subject: _:node9d574e708e2df0c6da2ed54a6bf74fc5
obj: "We\u2019ve been enjoying the newly-striped roads in our immediate area. As I\u2019ve mentioned before, in some places there are parking lanes for cars, with bike lanes next to them. The bike lanes are fairly wide, which squeezes moving cars a bit, but has the effect of slowing them down \u2014 theoretically.\nBut I still see cars that follow bikes to an intersection, pass them, and then cut them off to make a right turn. My friend Maggie said she nearly followed a woman into a parking lot to yell at her about it. Maggie is better at controlling her temper than some, and thought better of it.\nIt doesn\u2019t seem like it\u2019s too much for cars to pull in behind bikes when approaching a right turn. It will cost them, what \u2014 only two or three seconds?\nSo I\u2019ve decided to intervene \u2014 surreptitiously. When I\u2019m driving my car, and a cyclist is ahead in a bike lane, I make sure he or she will get to the turn unmolested. I slow down and ease over so the side of the car is right at the edge of the bike lane. That blocks following cars from trying to pass me on the right in the bike lane to beat me to the corner. It also forces them to stay behind me so they can\u2019t cut off the biker.\nThe beauty of this is that the cyclist is probably unaware I\u2019m even there. They can keep pedaling without worry and get through the intersection. Drivers might get impatient, having to follow behind this slow guy, but they don\u2019t honk or complaint. At least they haven\u2019t yet.\nSome of use from the club were sitting around after a ride recently, and the topic of running interference came up. Every person \u2014 all six of them \u2014 claimed to do something like what I describe here.\nHow about you? Do you take an active role in protecting cyclists from cars?\nShare this:Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading..."@en-us