Let's talk about one of the most common and most preventable car-bike conflicts in this city: the right-turn squeeze. It happens dozens of times a day at intersections across SF. A driver stays in the travel lane, then hooks right directly across the bike lane. It's dangerous. It's unpredictable. And yes, it's illegal.

The law is straightforward. Before turning right, drivers are supposed to merge as close to the curb as practicable. That means entering the bike lane in the dashed zone before the intersection. This isn't some obscure statute — it's basic driver's ed stuff. Yet watch any busy intersection on Market, Valencia, or Folsom and you'll see it violated constantly.

But let's be fair: this isn't a one-sided problem. Cyclists need to exercise some common sense too. If a car has its right blinker on and is clearly trying to move to the curb, squeezing past on the right side is a terrible idea. The blind spot on the rear right of a vehicle is enormous. Passing on the left, or simply slowing down and letting the car complete its turn, costs you maybe five seconds. That's a bargain compared to a trip to Zuckerberg SF General.

The physics here aren't complicated. A 4,000-pound SUV versus a cyclist isn't a negotiation — it's a foregone conclusion. That asymmetry means drivers bear the greater responsibility. Slow down, signal early, check your mirrors, and check them again.

But personal responsibility runs both ways. Cyclists who treat every right-turning vehicle as an obstacle to blow past aren't brave — they're gambling. No amount of being "technically right" matters if you're in a hospital bed.

SF doesn't need more bike infrastructure debates right now. It needs everyone to follow the rules we already have.