Let’s say you’re an important guy. driving along in your shiny car, on a straight, relatively flat road in a semi-residential area, and you see a cyclist up ahead. The cyclist is riding in the right tire track, about 2 feet from the white line. You’d really like to pass the cyclist, because it’s important to pass cyclists as quickly as possible, to minimize the inconvenience to your busy schedule. After all, you’re an important guy, who owns a shiny car.

Let’s also say that there’s a STOP sign coming up in about 150 feet. Maybe you see it, maybe you don’t. You’re more concerned about passing that damn cyclist, who by now has added SIX SECONDS onto your commute time. Jesus Christ! What a stupid cyclist. So you pull out in the other lane to attempt to pass the cyclist.

Since you’re a nice guy in your shiny car, you accelerate gently, take most of the opposite traffic lane, and start to overtake the cyclist. However, at this point you have arrived at the stop sign. The cyclist is in the correct lane of traffic, coming to a stop at the stop sign, and you are in the opposite lane of traffic, coming to a stop at the stop sign, in the opposite lane of traffic.

Did I mention you were in the opposite lane of traffic? Coming to a STOP sign?

The cyclists comes to a complete stop to allow you to merge back onto the proper side of traffic. You, on the other hand, roll the stop sign at 15mph and show your frustration by honking at the cyclist, who of course caused the whole incident by being on the damn road. As you honk you finish merging onto the proper side of the road, just in time to avoid a car approaching from the opposite direction (the car is in the correct traffic lane).

Incidentally, the same cyclist catches up to you a half mile ahead, when you are forced to wait at a long red light for two minutes.