[RedDevil]

I got rear-ended while stationary. I was waiting for a gap in a steady line of cross-traffic for about a minute, and so was the woman behind me. Suddenly she took off. She just said 'I thought you were going to move, so I did too'. There never was an opportunity!

My dad got rear-ended 3 times while stationary in different situations. He does not even drive that much, I got way more miles than he.
My brother in law had 2 cars totaled being rear-ended while stationary.
Friends, colleagues, etc. experienced this over and over again. It is a common kind of accident. It just happens.

So, what will you do if you see them coming and they are way over your size? Sit and die?

My bike instructor was clear:
- Never stop straight behind a car, anywhere. Keep left or right.
- Always look for an escape route and keep looking.
- Don't kill the engine. Don't save fuel; save your life.
- If possible, pass the cars waiting at the lights and make sure you are the first one away at green; bikes accelerate twice as fast as most powerful cars. (but keep a lookout for late crossing traffic!). But that's for bikes only.

There is however one reason to wait; that's when the one behind you finally realizes the error and takes the escape route you would have taken.
I've seen that happen once too...