Modern Vespa

Was coming home from the picking up some food at the store the other day and hit dead stop traffic. I was like, "screw this" and started splitting lanes, went past quite a few cars and just as I was next to one I saw the Sheriff Emblem on the door, DAMN. Well I just kept going figuring he going to pull me over anyway. Looked in my mirror and saw the blue lights come on, so I got over and pulled off the road onto the grass.
The Deputy comes up and just say, "Man, you can't just blow past me like that. I had to pull you over, people where pointing and hitting there horns at me to pull you over"
I gave him a line that the motor was running hot for some reason and I didn't want it to over heat in the traffic. It worked, he asked for my license and registration, went back to his car and called it in, then told me if he catches me again he will have to ticket me and let me off with a warning.
I thanked him about 10 times and took off as he blocked the slow lane so I could get back on the road from the grass.

There are some nice law enforcement guys out there.

Good for you. Too bad other states besides Calif. don't realize the same thing.

Hmmm??? Good for the police officer maybe, as he was trying to be a decent guy. Good for WEB for breaking the law even though he knew it was illegal AND getting caught at it? Nope. More like lesson learned.

I have news for you, Dooglas, when I'm riding in Oregon or any other state and I don't want my motor to FRY if traffic is not moving and I don't have a way to get off the road, I split lanes. Maybe if you lived in Calif. you would better understand. In most the world it is called filtering and every one understands.

The correct answer is not illegally splitting lanes. The correct answer is "turn off the motor" if you aren't moving at all and don't want it to "fry" (which it's not going to do anyways, this is why coolant was invented...).

What the rest of the world understands is irrelevant.

You are assuming coolant in a MC, scooter is equal to in a car/truck. You are sadly mistaken. Maybe you live in a cooler climate or don't get stuck in traffic jams. If so, you have been very lucky.

And I have news for you. If you lane split in Oregon you will likely be cited. Understand that up front. And most all the rest of us manage to deal with the possibility of overheating an air-cooled bike without lane splitting. Guess I'm not understanding the fundamental difference in your case (especially given that none of the bikes you list on your information are air-cooled ). Do what you choose. Just understand the law where you are at, and don't be surprised if things don't go well if you choose to ignore it. Darned if I know what that has to do with different laws in England, Australia, or even California. Ride safe, have fun, and hopefully avoid tickets.

And news here too - splitting in TN would be dangerous to your health - there are enough billybob's that wouldn't take kindly to someone "cheating" to get ahead. Pretty easy to reach back and grab the pick ax handle hanging in the gun rack.

And, overheating in traffic??? Not so much (and its plenty hot down here).

It's the same coolant...so...yes, yes I am assuming the coolant is the same. The bike has a radiator fan for a reason - that reason is that you are standing still in traffic in hot weather.

And you're citing places like Oregon when talking about filtering to avoid overheating in traffic, and telling me maybe I live in a cooler climate? If anything I live in a much warmer one most, or all, of the year. And I've sat waiting for a train in 110+ heat for over ten minutes.

All of which is irrelevant because, as I said, the correct answer if you are so worried is to turn off the engine, not to illegally filter. The engine can't overheat when it isn't running. Same here. And this is one of the reasons filtering is illegal except in California. Because we have a problem with road rage in this country -all over it - and with people having this incessant need to be first. The driver mentality in the US is worlds different from that in many other countries, especially the ones where scooters and bikes are far more common.

I live in CA where it is legal. I have yet to get the nerve to engage in filtering. Partly because I'm nervous I will screw it up. Partly because I know how many times I saw others do it and thought "that looks dangerous". Partly because I remember thinking "if that jerk scratches the paint on my truck just because he can't wait his turn I'm gonna be pissed". Just my personal take on the matter.

I'll admit that I got in between lanes all the time in NYC. Gridlocked traffic with decent amount of room to go between? I can't resist. I am very careful though.

Cages don't get mad, they get jealous.

I'll also admit that I've probably passed an undercover cop car in traffic as I heard the "blip" of a siren. I'll also admit that I didn't stop since there's nowhere to pull over without creating an even bigger mess of traffic and two, because he really can't do anything about it anyway.

I understand that some may have strong feelings against it, but I really couldn't care less. As long as I'm not posing any danger to anyone else, I'm doing it.

I remember why I took so long to come back, butch of judgmental twits.

I'll do it again, just not in my back yard.
If I get stuck in traffic that is stopped, I filter. Screw the law, I'll just keep a better eye out for cops and not do it at night where I can't see there lights.

I do it. I also do not think "because it's illegal" is a viable reason. I also drive up to 5 over, and I have parked a commercial vehicle on the street over night. Some people (especially cops) forget what the meaning of the law is and only remember the letter. When I lane split it's only in the safest of circumstances. During the day, at a dead stop, and only a few cars at a time. I'm constantly looking for exit points in case something happens.

I live in NJ where the roads are built purposely wide enough to get around people turning left. Most of the time cagers take half the shoulder in doing so. If you were to wait behind the left turning car in order to go straight you would actually be causing more of a problem than going around on the shoulder. It would be very likely to get sideswiped if I waited and went straight; people would expect me to be waiting to turn left.

I sat in traffic, driving no faster than 30 mph for an hour and a half a couple of days ago. It took me 3.5 hours to do what should have taken an hour 15. I was regretting not being on the scooter the entire time, even at 35 degrees.

NYC? There may be lines on the road, but don't expect anyone to abide by them. It's not uncommon to have an extra lane or two of traffic than what really "should" be there.

The correct answer is to always leave a lane of traffic between you and the officer when splitting past police cars.

That blip annoys me as it serves no good purpose and can be dangerous. They don't intend for you to pull over. Makes me jump every time.

This reminds me of a funny but true line: The concept of driving in "lanes" is lost on your average New Yorker.
You only need to watch traffic on 7th Avenue once to know how true this is.

haha yeah the taxi drivers in particular are getting worse and worse. Driving in Manhattan requires a whole different set of driving skills.

The reason I got the MP3 was because I can go between lanes in a gridlock and the fact that I can actually find parking in Manhattan. Or at least that's how I justified it

I live in the same town and do it every day on my commute. Cal Expo to Madison Avenue is nuts on Cap City, and there is no relief on surface streets, so I split until I can get off onto Auburn Blvd. past the Marconi curve.

I've been splitting lanes in CA for 40 years now, and there are still times when it is appropriate and times when it isn't, with the biggest criteria being your comfort level. Honestly, with the huge increase in CA population in my lifetime, I would probably quit riding if splitting wasn't an option...

Cheers!

John

Let me share with you how the crosswalks have evolved in my hometown, Madrid, in the past 2-3 years to improve the safety of motorbikes while splitting lanes at lights.

The main change is to provide a new zone just behind the crosswalk ONLY for bikes, so you can split lanes and stop the first at the light, without disturbing the people at the crosswalk or a cager. (I really miss that!)

Also the huge white lines used before at the crosswalks (VERY slippery with any rain) has been removed, and now they are quite similar to the ones here in the US.

But man, here in CA the lanes are usually wider, is far more easy to split among stopped cages!

Filtering saves me 40 minutes on the ride home each day on a 25 mile commute. And that is when traffic is crawling or stopped. If filtering was legal in Arizona those 5 bikers who were crushed by the cement truck might still be alive. My dad got sandwiched in Texas in slow moving traffic. Rode home nonstop to San Diego with a broken collarbone that day. One tough old bird. I miss him every day.

Spoken like a true Libertarian . (hope you never have a tax audit)

My original commute was on Madison. yuck! Wanted to filter but wasn't ready yet. After riding for a year I feel more confident. My current commute just doesn't provide many good reasons to do it. I'm told the day will come when I am ready and the traffic forces me to. But only in CA

I commute to and from work on the scooter daily among the most impacted freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lanesplitting (Filtering) is accepted, (and almost expected) by the commuters. I can't say that every driver plays nicely and gives space, but a large percentage do. When I bought the scooter, I swore I would never do it... but I soon overcame the fear of it, and got addicted to the excitement of it. I especially enjoy the speedier commute and being able to get away from the gridlock.

If done correctly, with thought and wisdom, lane splitting is not excessively dangerous. I only split the lane gap between lanes 1 and 2, wait for most cars to be side by side to prevent them sweeping me into their lane change, watch for those who are distracted (eating, cell, smoking, makeup, sexting.... ) and I give a few flashes of the high beams every so often so people wake up and make space. I try not to split between two pickup trucks, as their mirrors are almost always the same height as my mirrors.

I'm glad Web-Tech didn't get a cite from his stop, because I'm fairly confident he was doing it in a safe manner.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Steve H/B

I always split safely at a reasonable speed for each situation, with maximum attention to traffic. Need to keep a better eye out for the Blue Lights on the top though

If I see a cop when splitting lanes, I stop doing it behind him. I've split lanes for decades when living in Calif. I have never gotten a ticket in another state doing it. How is the cop in a car going to stop you if he can't move like you can?

I live in Az. now and don't split lanes here unless congestion get's really out of hand.

1 time not too many years ago a CHiP on a BMW split lanes and we were doing 75 mph! He didn't have any lights or siren on either.

In the South I was warned that if I split lanes there I might get a bullet in the back.

I don't split lanes unless the traffic is moving @ 25 mph or slower. When I pass other vehicles I watch their front tire, which will turn before their vehicle does.

You must be one of the lucky ones driving the I-15 at rush hour?

Don't think you'll be doing this again anytime soon, I'm sure he's got your #

Not near my house, which I don't usually do anyway, do it in the city mostly.

Or you can live in a place like Washington DC which is essentially the wild wild west and no traffic laws are ever enforced. It can work for you or against you... Mostly I obey the traffic laws on my bike but in very limited circumstances I'll scoot around a few cars. The problem I have with that behavior is not the cops in DC, it is the aggressive drivers. Sometimes they chase after you! But with the 400, I pretty much can always out-accelerate a care so I've been ok so far. But, as they used to say in the old TV show "Hill Street Blues" - be careful out there!

Surely you jest. No way I'm chancing a traffic ticket becoming felony evading.

Any liquid cooled engine gets hotter in the five min after it gets shut off due to the coolant not circulating any more.
In B.C. bicycles are allowed to lane split and get to the front of the line where they ball up traffic until they can get into a bike lane, its the stupidest thing.
And in regards to drivers on this continent "North America" being childish and having this Me First attitude I couldn't agree more.
Its time people grew up and cooperated to get through faster rather than balling everything up trying to be First thinking they are better-They are the cause of the problem.

Here's how I lane split.

|@|__| %|%%%%
............O|@@@@
...............|______
___O___|%%%%
|...|@| %|#####
|...|@| %|#####
|...|@| %|#####
|...|@&%|#####

Key:
@=Cars driving against the solid yellow line/right side of the road
%=Parked cars
&=ME
O=Green light
O=Red light
#=Buildings

With all that ASCII folderol in mind...

I am 4 cars back (4 cars are in front of me), the light for my direction of traffic is RED. It's a longish light. The opposite direction is obviously GREEN. The guy 3 cars in front of me, before the one sitting at the light, is extremely slow. I will filter alongside the parked cars to get along side between the slow guy and the quick guy in front of him, and stop. When the light turns green in my direction, quick guy at the light will go and slow guy will take a moment to get going. While slow guy gets it in gear, I will move up and take the gap between slow guy and fast guy, and fit back into the proper lane of traffic.

I imagine in such a situation, most people who filter do it somewhat like this, yes? Correct me if I'm wrong.

I see very little to no danger in this besides a completely unpredictable road rage incident that could erupt. But then I see the same chances for that as someone road raging at me for not being willing to drive 80kmh in the right hand 60kmh lane. I can't say whether it is arrogant or selfish of me to take advantage of the width my bike has that the frustrated cars in front of me don't have, that makes me able to filter. I will say, "I don't think so, really." and "If they could do it, I bet some of the people in front of me would do it, too." (First person that seriously throws the, "And if everyone was jumping off bridges, would you...?!" trope gets beaten with said bridge.)

When I do this parked car filtering, you can bet I drive very slowly and look out for doors that could suddenly open, cars that could edge in too close to cut me off, or simply my own error in driving that could damage either vehicle on either side of me. As long as I'm being very careful and I'm not being aggressive in my efforts to get back into the proper lane/flow of traffic, I just cannot see the problem with this.

The only thing I've seen that I TOTALLY disagree with is actual motorcycles, whether Harley bagger types or Japanese crotch rockets, using my city's designated bike lanes to get around slow traffic. Those were never for anything more than a bicycle, recumbent bike, trike-style bicycle, e-bike, Daisy's bicycle built for two, etc. so any gas-powered bike using them is truly selfish and utterly against both the spirit of bike lanes and letter of bike lane laws.

P.S. Please leave politics off this board, and most importantly, don't pull the old, "You must be a {political affiliation}! {Political affiliationists} like you ALWAYS say those kinds of things!" in a thread. Just because someone else disagrees(d) with you, doesn't mean they are of any particular political stripe nor is it even relevant. It's reactionary and meant to provoke. Argue against the argument, not the arguer. Anything else is petty and childish.

I believe driving in a bike lane in NYC is a worse offense than splitting and I generally stay out of the bike lane, particularly on avenues, which have sufficient width to provide other options.

Recently I find myself somewhat conflicted on this topic though. The street my commute home starts on has recently added a "bike lane", meaning the street was always wide enough, but now they have added some paint. I'm only on the street for one and a half blocks and I rarely see any bicycles, except for the occasional pedicab who tend to be the worst offenders of common sense as it relates to traffic flow.

So while I certainly don't want to get popped for riding in the bike lane, I can't help but wonder how someone's decision to paint a bike lane should suddenly change my behavior and how my continuing my behavior of several years suddenly makes me unbelievably selfish and dangerous. Particularly when I can't imagine there is a less effective place in this city to create a bike lane, unless the primary concern is bolstering statistics.

I think the problem when filtering in a red light is: where do you stop, trying to be as safe as possible? I dont like to stand between 2 cages.

That's why is so important a zone reserved for motorbikes before the crosswalk (see my previous images).

What I'm doing so far, is only filter in a red light if I'm going to make a left turn and the intersection is similar to the photo below, staying in the "safe zone" marked in red.

This way, I'm not staying at the crosswalk, and also not between cages.

Lane splitting is illegal and unsafe.

Having said that, certain situations call for lane-splitting as a safer way to drive, for instance, when there is ample space to split and you are the last vehicle to stop at a stop light with several cagers in front. You look behind you and there are speeding taxis, trucks that could possibly hit you. Then you split lanes for your safety.

Also, when there's heavy traffic and cagers behind you are on the phone or texting or just plain inattentive. Then go split!

Otherwise, I relax and enjoy a leisurely drive. Common sense, more than moronic laws, should rule.