Holier Than Thou (You)

We've been back in Logan for more than a week. It seems like it has been snowing every day, and everyday, I have taken Lupine to school by bike. This morning there were two other brave souls in front of us pedaling to school too. At the stop sign, one lifted her left hand to indicate a right turn. I started to cringe but then immediately thought, "hey, they are out here on snow covered roads, commuting by bicycle, and signaling their turns." In a split second all my initial fears became reality as the driver of the car on the other side of the intersection rolled through their stop sign, waved back, and turned left. The bicyclists just put their feet back down, and no one was hurt.

Here is the Utah rule exception for signaling a right hand turn on a bicycle:

41-6a-804 (c) (i) A person operating a bicycle or device propelled by human power may give the required hand and arm signals for a right turn by extending the right hand and arm horizontally to the right.

The above rule is the exception. Utah and most (all?) other states require the raised left hand to indicate a right turn. Many bicycle instructors across the country still teach people to lift their left hand and wave when turning right. This is an anachronism. It's a holdover from the days when people stuck their left arms out of car windows to signal. It made sense because you can't stick your right arm out of the right window when sitting behind the wheel. It does not make sense for bicyclists.

If you are making a turn on a bicycle, point to where you are going! Rant over.

Next Rant: "Attention Car Drivers. If You Have The Right Of Way, Go. Don't Stop At A Green Light And Wave Bicyclists Through The Intersection. We Are Not Pedestrians."

Next Rant After That: "Bicyclists, Stay Out Of Cross Walks And Off Sidewalks, You Are Confusing Car Drivers."