I understand this. I try to make sure I don't make drivers overly nervous in two main ways.
I try to adhere to the first rule of the road (applies equally to cars, bikes, pedestrians, etc.): never do anything unexpected.
The second is that, when I'm biking on the street and have to move toward the center of the road (to go around parked cars, for instance), I'll actually stop and let any cars behind me go ahead. As soon as I put my foot on the ground, cars know they have nothing to fear from me.
> I'll actually stop and let any cars behind me go ahead. As soon as I put my foot on the ground, cars know they have nothing to fear from me.
Contradiction!
Whatever's wrong with signalling, pausing to see if the driver's going to obey the highway code, or accelerate to overtake, and then moving into the road?
I don't think it's a contradiction, really. I'm engaging in precisely the same behavior as cars do when they're parking behind another car.
What I'm not doing is coming to a stop in front of vehicles that are expecting to keep moving. And I do signal.
All that said, I did state that I try to do nothing unexpected. It's not always possible (and I also don't always know what others on the road are expecting).
> Whatever's wrong with signalling[...]
Nothing, and that's what I do if it's not possible to safely pull over and allow the cars to go by. But I also know from personal experience that drivers really hate it if they have to slow down because a bike is in front of them, so I'm trying to keep them happy.
I understand this. I try to make sure I don't make drivers overly nervous in two main ways.
I try to adhere to the first rule of the road (applies equally to cars, bikes, pedestrians, etc.): never do anything unexpected.
The second is that, when I'm biking on the street and have to move toward the center of the road (to go around parked cars, for instance), I'll actually stop and let any cars behind me go ahead. As soon as I put my foot on the ground, cars know they have nothing to fear from me.