Tips and suggestions on avoiding "blocking the box"
 

I would like to hear your tips and suggestions on how to avoid blocking the box. In New York City, the penalties are harsh. I think its USD 130 + 2 points on your license. I have never gotten pulled over for blocking the box (then again, I have never driven in NYC that much) and I don't intend to be pulled over so I would like to hear your tips and suggestions. I have read that blocking the box is a problem not just in New York but in the U.K., Ireland, Canada, etc.

Don't pull out into the intersection unless you have room to clear it. The light will turn green again. Wait your turn. Simple.

And it's a problem everywhere some tool does it. And they do it everywhere.

I know everybody does it, but I don't want to be the one being pulled over and getting a ticket. I also don't want some idiot in back of me honking is horn because im not moving. :p

Let 'em honk. They'll get over it, or they'll die mad. Not your problem. ;)

1. take a cab
2. take a bus
3. take a subway

there are three methods right there

Well unfortunately, I have to get to Union, NJ via the holland, chinatown, etc. and the "boxes" are gonna be pain in the a**. And I have to go via car since I'll be dropping off some stuff.

And I am sure no one in the right mind would drive to go somewhere in NYC ;) (Only by car if urgent)

What about turning either direction?

suggestions? sometimes its hard.

i once had to run red lights because people kept blocking the box. some kind of highway disruption or something caused backups everywhere, was insane.

Very simple. Don't enter the intersection unless there is room on the other side for you to clear it entirely. If you get caught gambling and it doesn't clear out, make a right turn.

Disagree. I don't do it.

Here's a suggestion, don't be a tool and risk the lives of pedestrians, and don't pretend you're more important than others travelling perpendicularly to yourself by blocking them out.

Geez I wish they'd enforce this rule everywhere in the world. Would make it far safer.

What about turning either direction?

What about just not pulling into the intersection unless you can clear it? This is Basic Driving 101! If the guy behind you honks - guess what? He's sitting there until the light changes. He'll get over it - or he'll rear end you, in which case it's his fault.

If you drive in New York, people will honk their horns at you.

If you don't want to block the box, don't go into the intersection until you can clear the crosswalk on the opposite side. its really as simple as that.

If you go before, there's a very good chance you will block the box.

If you don't go, yes people will honk at you and yes pedestrians will start to cross in front of you so even if it does clear, chances are you won't go anywhere without running people over. That's really going to get people honking their horns at you.

If you don't have the ability to deal with a few people honking at you, and you don't want to get ticketed, you should leave the car in a parking lot and take the subway, you aren't cut out for city driving.

Assuming you have some destination in mind, turning isn't going to get you there if all you do is keep making random turns every time you have to wait in an intersection. In a city where many of the streets are one way like New York, you also have to be in the proper lane to turn, and about every other block that's the opposite lane. Plus in a city like New York, the pedestrians are crossing, and if there are enough of them taking long enough, you are going to have to wait for the light to change anyways and you will have both the people behind you honking and now the people on the street you were trying to turn onto because you are now blocking them too.

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.