From: bd@fluent@dartmouth.EDU (Brice Dowaliby)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Lane Splitting (was Re: Cager penile size (was Re: %$*#^$! Tailgaters))
Date: 20 Aug 92 13:24:00 GMT
Reply-To: bd%fluent@dartmouth.EDU
Distribution: usa
Organization: Fluent Inc., Lebanon NH


ksmith@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (Kevin Smith) writes:

>While in bitch mode, for those of you who lane split, I was doing this on
>I90 about a week ago. Traffic doing @5 mph me doing @15 when some asshole
>decides that if he has to be stuck in traffic then so do I.  This guy
>waited untill I was about 15 F*ucking feet behind him and then swerves out
>towards the dotted yellow and then back into the lane and then repeated this
>action every time I tried to get by, with a subsuquent dirty look when I 
>finally got by.

I am _not_ in any way defending the actions of this asshole.  What follows
was spurred by your comments, but is not a reply to them.

Are there many places in the U.S. where lane splitting is legal?  I hear
that it is in CA, but is it, in general, a legal maneuver?

I haven't made up my mind about lane splitting yet.  I see where it is an 
advantage in many situations (like the one mentioned by Kevin, above) but I 
know that it pisses a lot of people off, too.

What puzzles me is that I remember a few years ago there was a lot of stuff 
in the air about cages not giving motorcycles a full lane, and encroaching 
on our road space.  Isn't lane splitting essentially doing the same thing 
to them?  I mean, here are two cages, running down the road next to each 
other, thinking they have five feet of maneuvering room, and along comes a 
motorcycle right next to them, scaring the shit out of 'em and decreasing t
heir maneuvering room to a foot or so.

I can understand why they would be upset.

I don't mean to start a flame-fest here.  I'm trying to sort out my own 
objections and supporting positions for lane splitting, and I would 
appreciate some feedback.

Am I the only one who thinks it rather hypocritical that riders on the one 
hand bitch at cagers for encroaching on their lane space, and one the other 
hand do it to cagers on a regular basis?

Are there semi-defined rules of conduct for lane splitting (when it's 
okay, when it's jerk-like)?

When I went to visit my brother in CA last year, my SO and I were in a 
rented cage in the right hand lane of a two lane entrance ramp getting 
on the highway.  The ramp was littered with merging signs, and in about 
50 yards from our position the two lanes merged into one, then the single 
lane ramp merged into the highway.

Stop and go on the ramp, we were averaging about five miles an hour, and 
two bikes go rushing past my left hand side (going minimum of forty).  My 
impression was that they were total assholes, and pretty stupid as well.  
I mean, the speed differential between them and the cars they were passing 
was about 35 mph (IMHO much too great for riding a foot and a half away 
from cars) and I suspect (bit do now know for sure) that they were pretty 
aggressive when the lanes merged.

One the other hand, I see no reason why they should have to wait so long 
in line, when they could scoot to the front of the pack and take off from 
there.

Hence, my dilemma.  Were they assholes, or just good lane splitters?
-- 
   Brice Dowaliby, Fluent Inc., 10 Cavendish Court, Lebanon, NH  03766
                         bd%fluent@dartmouth.edu        
             I don't speak for them, they don't speak for me
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles