Wilsons Sandbox

--- In DSN_klr650@egroups.com, "Dustin McCarty" wrote:

> OK, still new to the motorcycle world: Lane splitting: This is

going

> between the cars on the way to a stop light to "get ahead" of the

rest of

> the traffic or whil on the highway to pass? Is this correct?

State of California Legal Definition: Lane sharing is as many vehicles as will fit abreast in one lane with no part of any vehicles traveling outside that lane. Lane splitting is going thumpety thumpety thump over the little reflecter "bots dots" that delineate lanes here in California. (Driving by braille, even the blind can get a license here, etc.)

> More > importantly, is this a good, safe idea?

The only written word about this in official California literature is: "Although lane sharing is unsafe, it is not illegal." And that's in the motorcycle handbook, not the motor vehicle code, or the regular driver's handbook... Basically, every 2 or 3 years, legislators get it in their heads to make lane sharing illegal. And the CHP, ABATE, and AMA lead the charge to convince them they're wrong and lane sharing remains legal. I have heard that it is, in fact, illegal in NY. So check your local statutes before doing anything.

> 1) Is this actually a legal practice (not that legality reflects

what is

> right or intelligent)?

In CA, yes.

> > 2) Is this commonly practiced in more "upscale" and "civilized"

portions of

> the US and Canada? (i.e. not Arkansas, Oklahoma, portions of Texas,

hmmm,

> who else can I offend....)

Well, don't know whether you consider LA upscale or civilized. But I laneshare regularly. It's best not to do it in the first couple weeks of spring when all the cage drivers are grumpy about the long lines to the beach, and all the squids have come out to annoy the cages. I ride all year round (except for the last 2 weeks) and don't find the cars any more or less dangerous seasonally. I do my best not to lane share in the rain, but there was this one time. I was late for work, so unwilling to sit still in the 5 mile stop and go traffic jam in the heavy drizzle. So I started lane sharing at about 5 mph through stopped traffic on the 110 (the twisty bit). The cop car in the far right lane (I was sharing between the left and middle lanes) got his loudspeaker out and admonished me to "slow down" which, as far as I could tell, woulda meant stopping, so I didn't, and well, he was stuck in traffic and there was nothing he could do to me. I do try not to lane share near the airport. Too many out-of-towners who are convinced that they're more in the right trying to swerve into me (thereby committing attempted murder) to prevent me from lane sharing than I am trying to remove myself (thereby avoiding attempted murder) from the traffic jam. ---o&>o--- Sarah Barwig sarah@...