The red light trick that got me through 5th and Main without getting doored

Every morning I take the bike lane on 5th heading downtown and that stretch between Main and Jefferson is a disaster. Cars parked right up to the curb, delivery trucks blocking the lane, and yesterday I nearly got clipped by a guy swinging his door open without looking. I was about to give up and just take the sidewalk when I noticed something. The crosswalk button on the corner of 5th and Main is placed right next to a planter box. If I stop there instead of at the bike lane line, I can lean over and hit the button without getting off my saddle. Then the light turns green for pedestrians first, which gives me a 15 second head start before the cars even get their signal. Plus, I'm positioned on the far side of the planter so any swinging door is blocked by that metal railing. I've done it three mornings in a row now and it shaves about 4 minutes off my commute and feels way safer. Has anyone else found a weird spot like that where you can use the pedestrian timing to your advantage?

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andrew_wood7212d agoMost Upvoted

Hitting that pedestrian button from your saddle is clever, but doesn't it mess with the cross traffic when they finally get a green and you're already halfway through the intersection?