In NYC - MTA buses are among the worst offenders blocking the boxes, especially around key transport hubs at rush hours, except for some of the tandem buses - and I have yet to see any of them getting pull over and/or given a citation. They pull out of the curb lane at will ... If you follow closely or behind them into the intersection, you will find yourself blocking the box.

If the Do Not Walk signs at the crosswalks begin to flash, it's usually 10 seconds, maybe 15 or 20 seconds before the lights will turn yellow & then red - do NOT move or pull into intersection, with some exceptions like left or right hand lanes with arrows that you are familiar with.

There are laws about honking in NYC and some neighborhoods/city blocks have warning signs about no honking. If the drivers behind you honk, just ignore her/him - impatient and aggressive driving in the metro NY area is a given - act as if you didn't hear the beeping & honking.

Enforcement of this & other moving violations in NYC is selective & random, probably more so in Manhattan than other boroughs - major roads passing thru Chinatown to/from Holland Tunnel sometimes have traffic agents on duty at rush/peak traffic time to direct the flow, and the box problem tend not to be an issue.

Even if you turn either direction instead of going thru the box & blocking it, you can still get pulled over for a ticket, if that's your unlucky day behind the wheels - just don't enter the intersection - never mind what the driver in front of you did or the impatient driver behind you wanted to do.

With parking fees so expensive in Manhattan these days, I either use mass transit or a car service, or pass thru at off-peak hours where the problem usually isn't as bad. And, 90% plus drivers do NOT block the box, it's the other 5% or 10% - sadly, most of them get away with it and continue to push their luck.