Do and don'ts of lanespliting

[enigma51]

I thought I started a thread on something that we all do or have done …… Lane splitting. But unlike other threads where we go on about if it’s legal or not I would rather let this one be about the do and donts.

The main reason for wanting to do this is because for the last two morningsI was stuck in a car having to watch a few people splitting past me and on several occasions I did think to that boy is asking to get killed! And no I don’t think I know everthing and that’s why I would like other to comment as well.


Few simple rules I try and apply.
1.Never go faster than 20km/h than the slowest car in the two lanes.
2.I set a speed lets say 60km/h and if the lane is going at that speed I stick to the lane behind a car but be careful of cars stopping suddenly so always plan a head
3.If one of the lanes are standing still and the others are moving I keep in one spot. This is the time most cars decide to pull into your path
4.Be nice to those that move out of there way for you! A lift of the hand or bow of the helmet will do
5.Be careful of cars following trucks
6.Stay away from holdens! Espically those with the holden jacket and cap
7.Stay away from ford falcons
8.stay away from BMW’s
9.Try and predict what the next 3 cars infront of you will be doing. Sometimes there are tell tail signs that would indicate a person next move. Like someone that keeps looking in the mirrors is looking for gap that type of thing

Always remember that when you are lane splitting the cars realy can’t see you when you are close to them!

Well all of you other wankers can know add something ....... usefull!

[SPman]

Usefull!

where's the fun in that...........

[boomer]

Logan, I've seen you lane split and i wouldn't call it splittin.. i'd call it sittin in traffic :drinkup:

ride safe no matter what ya do :ride:

[sAsLEX]

Mirrors are like feelers ona bug, use them
Elbows are like feelers, use them
Armour is in your gloves and jacket for a reason, use it
A bike is skinnier when leaning on its side
weaving around the cat eyes ensures better grip and see point 4
Dont try after a beer
keep and eye on the bus lanes exits for Nodman et al
Be wary of the slow splitter they can be unpredictable

[rasty]

I would add

Don't split anywhere near on or off ramps.

[madboy]

Don't ride faster than YOU feel comfortable doing
Remember how wet roads dry - the lane will dry before the bit in the centre does, therefore treat it like a wet road
Check parcel trays for lights - not only for the highstop
Cats eyes provide no grip when cranked over in a corner
If the lanes suddenly slow down or speed up, expect a car to cut you up so slow the hell down!
Before you remove someone's wing mirror, think whether you as a driver would have noticed you as a biker... if you wouldn't have, then keep both hands on the bars and say a quick thank you to your God. If you would have, downward force on a wing mirror will break it, forward or back pressure will only move it. And the area between the front wheel and front headlight is the softest area of the guard.

[Madness]

Electric aerials are expensive to replace and relatively easily snapped off. Be very careful in this regard.

Be aware of the morning/evening sun glare. Cagers are blind at the best of times, let alone when under glare conditions.

Look everywhere, all the time.

[paturoa]

- Two cars travelling next to each other at the same speed is the safest.

- When there are gaps that the cars can move into, guess what, they do!

- If one lanes start to slow down, stop splitting and sit in the faster lane, the cages start to swap lanes in both directions (go figure) without warning, or Never split if the 2 lanes speeds are significantly different.

- the faster the cars are going the quicker they swap lanes, hence the higher the risk.

[Squeak the Rat]

4.Be nice to those that move out of there way for you! A lift of the hand or bow of the helmet will do
The lift of the hand combined with the normal curl of a sports glove makes the 2 smallest fingers curl into the palm. Some car drivers think you are giving them the fingers when you do this wave.....

[bugjuice]

if another bike comes up faster than you are splitting, don't stress and don't feel pressured. They'll get their turn. Just pull into a gap where the bike behind can pass safely, then check there's no others behind that, and move on at your own pace. Most bikers will wait, and if they don't, then fuk'um, they'll just have to. Pressure will cause you to make a mistake, and that's the last thing.

Keep calm passing cop cars. The worst thing you can do is all of a sudden change your habits. That screams 'look at me!'.. Just make sure you're doing it easy and gently, not Rossi style, and they should leave you alone. It's grey area of the law, so any excuse you give, could be one they're looking for. But more often than not, they won't do much at all

[enigma51]

True about the cops buggy they do tend to be "easier" on the lane splitting thing but trust me judging by how some of the boys/girls are splitting it will not be long before they will not be as nice.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Also look in your own mirrors for traffic behind and use peripheral vision - I had a boy-racer to the side of me but back a little decide to enter my lane and didn't see me at all (how the hell not god only knows) - traffic nose to tail - I was very lucky to have just checked behind and side of me and just managed to avoid meeting metal! Too close for comfort!

[mstriumph]

stay away from elderly aisian ladies in volvos with a bowling hat on the back windowsill....:D

........ and, when intending to pass a ute with a large dog in the tray, pause to make sure aforementioned pooch is TETHERED ON A SHORT LINE before splitting :confused:

[SARGE]

DONT - try to keep up with Frosty

[mstriumph]

.......... or SPman ........ :confused:

[Gremlin]

if another bike comes up faster than you are splitting, don't stress and don't feel pressured. They'll get their turn. Just pull into a gap where the bike behind can pass safely, then check there's no others behind that, and move on at your own pace.
Yep, I have no problem coming up behind slower bikes and waiting. After a short while of perhaps not noticing me (and fair enough, I seldom look behind) I'll just give a couple of blips of the throttle. I like the sound, and they hear it :shifty:


It's grey area of the law, so any excuse you give, could be one they're looking for. But more often than not, they won't do much at all
Grey area is the best way to describe it. You can do exactly the same thing, and one time you will get pulled, and another you won't. There are so many ways to look at how they might take your splitting...

BMW, if you were looking behind while splitting, I hope you don't do it too much. You need 110% concentration in front. I very seldom check behind me, as things in front of me can cause heaps more damage. Check only when it is relatively quiet.

As for speed, I have found that too slow, and you get no-where. Too fast, and the cagers are swerving to one side as you are passing them, which is no use...

Two tips, watch out in front of trucks, if you want to use the gap, make sure no-one from the other side is doing the same thing, its common. Second, be very careful splitting between trucks/buses, especially when it is windy. I had a gap disappear once when in it, as the vehicles moved together... had to haul the bike up fast.

Ride only as fast as you can pull it up if something really bad happens.

[riffer]

DONT - try to keep up with Frosty

Yeah, I'll second that.

The biggest gripe the cops have down here is speed differential between you and the cars you're going past - even if you're only filtering.

Hence my user title. $150 that cost me...

[Rincewind]

stay away from elderly aisian ladies in volvos with a bowling hat on the back windowsill....:D

........ and, when intending to pass a ute with a large dog in the tray, pause to make sure aforementioned pooch is TETHERED ON A SHORT LINE before splitting :confused:

This is so true,there's nothing quite like the snarling clatter of teeth on your nice new Shoei first thing in the morning,it's warms up the lower half of your leathers atreat Ha Ha:killingme

[Gremlin]

The biggest gripe the cops have down here is speed differential between you and the cars you're going past - even if you're only filtering.
I still wonder which way cops go... if you split past looking uncertain, maybe unconfident, do they get you because you might be dangerous and perhaps you will immediately pull over if the lights go on??

And what do they think of the ones doing 50+ diff to the cars... nutter that needs to be stopped, or someone who obviously (well, hopefully) knows what they are doing? Do they consider trying to catch the person, or immediately dismiss the idea as it would be impossible to catch up.

Or do they try to grab the license plate?? If so, is there the time to, and is it their automatic instinct to stare at the biker, or grab the rego??

err... not that I have been thinking about this for any reason.... :shifty:

[GSX-RJIM]

Also watch the cage drivers hands as some times they indercate or move their ungloved hand upto the indercator just before they run you over.

[Odin]

And along with all the other stuff you're watching as you motor past the cars. Keep an eye on the gab as that's where you want to be and you go where you look. I spend most of my time looking at the gab 2 cars ahead while still having some focus on the cars I'm passing.
Be very careful passing a gab in the line of cars as all cagers will feel an urge to fill it.
Passing trucks and busses are best done by sitting in the other lane and hoping it goes faster at some point.
Look out at spaghetti junction in ack as the lanes are narrower there and that leaves less room for splitting
In rainy weather be extra careful and watch out for the older cars that are all fogged up.....
But most of all don't feel you have to. Do it only if you are comfortable and feel there is enough room.

[loosebruce]

I wouldn't recomend 160kph wheelies while splitting traffic, as cool as it is, but if you fuck up :confused: er not that i've ever done such things.:Police:

On a side note, i got pulled for riding in a bus lane on the m/way (no i wasn't doing a wheelie) i wasn't going overly fast (until an HP dropped in behind me) but when i stopped (when the 2nd HP that came out of thin air got tail on me) but thats another story all together.

I argued that surely with the traffic bumper to bumper in all 3 lanes that i'd be safer riding at a sedate but slightly quicker (and i was coz i knew about the 1st HP, so i's taking it easy, well for me) than the traffic flow in a nice wide bus lane (like we can ride in inner city bus lanes) but he insisted i'd be better off splitting the traffic with the numptey drivers we have around here, when i said what if someone just pulls across and wipes me ut sending me under another car? He replied well what if someone pulled into the bus lane suddenly? ah yeah okay mate. I can see law is law, but really what do you think is safer.

But i think the biggest tool for splitting is anticipation (fuck knows if thats how you speel it) but ya's know what i mean, racing other bikes in splitting races is a good way to get into trouble, but oh man is it fun.

[sAsLEX]

But i think the biggest tool for splitting is anticipation (fuck knows if thats how you speel it)

thinks its spelt "Spidey Sense", after splitting for years you often find yourself slowing for no apparent reason then all of sudden some numpty pulls in front of you.

[Flyingpony]

When splitting and following another bike. Keep one car gap distance between yourselves. If they have to stop suddenly, they won't want you plowing into their rear.

When splitting and you see another bike, careful as you pass, they might decide to go for it and cut you off, rare but could happen. Typically, they'll end up following, unless it's a goldwing or BMW (have never seen those filter).

Keep engine rpm in the middle of it's range. This means you can go faster or slower without difficulties and won't find it lugging when 10km was suddenly peeled off. Obviously the higher rpm means more noise and noise is your friend when filtering.

Be a bright spark and always have headlights on. Higher visibility is good.

Don't filter near schools :Police:

If biker gut feeling tells you to stop filtering for a moment, obey it. There's a good reason for it.

[Swoop]

1:High beam can be your friend when splitting.

2:Sometimes riders on brand-new bikes can be "jittery" with their new pride and joy when attempting a filter... "I don't want to scratch her"...
If this is you, then please move over for others.

[XP@]

Learn the "wing mirror wiggle"
The little dance you do when avoiding cage mirrors. The top of your bike leans over whilst keeping the wheels in the same direction, and then go the other way.

Learn how wide and high your bars are. Hit something hard with them and you will make like a pinball. Highly embarassing.

[Jamezo]

Learn the "wing mirror wiggle"
The little dance you do when avoiding cage mirrors. The top of your bike leans over whilst keeping the wheels in the same direction, and then go the other way.

Learn how wide and high your bars are. Hit something hard with them and you will make like a pinball. Highly embarassing.
Truly! I've used that technique to get past cars with only centimetres more than myBike + 1cageMirror of clearance. And only 1 metre between said mirrors. And a rather high differential. Fun stuff.

There is really only one rule with splitting: Watch out for the Commodores with funny lights!

How hard would it be to get legislation requiring all HP cars, mufti or otherwise, to be fitted with a radio transponder, a Bacon Beacon as it were, and so bikes could be fitted with appropriate recieving equipment?

It would cut down on the accident rate, I think. If you're going to open it up, should your attention be focused on the road, or by the side of the road?

[cruxis]

I like this guys technique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAVVBjrTu0w

[XP@]

I like this guys technique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAVVBjrTu0w

Not thought of using the horn...
Probably just a normal commute in that part of the world, makes wellington rush hour look like SH58 at 3am

[aff-man]

ok might as well put in my 2c.

-mirrors won't help you much unless you're jumping in and out of lanes. keep looking ahead cause that's where you are going.

- If you feel your concentration lapsing pull into a lane and take a breather. Lanesplitting on autopilot is a scarey thing.

-If there is someone faster than you pull over. If your faster than someone make yourself known. But remember bikes can split so said person in front may pull out into the middle of the lane to split at any time.

- Don't listen to music while splitting. Although it can cut down your commute time by half it also means your going way faster than you probably should:killingme

- white stripes and catseyes are death.

If inbetween cars are the gap is closing make a descion. This will be dependant on your bike. For those on bigger bikes a squirt of gas will get you through. I don't ercommend it on the likes of a gn though. Also if you decide to brake remember that you don't know how big the gap is behind you (in a split second) so you need to take that into account.

- there will be arseholes who try to basically ride on the centreline to stop you splitting. Take your time and go when passing such suspects because they can be most volatile.

- for those with after marked exhausts although noise is a friend it can also be a foe. Don't rev the guts out of your machine while passing If a cager isn't paying attention (which most arn't or listening to music or whatever) coming past them with exhaust blaring could freak them out and make them swerve or do something stooooopid.

- trucks are out to kill you.

[jrandom]

The worst thing you can do is all of a sudden change your habits.

Seconded. Even though there's a terrible urge to merge back into traffic and whistle innocently into your visor after unexpectedly filtering past the old HP, don't. Just keep going at the same speed.

Particularly if it's Nodman, cos you know the sadistic old bastard is gonna nick you one way or the other, and there's no point looking extra guilty about it.

[NSR-Dan]

hahahaha i have the greatest story lane splitting. i was drivin down the middle and clipped a mirror, then i got stuck at the lights.
Now strange enough the guy i clipped had actually got out of his car and started running after me.
eventully he ran up to me and started getting shiirty about me clipping his mirror, i kept on apologizing and he just stood there like an idiot repeating that same thing over and over again. now honestly i knocked a mirror it wasnt broken or scratched as it was one of those monsterous mirrors on the big 4wd's that all the yuppies drive.
now the funny part. i noticed a group of young guys (this was in otahuhu) looking into his car (he left the door open and the car running) i asked the guy if he had his car running, he just looked at me with a blank face, and soon enough about 3 guys jumped in the car and took off up a side street. i never seen a guys face go that white in a split second.

[XP@]

When splitting through stationary & near stationary traffic in town...

DO watch out for opening doors ar a passenger is being dropped off. on 2 occassions this morning I was left with less than 2m to stop when a passenger decided to get out.

I was lucky I was covering clutch and both brakes, otherwise my new bike would be looking not so new.

[sAsLEX]

I was lucky I was covering clutch and both brakes, otherwise my new bike would be looking not so new.

People are generally nice and squishy, use them to help slow without damaging the bike :blip:

[XP@]

People are generally nice and squishy, use them to help slow without damaging the bike :blip:
Yes, I agree, but the door can cause a bit of damage to your footpegs and underbelly as you wheely through it. Unless you have the fore-thought to kick it off the hinges before you hit it.

The other option is to detour through the front seet of the car and out through the drivers door. This can get a bit messy if it ain't a soft top with a column shift.

[diggydog]

very good i think i come in this catagroy, i like that about holden & ford they are most likely muffty's

[Freakshow]

Another one is remember that big gap you find in front of trucks is there for a reason, they take longer to stop. And when I come up to the back of the que I wait till everybody has settled and stopped there last thought lane change before I take the middle lane

[Jonty]

What are everyones view on splitting in a single lane two way street? Most mornings I find myself in a line of traffic but the other lane (in the opoosite direction) is clear. Usually I filter down the middle but it is hard to tell if a bus is gonna some the other way on these narrow bloody streets and make a sandwich out of you.

Any dos don'ts for this situation?

[XP@]

What are everyones view on splitting in a single lane two way street? Most mornings I find myself in a line of traffic but the other lane (in the opoosite direction) is clear. Usually I filter down the middle but it is hard to tell if a bus is gonna some the other way on these narrow bloody streets and make a sandwich out of you.

Any dos don'ts for this situation?
Try "Hopping" from one space to the next, make sure you always have somewhere to go if the bus (or fat barina) comes the other way.

You also need to watch out for right turners, if there is nothing coming then they may just decide to cut across your path without warning.

[Gremlin]

Any dos don'ts for this situation?
As XP has said, really have to watch out for turning cars, mind you, this also applies when you are travelling in the slow lane, which hasn't stopped, but the others have. Interesting to see a car right in front of you...

One from this morning... when a bike comes up behind you... would you mind awfully pulling into a lane, so I don't have to split at your speed?? It was unusual, because I came up behind you and you were sitting there, right behind a car straddling 2 lanes, so perhaps you had just had a close shave... and perhaps didn't know I split faster than you, but it would have been nice. A buell I think it was, on the southern.

Ultimately, as much as we do it, cars still don't seem to expect us, so be ultra vigilant.

[NodMan]

DONT - try to keep up with Frosty


I DON'T!!!
(he knows i just wait for him at the next ramp ... eh Frosty!!)

seriously guys its easy ...Just treat every lane as its own single lane road AND then only OVERTAKE vehicles staying within that lane..which ever one it is!!

Dont undertake (unless the other vehicle is completely stationary OR has its right indicator showing that it is about to turn or MOVE to the right)

that way you dont get a piece of paper from me( I can save them up for all those deserving cage drivers) and I dont have to visit ya at hospital or the morgue

[Gremlin]

seriously guys its easy ...Just treat every lane as its own single lane road AND then only OVERTAKE vehicles staying within that lane..which ever one it is!!
It sounds easy, but it ain't. Cagers seem to love to occupy the right hand side of lanes... I swear it.

I figure I'm not aiming to kill myself any time soon, so if there's a huuuge gap in the fast lane, and a couple of mm in the medium lane, I'll use that. I don't need the cagers to account for me. The muppets just have to stay still, use their indicators like they are supposed to, and all will be fine.

[boomer]

lmfao.. Gemlin.. in ur avatar you've cut yaself out then put it further on a lean!!!! sif :bye:

[Gremlin]

lmfao.. Gemlin.. in ur avatar you've cut yaself out then put it further on a lean!!!! sif :bye:
if it looks like a greater lean :bleh: then you can thank lazy for me, did it of his own accord, and it looks bloody awesome. I love my avatar :first:

[boomer]

if it looks like a greater lean :bleh: then you can thank lazy for me, did it of his own accord, and it looks bloody awesome. I love my avatar :first:


it looks ghey and yes theres a huge lean been added, i'm tempted to red rep you for

being a wanna be
having a wankerish Gareth_d avatar


so..so..sooooo tempted....:lol:

* edit.. fek it.. red rep dispatched

[N4CR]

it looks ghey and yes theres a huge lean been added, i'm tempted to red rep you for

being a wanna be
having a wankerish Gareth_d avatar


so..so..sooooo tempted....:lol:

* edit.. fek it.. red rep dispatched

What if you take the piss out of gareth_d :blip:

[Gremlin]

being a wanna be
having a wankerish Gareth_d avatar

I would like to point out that I didn't make it... and it doesn't have nearly as much poor taste...

You're jealous aren't you?? :nya:

*sniff* me first red rep.... I was sooooo trying to get to the full coooool looking boxes.... I better start a thread to question the meaning of red rep :doobey: not... :killingme

[mstriumph]

get back on topic :yes: !!!!

here's another thing to remember about lane-splitting .......

don't try it in a cage!!!

[Gremlin]

lol... dummy... reminds me how I could have been, between a truck and bus one time... saw the light at the end getting much too small :gob:

Whatever you do, if you're going to go for a gap, don't second guess yourself, weigh it up in the nanosecond you get, and do or do not. If the car in front brakes, while you go for it (some wankers will even brake check you, with nothing in front) keep going and just speed up your manoeuvre. If you are right behind a car when starting, and they brake, you'll never stop anyway.

Also, the inevitable roll on, roll off of the throttle as you second guess yourself will probably upset the bike.

[UrbanMyth]

fair enough. I must be a rebel :( .. :D:D

[SARGE]

I DON'T!!!
(he knows i just wait for him at the next ramp ... eh Frosty!!)

seriously guys its easy ...Just treat every lane as its own single lane road AND then only OVERTAKE vehicles staying within that lane..which ever one it is!!

Dont undertake (unless the other vehicle is completely stationary OR has its right indicator showing that it is about to turn or MOVE to the right)

that way you dont get a piece of paper from me( I can save them up for all those deserving cage drivers) and I dont have to visit ya at hospital or the morgue



and while doing all the above.. be aware of the weather and visibility.. hey Nod.. what are the rules regarding use of hazard lights while splitting ?

[Jamezo]

One from this morning... when a bike comes up behind you... would you mind awfully pulling into a lane, so I don't have to split at your speed?? It was unusual, because I came up behind you and you were sitting there, right behind a car straddling 2 lanes, so perhaps you had just had a close shave... and perhaps didn't know I split faster than you, but it would have been nice. A buell I think it was, on the southern.

Aww, sometimes bikes coming up behind you don't always want you to pull over. Just this week I came up to a shiny sprotsbike who wasn't splitting quite as aggresively (well, t'was in the wet) as myself, and I thought I'd just match his splitting and have a little buddy for the ride. But no, he mistook my friendliness for impatience, and waved me ahead. Pooh. Ironically, his number plate was 'U2SLO'

[Pancakes]

I have the option of takingt he north western or the northern into town and the nw splitters are so much more on-to it. I do agree though, if someone comes up behind you and you can't see because your mirrors are aimed into the cars to check out the girlies seat-belt cleavage (2nd best thing about the upgrade from lap belts next to the still being alive thing) ADJUST THEM. If you just don't look much, thats ok but do check when you get a chance and if your one of the (must be a new biker thing) riders who does the cage trick of moving your eyes to the mirrors a few times and still not seeing me I'll take it like your just rude. I see people behind me a bit and move the first time I have a chance, I also wave them by so they can use the gap instead of wondering if I'm gonna pull back out again. (Roughly) Half the riders out there pass me and half I overtake so I figure I'm pretty average. ONE THING THAT PISSES ME OFF, who is splitting with the left indicator on. I know 99% of the time we're undertaking (in the far right lane on the left of the cars) but do you want to advertise that to the guys in the party cars? I leave my right one on as a flashing yellow light will help me be seen and the car cops on the side of the road might (fingers crossed) think I'm passing correctly and leave me alone. I hope. Tottaly agree though about gaps, go faster in the spare room if you like but cars will change lanes just for the hell of it and a gaps a likely place for that to happen.

PS, if your the guy who thinks he's splitting by sitting on the cats eyes at the same speed as the cars can you not block the lane?

PPS, I got pulled over once by a cop who looked like Napoleon Dynamites cousin Kip which was funny by it's self and he told me bikes shouldn't do that swerving thing, when I asked what that was he said when peole keep changing lanes left right etc and I say, what, don't change lanes? and he says yes then looked confused. I will carry on changing lanes, can thay arresst me for not complying with the instructions of an officer hahahahaha.

Tired and rambling. massive post but I haven't said anything for so long it's all pent up

[Gremlin]

If you are switching from lane to lane, if they want to nail you, they can, as stopping it legally, is bloody hard.

Being pedantic, you must indicate each lane change for 3 seconds, before you execute the move.

Using the right indicator is correct, as this is the indicator used to overtake another car, while you are both in the same lane... also allows you one out into the fast lane... as you were indicating :blip:

As has been covered... you cannot pass on the left of the cars in the fast lane. Its technically illegal, and they can bust you for it.

[rwh]

seriously guys its easy ...Just treat every lane as its own single lane road AND then only OVERTAKE vehicles staying within that lane..which ever one it is!!

How does all this fit in with 2 seconds of following distance? Does that only apply if you're directly behind?

[jord]

the only do and dont of lane splitting is dont

[Pancakes]

what? I bet you wait at the back of the lights too? Crikey crapsville batman. Can you just go to a store these days and they'll give a bike to anybody? Whats the point of riding a bike (in rush hour) if you can't get somewhere in half the time? It's not that I think I'm better than other motorists, no sir, just in a car you get radio and dryness and to wait at the back and on a bike you get to be wet and cold but to excersise freedoms that aren't descibeable in law books. i'm not saying you should go out and try to kill yourself to proove anything just that there are "grey areas" of the law (and road) that bikes are able to take advantage of. No wonder you have a honda car badge as your little pisture thing not a honda bike logo. Your a closet cager. Next time your in a slow moving motorway try it. You might just like it sam I am.

[NSR-Dan]

dont try and keep up with nathan reid, he's like a frickin ping pong ball on his scooter

[XP@]

DO: use your brain
DONT: split with complete disregard for other road users.

I followed rider in this morning who was up the arse of every car, cutting in when ever there was a bike sized gap. He forced about 3 cars to make evasive manouvers. He was 2 cars ahead of me when we arrived in to town. I had ridden within the law (3 seconds indication, no passing on the left in the same lane etc) picking my time to pass safely.