MIG gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

the lights change just as you are trying to get to the front.

So stay behind the wagon. Then it doesn't matter WHEN the lights
change.

And then you are stuck on the inside of a queue of vehicles

No, you're between two vehicles in the normal position in the road.

that may be turning left and whose drivers may not have seen you.
That's why you need to get to the front.

Umm, no. The vehicles behind you can see you - because you're in front
of them. Not in a potential blind spot in the gutter. The vehicles in
front of you don't need to know you're there, because you're behind them
and not overtaking them.

If the cement truck was indicating, I might hold back in that
situation, but otherwise I'd try to get to the front.

Why the impatience?

What I said. You get to the front to help you survive, nothing to do
with impatience.

********.

Why not, indeed, go past the wagon on the RIGHT? Y'know, the side that
you're meant to overtake stuff...?

Not at a queue at a junction.

Well, no, you're not actually MEANT to overtake queues at junctions
anyway.

That's totally irrelevant.

Clearly.

How would you squeeze between the bumpers to get to the right anyway?

Why do you need to "squeeze between the bumpers"?

Would it be safe to pop out from between vehicles into the middle of
the road?

Of course it wouldn't. But why would you be doing that, anyway?

Seems to me like you don't have the first clue about defensive cycling
and basic road positioning.