Lebensraum

[Badjelly]

This is in response to one of the posts on the "Made a cage driver cry thread", but I wanted to bring my post to a different thread as it's a bit off-topic there

I think the law should apply that you need to give a bike as much room as you would a car.

I agree (though I think the law *does* require other vehicle users to give motorcyclists adequate room). I normally drive my bike as if it's as wide as a car. I take up a whole lane and I don't expect other road users to share a lane with me (except maybe, very occasionally, other bikers).

But how do people who think this square it with lane splitting. When you lane split you're saying, "I don't need a whole lane thanks, I'll just sqeeeeze down here. Oops, took out your wing mirror." (Well, maybe not exactly that.)

I don't lane split, but then I don't drive on roads where it's necessary, and if I had to commute on the Auckland NW motorway I might change my mind. (More likely, I'd change my job or my home.) I must say when I see people do it, I don't like the look of it. More to the point, I don't see how someone who does it can demand a whole lane when he/she chooses.

[PuppetMaster]

If your splitting your not really taking a lane are you.....no, not really. I think you'll find the majority of people that split and then move back into traffic, move back into a space not occuppied by another vehicle.

Weird thread

[pzkpfw]

1. Splitting is different to being split.

The rider sees the gap ahead and is able to judge whether his or her bike will fit.

A car that comes from behind to go next a bike simply can't be trusted.

(Though, yes, the same law that makes splitting "legal" makes it legal for cars to do that to bikes.)

2. Changing lanes is not splitting. Being split while you change lanes is not safe.

[Mikkel]

...
The rider sees the gap ahead and is sometimes able to judge whether his or her bike will fit.
...

There, fixed.

[jrandom]

Lebensraum?

Yes.

I think it should be our cultural imperative to simply drop bombs on the cage drivers and roll over them with tanks until they shut up and get the fuck out of our way.

[Badjelly]

A car that comes from behind to go next a bike simply can't be trusted.

Strangely enough, some car drivers think that way about bikes.

[ital916]

I was thinking about the very problem two days ago, when I decided to lane split for one of the first times. The traffic was horrendous and it was pissing down, thus I decided to split to the front of the cue. I'd have to agree with jelly on this one, as most cage drivers will see it as they don't require their own lane and all. Thus I reckon I will lane split in only the most horrendous of traffic conditions i.e standstill for ages, and only when there is definitely a safe situation! Lets have a go at cyclists too, silly buggers run red lights...you wanna do that get off yer bike and push it across with pedestrians when the crossing signal comes up!

[James Deuce]

If you are going to ride your bike to work in a city with dense commuter traffic you have a moral obligation to split as much as you feel safe doing, and at speeds you feel safe doing. Bear in mind that you can avoid or escape from a lane change (including being hit. Pasty bee saw this happen to me one morning and I didn't even have to put a foot down to stay on the bike and avoid further contact. No damage either), but being rear ended is always going to hurt.

Motorcycles reduce congestion if you split and filter. If you don't you may as well take the car.

I have hit precisely one mirror in 20 years. Serves him right for swerving at me. I backed up and put it back on for him.

[jrandom]

I have hit precisely one mirror in 20 years. Serves him right for swerving at me. I backed up and put it back on for him.

Since I started commuting on Betty, I hit mirrors pretty much every day.

Clonked one with my clutch lever this morning, in fact.



Fortunately, I find that I can just square it with my conscience by deciding not to give a fuck.

[koba]

I have hit precisely one mirror in 20 years. Serves him right for swerving at me. I backed up and put it back on for him.

Sounds like a funny story...

[James Deuce]

It's amazing how they refuse to make eye contact.

[Str8 Jacket]

It's amazing how they refuse to make eye contact.

Yep, even when there window is down and you are yelling right at them through it with ya visor up.
Though they always seem to manage a hand gesture or two as you are riding AWAY.....

[Swoop]

Though they always seem to manage a hand gesture or two as you are riding AWAY.....

I would have thought that their bleeding right ear, would be requiring all of their attention as you ride away.

An open car window... not a good idea if you are sitting in your cage, with an irate biker beside you, that your [lack of] driving skill has just pissed off.

[pzkpfw]

It's amazing how they refuse to make eye contact.

My memory may be wrong but I think you're putting a different slant on this story now...

[jcupit69]

If you are going to ride your bike to work in a city with dense commuter traffic you have a moral obligation to split as much as you feel safe doing, and at speeds you feel safe doing.

Motorcycles reduce congestion if you split and filter. If you don't you may as well take the car.

Exactly, who gets a bike to sit in traffic??
Were doing car drivers a favor by filtering; if only they'd realise it!!!!

Lebensraum?

Yes.

I think it should be our cultural imperative to simply drop bombs on the cage drivers and roll over them with tanks until they shut up and get the fuck out of our way.

Ahhhhhhh, thats the place i dream of

Others have a good point, there is a huge difference between splitting and being split, mainly the fact that you know whats going on when your splitting (as much as possible anyway).

Must say that im glad i only rarely have to commute in peak hour traffic, i dont know if cage drivers are jelous, but they dont seem to like people filtering, eitha that or there just stupid.....eitha way jrandom is spot on!!!