Yield and go

The Natural break. According to my own bicycle commuting lexicon, this is an intersection that can't be broken. The traversing of such space without regard for traffic lights will invariably lead to disaster, breakage and irrevocable loss. So you must stop. This is Queens Boulevard and Yellowstone. This is Northern Boulevard and Bell Boulevard. This is Houston and Broadway.

For most intersections, it's a different story. It's the pause, the momentary observation of vehicular movement, then the sprinting ahead. Some do it with a throw-caution-to-the-wind approach. Some of us with more age and pain under our belts worry about our decaying cartilage and bone, and make a more intentional effort at yielding. I'm not saying it's a good idea. I'm not saying it's legal. I'm just saying it happens over time, the tendency, the involuntary response to push forward, to sneak over and under, up and above, and through and past the rumbling, poised cars, the endless waiting.