^Does that apply to parked cars? I'm not sure if the OP meant the car #1 was actually parked. I've put the car in park and turned off the engine at train stops where it often takes a while for a train to pass by.
"Car 1" isn't necessarily "parked" as it's not in a park-space it's just
in park by the drive so they don't have to rest their foot on the brake while the train crosses, the car is otherwise running so it's more "standing" than it is parked.
I was Car 1 in this situation recently and the guy behind me did it and it didn't really bother me, I'd probably do the same thing in the situation as there's no need for "Car 2" to wait to make a right-turn because of a train, there's plenty of times this crossing gets 10-12 cars long down a 2-lane street through a residential/light commercial area so it can create a traffic problem if Car 1 is stopped there and other cars further back want to turn right.
I don't doubt that the practice would be illegal but the question is more if it is acceptable on the "rules of the road" which can be different than the "
laws of the road." If you were Car 2 would you do this (you've got your destination and why be delayed due to a poorly designed intersection (with no right turn lane) and a train which is stalled the light)? If you were Car 1 would you be upset by someone doing this (it's a practice that doesn't impact your driving, so what skin is it off your ass?)
Trains in the crossing move
very slowly most of the time due to a variety of reasons, chief among them probably the spur to an industrial/unloading complex just a few more miles down the tracks towards the "North.") So long as when Car 2 does this maneuver he insures he's not going to hit pedestrians or other traffic -he doesn't just speed around he pulls next to Car 1, stops, checks for a clear path and then makes the turn) I don't see how it could be dangerous to anyone and it's certainly doesn't effect anyone's drive. I'll even admit to
doing it myself once or twice as I can turn right, make a couple of more turns a little further down the road and be on the other side of the train before it finishes crossing (underpass a little further "North.")
It's really a jacked-up crossing and intersection for a variety of reasons, on the other side of tracks (not depicted in the diagram) it's actually a Y-Intersection.
Also fascinating about this street, a little further down the road there's a traffic light controlling the entrance to a grade-school, right now it's on a flashing-yellow with a sign on it saying that the light is being studied for removal. I'm guessing cameras or sensors are seeing if the light is needed there and if it's absence will have an impact on traffic in the area. What's so interesting about this?
It's Summer. School isn't in session. The light, as noted, controls the driveway to the school which obviously has a lot of traffic in an out of it as parents and buses drop-off and pick-up students, I'm guessing doing this study for removal in the Summer isn't going to have a valid data.
