Lane splitting/filtering: the legal and commonsense answers

[Zedder]

The issue is more about the morality etc of banging other peoples mirrors.

If you don't care about your own mirrors, feel free to go to pick a part to get yourself one. Get two. Maybe three so you have a spare. Heck, upgrade to one with indimicators in it.

But do you have the "right" to force that on other people? (e.g. the car drivers it would help to stay on-side with?)

Yeah, what happened to respecting other peoples property and doing things right?

[Madness]

I love this thread.

[SNF]

I just take it slow through stationary traffic and try to pass on the right when traffic isn't parked all over the center line, then I go up the inside carefully, fuck sitting in traffic. So far no clipping, nothing. Had the odd idiot who decided they didn't like a bike in front of them, generally they seem to be okay.

When I'm in the car I don't mind, I move over for the bikers, if they wanna get in front they can cos like me when I'm on my bike 2 seconds later I'm gone. Although on the motorway I duck in and out of lanes (cautiously). Seriously hate it when 2 cagers are having a wanking competition side by side and you cant get past.

[swbarnett]

I think you must be on drugs.

Only if you class caffeine as a drug.

If a motorist is minding their own business in gridlock traffic and a biker clips their wing mirror whilst lane-splitting, regardless of wether damage has been done or not, they are likely to get annoyed. In my opinion and the opinion of normal, rational people everywhere this motorist is justified in being annoyed.

Do you get annoyed if someone bumps you in a crowd? While technically I agree with you, both are in the realm of "don't sweat the small stuff". If it happened several times a day to a given driver then that would be different.

As for your denial of paint transfer following your extensive and exhaustive research (you did it twice and checked, presumably just your own mirror) that too is not the fucking point.

Actually, I chceked their mirror, not mine. As I said I was going slow enough to do so.

I'm going to paste what I posted earlier. I'm not sure if you read it or not, maybe you got distracted with all the Unicorns.

If you can't split without hitting the wing mirrors of cars you shouldn't be splitting in the first place. How would you like it if another splitting biker clipped your bike?

It has happened to me on a bicycle. I ended up with a broken wrist. My attitude was that the act was obviously not intentional and the other cyclist obviously learnt from the experience so there was no point in hitting the roof.

If a biker ends up in hospital as a result of an accident that occurred whilst they were splitting no moral self-justification or spiritual belief system (I'm struggling to describe your drivel here) will remove their physical pain or injury and the damage done to the perception of motorcyclists everywhere.

Agreed. My body, my responsibility.

They clearly fucked up, made a bad call or whatever - they shouldn't have been there, end of.

Yes and no. If the damage is the result of being run off the road then the mirror clip was not the cause, merely the trigger.

How do you think these "biggets" you speak of are created in the first place. Do you perhaps think they spent their formative years watching mummy & daddy holding up pictures of motorcycles saying "kill, kill, kill"?.

Biggets are made in two ways. There is a possible genetic component and there is most probably an environmental one also. Daddy may not have bagged motorcycles specifically but they more than likely bagged one or other minority. This creates a prejudice mentality (i.e. a bigget). Motorcycles are just one other minority group that becomes a convenient outlet for that biggetry.

Lastly for what it's worth, I don't even know your brother. If he's anywhere near as thick as you appear I'm glad about that.

This is a reference to a biblical quote (not that I'm religious) to illustrate that we should not be held responsible for the actions of others.

[Jeff Sichoe]

Yeah, what happened to respecting other peoples property and doing things right?

For the record I was talking about genuine mistakes - Not riding recklessly, or pushing limits.

[arcane12]

Wow, this thread is an eye opener. Which is good, I'll have at least one eye on the road. I had a look on Friday, but it reall yblew out since then?

Anyway I have a question to those who do split - how often is there any damage, and what level of damage? a little paint transfer, or sometimes broken mirrors? I have never needed to split living in Hamilton, and I don't usually bother to filter (except my coffee) but if I ever had to ride in Auckland rush hour I might?

[Devil]

Anyway I have a question to those who do split - how often is there any damage, and what level of damage? a little paint transfer, or sometimes broken mirrors?

There is none.
(From a daily splitter).

[imdying]

For the record I was talking about genuine mistakes - Not riding recklessly, or pushing limits.

Who's making threats donut puncher? I've seen the public motorcycle parking in Wellington, how do you feel about someone scratching your bike when they park their scooter beside it? Surely that must be ok too, that would be a genuine mistake (born of carelessness and lack of ability, exactly like hitting mirrors).

[Jeff Sichoe]

Who's making threats donut puncher? I've seen the public motorcycle parking in Wellington, how do you feel about someone scratching your bike when they park their scooter beside it? Surely that must be ok too, that would be a genuine mistake (born of carelessness and lack of ability, exactly like hitting mirrors).

It happens. Usually it's the wind...

You know what tho? I don't have a freaking meltdown about it.

Yes, that's probably because my bike isn't exactly 'mint', and I would understand someone getting up in arms over, say, $2k in fairing damage, but we weren't talking about that. We were talking about a wing mirror being clipped.

I don't think i've read anyone here saying that they would ride off into the sunset if they caused visible damage to the mirror or casing. People were talking about 'clipping' ie no harm no foul. Hardly worthy of quotes such as

You're a piece of shit and I will celebrate your death through annual threads on here that quote this post. I hope you suffer under the wheels of a bus 7 hours from now.

however.

[imdying]

It happens. Usually it's the wind...

You're full of shit, answer the question.

We were talking about a wing mirror being clipped.

So what gives you the right to decide if damaging other peoples property at any level is ok or not? Because you in your arrogance has decided it's only a little bit? You're a fuckwit of the highest order...

[bluninja]

Anyway I have a question to those who do split - how often is there any damage, and what level of damage? a little paint transfer, or sometimes broken mirrors? I have never needed to split living in Hamilton, and I don't usually bother to filter (except my coffee) but if I ever had to ride in Auckland rush hour I might?

The only time I seem to split now is when it's my turn to buy the beers

When filtering or splitting I have never had a rub, bump, or scrape against another vehicle. I have gone through gaps so narrow that I've had to tilt my bike to lift my mirrors over the car wing mirrors (or under) to get through. Perhaps I should have popped a mono instead of weaving side to side?

[f2dz]

Wow, this thread is an eye opener. Which is good, I'll have at least one eye on the road. I had a look on Friday, but it reall yblew out since then?

Anyway I have a question to those who do split - how often is there any damage, and what level of damage? a little paint transfer, or sometimes broken mirrors? I have never needed to split living in Hamilton, and I don't usually bother to filter (except my coffee) but if I ever had to ride in Auckland rush hour I might?

I've hit one or two mirros splitting and I've never seen the damage because I've been going past. But judging by the amount my mirrors moved, and how un-tight they are, I doubt it could cause any damage whatsoever.

I know eh, this thread has gone off the rails.

In other news, I had a gang member on a cruiser behind me splitting this morning and he was keeping up really well so I decided to let him pass. Shock and awe, he waved to me as he did, and not just a piss poor one or two fingers up either: hand off; WAVE. He got through the smallest gaps on that giant thing too. Man has skills.

[PrincessBandit]

I think the real issue is damage. If you clip and don't damage (same as if someone bumps into me and I'm not injured) all good. If you break the damned thing off that's a whole different issue. Just as, if someone bumps into me (intentionally or otherwise) and I'm injured as a result then once more it's a whole lot of a bigger deal.

Level or degree of damage - there's your gray area. Some folk won't bat an eye at a wee paint scrape, others will throw a prize hissy. All this talk of "shit happens, get over it" might be fine if you own a pos vehicle and don't give a rats about adding to the general deteriorated look of it, but I'm picking there'd be a few on here who are in the "as long as it happens to someone else's car and not mine..." camp. Even more precious if it's their bike that gets a mauling.


There, go gnaw on that bone for a while.

[Katman]

The reality is that there is no way of knowing what degree of damage may have been done without stopping and going back and looking.

If there really is no damage then the very least that should be expected is an apology for your carelessness.

[FJRider]

Level or degree of damage - there's your gray area.

I thought the "Grey area" was the actual legality of lane splitting ... ???