I think I was the bad cyclist today...

As a general rule I'd say if you hit him when he was sitting still then it was your fault. 

I'm not sure what the rules/laws are for intersections, but I generally will go to the front and then wait for the cars to go when the light turns green before I go.  I try not to take off and fumble around trying to click in while somebody wants to turn right.  Plus it's less embarrassing if I bite it trying to click in.

"Lane splitting" is only specifically legal in 3 or 4 states.  It's not spelled-out in several other states so there's some standard of you being dangerous in your actions.  

My rule is this: If I'm safer cutting in-front, I cut in-front.  If I'm equally safe waiting in line, I wait in line.  

I ride on a few roads where the shoulder literally disappears and cars are up against the line waiting for a light.  Just after the turn, there's a 8 foot wide shoulder for me to ride on.  I swerve around the cars that are right on the line and go to the turn.  

+1  I take my place in line just like a car.

Sorry you lost your blinky light though...

Almost always just take my place in line. I don't imagine anyone appreciates passing me just to have me cut ahead of them in line so they can pass me again when the light turns green. 

The only time I will go ahead is when the line is really long. Here I figure that if I wait in line and the light turns green I won't be able to accelerate as fast as the car in front of me so there is a chance I will cause the cars behind me to miss the light. So I will move up a few spots in that case.

But in general, we all want to be treated like cars so we need to act like cars at intersections. 

Technically you take your place in line, like a car.

I definitely make exceptions, but they are just that.  If I am on a four-lane busy road, and there's a bike path for me after getting through the intersection, I will pull up to the line in the shoulder. I view this as getting out of the way of the cars, and they would appreciate it.  I wouldn't try to squeeze up on the right side.  In that case, I might have pulled up next to the second car (or as far as I could get without causing trouble).

Actually, if there's a big shoulder I will often use it to get out of the way.

Now, if I am turning left, I ALWAYS get into the left lane and wait me turn like a car.    I also use my arm to single as much as I can (if I don't need to brake or steer).

When all else fails, I try to act like a car.  I think it sets a good example.

x2

If I'm the first one to the red light I try to scoot over to the left in case a car behind me needs to turn right, then they'll have enough room. Then when the light turns green I swing out to the right and let all the cars pass me before I finish crossing the intersection.

That's my point.  If I'm going to cause someone to do something stupid like swerve around me or in-front of me by sitting in a long line, then I move ahead and get to the shoulder as soon as the light turns.  If there's not a shoulder beyond the light, then I usually assume my spot in line. 

Left turns are always the tricky thing because I turn much wider to get to the bike lane than any car wants to turn so I'm out of their way almost immediately.

Stop at Stop Signs.  Stop at Red Lights.  Stop for School Buses (ya never know).  

I think the line is Predictable, Aware, Lawful.  PAL.  Applies to cars just as much as people.

My thought at an intersection is to act as much like a car as possible so I just blend in and don't cause any problems. I only modify that when I think I will cause problems like creating a big gap once the light turns and that sort of thing. 

Otherwise not following the rules and being unpredictable does not help the car/cycle relationship for me and my fellow riders IMO. 

1)  If there's a bike lane to and through the intersection, I will go to the front.

2)  No bike lane, then I get in line.

I was interested a bit...a few weeks ago I had reviewed the WA state rules of the road for bikes, for a junior tri team we volunteer for. It seems like the rules in MN are similar to WA - from the few minutes I read over what I found.

I think the big thing to remember - and makes a lot of sense for us that do drive - is that a bicycle is defined, by law, as a vehicle. (http://www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/roadrules.html)

Bikes are allowed to ride on the shoulder, and its stated to ride as close to the right hand side as possible. But my interpretation is that you should wait in line for your turn. In a vehicle, is it legal to pass on the right side? I don't think so. (I could be wrong, but I think it is actually illegal.)

But I think it would also be a combination of your safety and a police officer's interpretation of the law depending on whether you would be ticketed. However...being predictable is always the safest bet! (As I'm sure you realize...)

Better your blinky light than any part of you!

+1

Again, depends on the state.  I just asked a cop here in Texas about this.  

He said "It is neither specifically identified in code as legal or illegal."  "You could be ticketed for 'failing to maintain a lane of traffic' but if the cars are stopped as you're doing this and you are not impeding the flow of traffic once it starts up again, you can get hit for 'wreckless driving.'"

Every situation I described where I'll split he said no cop in Travis County would write a ticket for that because it's not specifically in code.

THIS!!!  Why off drivers by cutting...

There are no rules here.  none.  Well, one:  NEVER STOP.   Unless I'm at an intersection with cross traffic, I NEVER stop.  EVER.  Because if I stop, I will get rear-ended or yelled at by a car, a bike, a kid, a dog, or a pedestrian.

We have roads that are 6 lanes wide (3 in each direction) with a fully-separated bike lane, usually on both sides of the road.

Even in the bike lane, I have to deal with:

• cars
• electric bikes
• pedestrians
• delivery trucks
• one day, a mini-excavator
• electric three-wheeled delivery bicycles that look like they were constructed by Mao's (blind) grandfather
• pedi-cabs
• motorcycle cabs
• dog-walkers
• salmon (metaphorical salmon. I have yet to encounter an actual salmon, but I'm not counting it out.)In this context, salmon is not just cyclists going the wrong way, it is ANY OF THE ABOVE going the wrong way.

I have some footage from my handlebar-mounted gopro.   I need to see if I can get all of the "jitter" out of it and then post a link.