It may be legal in LA or NY, but in Washington, it is not legal.

> RCW 46.61.202 says "no driver shall enter an intersection or a marked crosswalk or drive onto any railroad grade crossing unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection, crosswalk, or railroad grade crossing to accommodate the vehicle he or she is operating without obstructing the passage of other vehicles..."

Some people bring out the following passage to be in conflict with it, but I strongly disagree.

> RCW 46.61.190, which says drivers must stop at a marked stop line or "at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering the roadway, and after having stopped shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard..."

The 'intersecting roadway' obviously refers to the crossing street, not the lane you want to turn into. Therefore, if you can see oncoming traffic without pulling into the intersection, then crossing past the white line, and waiting there is illegal.

IANAL, but by a plain language reading, entering the intersection to prepare to turn left is not in conflict with the first point, so long as the destination roadway is clear.

The second point is irrelevant, as it pertains to stop/yield intersections, which are not being discussed here.