go run across the highway during rush hr.
I've seen it done to other cars to. Four cars were on a steep hill, wanting for the light. When it turned green, Car 1 let go of his brake and pressed the gas, then Car 2, and then Car 3. Car 1 barely inched forward when this crazy bicyclist sped across his way, causing him to swerve and brake, and Car 2, and Car 3. I was Car 4, so I wasn't as affected but good thing I'd been paying attention and wasn't one of those that just zooms ahead when the light's green, like this girl that once plowed into me...

[eltf177]

Cyclists around my area are complete jerks. The other day I had to pass one idiot no less than _four_ times due to his running three red lights and a stop sign. And no, I did not give him the "required" 4 foot passing distance.

Another idiot trick I've been seeing lately is when the opposite light has a left turn arrow they wait until the left turn traffic is gone, then go straight across before your side has a green - thus running the light _and_ jumping ahead of you again. I just wish the cops would stop ticketing speeders and go after these clowns before they get run down by an innocent motorist who then has to answer a lot of stupid questions and feel guilty...

[ComputerNecromancer]

Drivers do that sort of thing too.

I'd managed to not need a drivers license until I was in my 40s. I sensibly decided to take driving lessons.

While out on one of them, I was stopped at a light, and in the righthand lane. When the light changed, the car to my left *turned right* in front of me. Both I and the driving instructor were speechless.

It wasn't legal to turn from that lane for one thing. and turning in front of another car? Just as the light changes. That's asking to get hit.

[mathnerd]

I watched a bicycle rider fly a few months ago in a situation almost identical to the one described. The only difference is that the bicycle was on the wrong side of the road as well. He ran the red light in the direction he was going and a car coming through the intersection hit him dead center of the car and sent the rider flying at least 50-75 feet. We were to far back to have been of any use to the cops, so we kept going to my appointment, which means I have no idea how the rider fared.

[eltf177]

50 to 75 feet? Probably not too well!

And I have zero sympathy for them, only the poor driver...

[mathnerd]

It did appear he was wearing a helmet, so at least his head was protected. I'm sure at the minimum there were lots of broken bones and skin lacerations. I did think at the time that I hoped the helmet saved his life.

[wolfie]

While out on one of them, I was stopped at a light, and in the righthand lane. When the light changed, the car to my left *turned right* in front of me. Both I and the driving instructor were speechless.

It wasn't legal to turn from that lane for one thing. and turning in front of another car? Just as the light changes. That's asking to get hit.

Had the same thing happen to me. No driving instructor on board, and the vehicle that pulled that stunt was a Daimler Urban Mobile Box. Bonus points for being painted the same colour as my vehicle (so spotting a flash of colour could easily be dismissed as just being my hood). If I hadn't noticed, he could have scratched the chrome on my bumper. Yes, this happened while I was driving the Peterbilt of Natural Selection.

It did appear he was wearing a helmet, so at least his head was protected.

From your description of his actions, the helmet was a waste - after all, he didn't have anything worth protecting.

[drunkenwildmage]

Before my Mom retired from being a dispatcher for a Police Department, they had issues with a bicyclist using a 'Go-Pro' to record everything while he was riding, then preceded to go through the video. Anything he saw in the video as a 'volition of his right to operate a bicycle', he would take to the PD, and demand to speak of an officer so they would go out and give each person a ticket. The officers response was

1) Tell the guy that they can't cite someone unless an officer actually sees the violation
2) Point out all the times that the they guy actually broke the traffic/Bicycling laws in his videos, and could be cited for if an officer actually saw them.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat for the next video.

After taking the videos to the PD, then he would post them on You Tube, and point out every little 'volition' in the video, while calling the PD worthless. He would then get into arguments on his You Tube channel, with everyone who points out where he broke the law.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I once had a cyclist undertake me on my motorbike. I was turning a corner at the time, and he decided he wanted to try and get ahead of me. A pointless exercise, seeing as once I was on the straight, I went straight past him despite him trying to keep me behind. I remember thinking, "Try that shit with a car, mate, and you're going to end up dead."

[Gilhelmi]

I am a cyclist. Let me just say, I am sorry for the a**h***s listed here.

I live in a small town, low traffic, wide streets. So I have never had a problem, but that is probably also because I am always watching for others and I follow the rules of the road.

Only "issue" I did have, was people thinking I was waving (as in saying hello) at them when I was signalling a turn. Scared the poo out of me.

[Deserted]

Only "issue" I did have, was people thinking I was waving (as in saying hello) at them when I was signalling a turn. Scared the poo out of me.

I wonder if that is the reason why motorcycle riders here (at least) tend to signal by pointing their hands at an angle toward the ground, rather than straight out.

[HawaiianShirts]

I've seen a lot of the cross-on-green behavior, too. Mostly my co-workers, in fact, who cross the streets around our building as if they're just part of a parking lot. I've yelled at a few of them, "What, you're too important to wait for the walk signal?!" They ignore me.

I've also seen a lot of people who don't seem to understand how the crosswalk signal buttons work. You press the button to let the light system know you want to cross, and then you wait for the walk signal. But some seem to think that pushing the button immediately activates the walk signal. They slap the button and just start crossing. Some jump back (usually annoyed or confused) when they nearly get hit by a passing car; others just keep going. And those that turn back usually go slap the button a dozen more times, as if pressing it fast enough or often enough will make the light change sooner.

I am a cyclist. Let me just say, I am sorry for the a**h***s listed here.

I live in a small town, low traffic, wide streets. So I have never had a problem, but that is probably also because I am always watching for others and I follow the rules of the road.

Ditto.

[notalwaysright]

I have not seen someone watching the actual traffic light as if it were the pedestrian's light, but I will watch for this behavior. My home town still holds my personal Stupidest Pedestrians title. I have never seen pedestrians haphazardly wander into the street in such extremes. It's like they think the town is DisneyLand, and the streets are decorative. The town I currently live in has more of a "dart terrifyingly out of nowhere" problem.

While out on one of them, I was stopped at a light, and in the righthand lane. When the light changed, the car to my left *turned right* in front of me. Both I and the driving instructor were speechless.

I saw something like this recently. Except the driver was in the far right hand lane, and when the arrow turned green for the left hand turn lane the car went across and turned left. They at least waited until there was no one in that lane, but still!