Modern Vespa

My wife and I were splitting lanes in heavy traffic last night on the way to our fitness class in Orange when a guy in a red truck spit at me as I was passing him!! Has this ever happened to you? My instinct was to hit the brakes and wait for him but I took a deep breath knowing I had the wife on back and kept riding. Any thoughts on this and has this ever happened to you?

I typically don't split lanes (and I'm no attorney), but technically speaking, you've been assaulted. I probably would've reported it as such.

That's disgusting behaviour. It's never happened to me but I was once the victim of a water-pistol drive by shooting when riding my bicycle! Even that made me livid but you've just got to let these things go because guns aren't yet legal in England.

It happened to me years ago in Rome. It really pissed me off, but I doubt it was done on purpose, as the guy just spit out of the window as I was passing him on his left. Still sucked to clean out the legshield! I am sure that if he had hit me on my body instead of the scooter I would not have just let it go...

You might get spit on here but on on purpose.
Lots of folks dipping "Skoal".
I don't split lanes. The only time I ever see it done
is guys on sport bikes, and I dont want to be compared to
them. Here they are crazy and rude riders.
Stan

Don't people bring on a lawsuit for every tiny incident like that in this country? This sounds like a good news headline, "Scooterist wins 1.3 mil in redneck spitting assault case."

I split lanes through the French Quarter and if something like that would happen to me, I would hope that I would have my camera phone handy to snap a pic of their license plate, then promtly call my cop friend.

Now I have many friends and relatives that are "rednecks"
and they would never spit on someone.
That would be what we call "white trash"
Stan

You have to let them go because guns are legal here.

While commuting home yesterday after work on the 405 south, I left 45 mins late, the traffic was almost at a standstill. I was lane splitting and a women in a green Subaru Forrester just didnt want me to go around her. She blocked me at every oppertunity and when I finally got beside her, she spit at me ! she missed and I slowed down and passed her on the other side. Some people are just so rude.

Only in America!

How about spitting back?

I started to carry this when I had a run in with an SUV driver last year.
I would only use it in a last resort situation.

http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/keychain.htm

I think I glanced at the original "red truck" and read it as "redneck." I don't know if there is a proper term that would be p.c. here. No offense to anyone who is redneck-proud.

Your truly a lady.
I drive a red Dodge truck.
I swear it wasn't me.
Stan

When I rode across Oregon and Washington a few years ago on my Honda Silverwing, it seemed drivers in those states were much less tolerant of lane splitting than here in California. On a couple of occasions, they were actually hostile. Since people in those states have always seemed pretty friendly and mellow in other respects, it made me wonder why this. Was it just coincidence? Or are there other reasons like perhaps different laws on lane splitting? Or maybe my California plate?

Ed

Never spit into the wind!!!!

Well I had a big rig truck driver spit down on my passenger window of my truck as I was merging in bumper to bumper traffic one time. I was so PISSED! I was just unwrapping my Big Carls JR hamburger with everything on it. Please I dont condone this behavior but I got in front of him then stopped my truch suddenly and got out, Threw my Big Burger right at his front window ...SPLAT! burgeer mess direct hit!......He hit his brakes and stalled his diesel truck, It was over 105 outside, Diesels dont start when they're hot. I drove off and he was stuck for as long as I could see.
I know this was wrong to do,roadrage, stupid,etc. It was a long time ago but it did feel good

Ive grown up now and only throw fits.

The Calif. plate didn't help, but in Washington State, lane-splitting isn't allowed.

If lane splitting is legal in your area, as it is in most areas, then report it as soon as possible.

Well don't spit straight ahead, spit off to the side and in front, the wind should carry it for you... just don't do it with the visor down, and be careful with a full face... maybe better not do it at all.

Haven't been spat on but had an ashtray emptied out the window in front of me, as well as regular cigarette flicks . I am awaiting the day a ciggy-but lands on me... I think I would stop and return to sender.

In previous threads about lane-splitting, many scooterists from states where it's not permitted were pretty vehemently opposed to it. Most CA drivers are used to it and pretty tolerant, especially in urban areas. I frequently have people scoot their cars a bit to one side to give me more room (or protect their side mirror, whichever).

Meanwhile, drivers from other states who visit CA and see lane splitting are often freaked out by it.

just clear your throat out and do one back!! bend their mirror the wrong snap their mirror off as well. then ride off. im not a violent person but what is the need for spitting on motorcyclists? or *do the right thing* by just getting his plate and reporting it to the feds.

I don't *think* it's legal many places in the US, other than California. Most other places in the world, it's standard.

There was a law proposed in Illinois last year that would have allowed it, but the small print said that everyone would have to wear helmets. I'm pro-helmet and anti-lane splitting, but that was pretty sneaky. It didn't pass.

B.

Let me back Stan up by saying that there are wonderful sports bike riders all over the US, but in the Greater Atlanta area they indeed have a well deserved bad reputation for their crazy driving, illegal behavior, and rude antics.

As far as I know lane spliting is not legal in
Georgia. It may happen downtown but not
here in subs.
I would be afraid someone would open a door
on me. Or knock me down and beat the snot out
of me. It wouldn't be tolerated very well, and I know
you would get pulled over if seen.
Stan

Common theme in the cowboy and ethnic West and Midwest...


Don't Californicate (insert State)!



In the end it's really aout the spirit of MV...respect and tolerance....

i usually empoly the *move or i will move you* tactics. if someone tries to move over to stop me passing. i will quite happily bend their mirror in and smile at them while im doing it. i sometimes yell *if you want to get there on time buy a scooter!* but i only do this if they deliberateley see me coming in their mirrors and try to stop me getting past. most people move to the side for me which is nice

Not a scientific study but it seems to me that most of the drivers who cut me up are in BMW's - then again it may just be that they're so common here - get something rare like a Vauxhall Astra!

that's what i'm sayin!

hehehe!

Hey is this thread about splitting or spitting !

Appaling behaviour. Spreads disease ...

Clearly a sign of jealousy - and with 70 MPG can you blame them ??

Ms "happy go lucky" GTS

Mercedes drivers are the worst in London - driven by vulgarians, for vulgarians!

Seriously, when you draw up next to one at the lights, they give you no room whatsoever. I tend to tap on their window - the look of fear as they realise someone touched the car is quite something....

[quote="JohnW"]Not a scientific study but it seems to me that most of the drivers who cut me up are in BMW's -

it's true!!! based on my limited experience they are also the most likely to flick their cigarette ash in your face after racing past you at the traffic lights. what in the world is up with that? do they all belong to some kind of idiot's club? (no offense intended to anybody who has a BMW as a 'second car...')

I lanesplit in NYC all the time, and very few people have ever given me a hard time. One exception though: I had to merge in front of a car at a light because my path was blocked by a double-parked car. The driver to my left was dead set on me not getting in front of her as I tried to angle in. She moved up to the point where she was just about touching my bike, and I was in a position where there was no way I could move out of the way. The second the light changed, she gunned it and ran over my foot. It didn't help her much, since I was easily able to get around her, slowed to a near standstill, and showered her with verbal abuse before finally taking off well ahead of her.

I have to admit, I don't understand the mentality of drivers like that. We are not actually slowing down their ride at all, and it's not as if they can ultimately succeed in preventing you from getting by. The minute a space opens up, I'm past them.

Brendan

If I ever split lanes in my city, I'd end up with an ass full of cowskull horns from the grill of the truck behind me.

I really don't know what I would do - We are moving to SOCAL this coming summer and it may come up - then again - you never know....

I like the think I would leave it and just laugh all the way home knowing they were still sitting there in the cage, still waiting......

It Happen to me a while back, after work, it was a 2 lane on ramp to the freeway with a 2 cars per green light. I was splitting lanes when i see this guy looking back through his Rear window, waiting for me to get close, good thing i had my visor down, it hit my helmet, I pulled over and cleaned my Visor, the asshole was pretty much stuck in traffic, so i walked up to the car, caught him by surprise, cuase he was laughing his ass off, which really gave me even more pleasure to do what I was about to do.

Let's just say, spit was not the only thing that came out of his mouth,
I calculate 2 teeth and about a ounce of red spit. In my Book A Real peace of shit.

If that doesn't help, I don't know what will. Haha, inspiring story.

I have been spit on by rednecks in a truck and it was on pupose. Also I have had things tossed out the windo at me. This one guy in a truck had turned his windshield wiper sprayers to spray to the side and when he saw me coming he tried to spray me but I stopped in time. As I sped up to pass thinking it was an accident he tried to spray me again.

At this point I gunned it, broke his side mirror and split, serves him right.