Objective lane splitting info update

**Swoop** · 24th March 2009, 10:03

Likewise with the description of "weaving".
Do we need to bring wool or something?

**cheshirecat** · 24th March 2009, 10:58

Good post.
I filter through slow to stationary traffic. Passed a cop car and asked them if I was allowed to and they just laughed and waved me on. Think it's as per all above, just do it with respect to others safety or been seen to.
As a matter of interest if a car sees me and pulls over I do wave in thanks and this makes a diference as over time more and more pull over. Having said that I've long used up all my nine lives (and traffic goodwill) despatch riding so need to be a bit carefull these days.

**Mikkel** · 24th March 2009, 11:19

Originally Posted by dpex

You'll appreciate the cops have a very tight budget, thus chasing moon-beam charges....charges based entirely upon a perception of a minor misdemeanour....and defended in court, is deemed poor use of budget.

Originally Posted by jrandom

There's at least one Auckland motorcycle cop who's a cunt, though. Gave one of the downtown bicycle couriers a $150 ticket t'other day for riding the wrong way along an empty Federal St.

I bet he doesn't drink G&Ts then.

Time to put one of the theories of dpex's post to the test.

**CookMySock** · 24th March 2009, 11:41

Originally Posted by Mikkel

Time to put one of the theories of dpex's post to the test.

Again, people, please do not test the outer limits of this, or you might find all these lovely fun grey areas of the law get changed into nice definitively clear black and white text, with lots of new rules added, and then everyones' fun and games are over!

I love riding the grey areas of the law too, but please be responsible with this or we will lose it - plenty of other countries have.

Steve

**Anarkist** · 24th March 2009, 17:38

So you're saying I shouldn't split at 100km/hr?

**Edbear** · 24th March 2009, 17:58

Originally Posted by Anarkist

So you're saying I shouldn't split at 100km/hr?

Yeah, prolly not a great idea... Too many oblivious car drivers and a very real chance of having one of those, "Oh crap, I'm going to die!" moments...

**dpex** · 24th March 2009, 19:52

Originally Posted by vifferman

From my experience, no; cops generally pull you over having already decided to give you a ticket or a warning. So unless the cop was in a "I'll see what this biker has to say for himself" frame of mind, and then the biker behaves like a twunt, the die is already cast.

By the way - what is "lane weaving"? I have been riding for a long time, and communtering in D'Auckland for over 9 years, and this is the first time I've heard this term.

You take two motorway lanes, one in each hand, and you weave them together.

Seriously though. Lane-splitting is passing in the same lane as the car you're passing. Lane-weaving is when you move from left lane to right, betwist cagers, then back again betwixt the next cager ahead.

**dpex** · 24th March 2009, 19:55

Originally Posted by Anarkist

So you're saying I shouldn't split at 100km/hr?

I'm not saying you shouldn't. Fill your boots but don't expect any sympathy from an annoyed cop, or a frightened cager who doess the *555 on you.

**Kemet** · 24th March 2009, 19:57

Originally Posted by vifferman

... the biker behaves like a twunt....

Twunt?? That's a first for me!! Twunt.....

Twunt....

mmm. Will have to try that one in a conversation this week....

You should have posted that word in this thread.

Originally Posted by Mikkel

I bet he doesn't drink G&Ts then.

Time to put one of the theories of dpex's post to the test.

Which theory would that be??

...or should we run a poll for that one...

**dpex** · 24th March 2009, 20:05

I had an interesting experience today, on SH2, just north of the new road. Was driving my cage on account of I took a friend trout fishing at Rotorua.

That's the first time I've driven das cage in ages.

Anyway, despite the fact I'm on the mirrors every 60 seconds or so, I failed to notice a dude on an RGV 150 sneak up behind me. My first notice was the high-pitched whine as he passed a way too close to me, (actually in the left lane...open-road lane splitting, I guess, because b) he passed on that blind right-hander just after leaving the new road.

I have to say I felt a slight sense of shock because the sound preceded me seeing him cos he'd tucked into my blind-spot (my cage is a van, BTW) and when I saw him he was close enough for me to reach out and tap his helmet.

It made me wonder if I shouldn't maybe give cagers a bit more notice before passing via the point-and-go method; given I'm a very experienced cage driver and have done a few thousand hours on my bikes over the years. Yet the pass this lad made caused me to bridle a bit.

Just a thought.

**dpex** · 24th March 2009, 20:10

Originally Posted by cheshirecat

Good post.
I filter through slow to stationary traffic. Passed a cop car and asked them if I was allowed to and they just laughed and waved me on. Think it's as per all above, just do it with respect to others safety or been seen to.
As a matter of interest if a car sees me and pulls over I do wave in thanks and this makes a diference as over time more and more pull over. Having said that I've long used up all my nine lives (and traffic goodwill) despatch riding so need to be a bit carefull these days.

You make a good point, mate. I've been noticing more and more cagers pulling over to let me past, especially on the highways in slow traffic. And like you, I always wave a thanks.

I know it pisses me off when I let some into a space and get no acknowledgement, yet it makes the moment when such a let in does, or some rag-arsed teen waves a thanks to me for stopping at a crossing.

Common courtesy. The more you do the more you attract.

**rebel** · 24th March 2009, 20:49

At the end of the day it all comes down to commonsense. We can only hope it is exercised by both our side and from the police. I have been pulled over before by a bikie cop one morning, told me to lane split at speeds below 40kmh, and if I'm weaving thru traffic, indicate (no shit). Good bastard anyway.
Some might remember a few Mondays ago Transit fucked up and only had three city bound lanes open on the bridge... While traffic was nearly stand still I saw a cop on a bike go on the rhs shoulder, which I thought was more frowned on than lane splitting... who knows.

**PuppetMaster** · 25th March 2009, 14:27

I get the feeling the rules are different in Wellington. I often see splitting at 100kph, Im not the slowest splitter either and Im often letting others past. Plus, some cunty cop gave me a ticket for splitting, at less than 30kph, told me that I cant split if the vehicles are moving, I told him yes I can, he said I need to read the road rules, I told him least I can read and I'll see him in court. Waste of fuckin time, no way he could prove I was even splitting.

**CookMySock** · 25th March 2009, 15:24

Originally Posted by PuppetMaster

[he] told me that I cant split if the vehicles are moving, I told him yes I can

Yup. The law quite clearly states you can overtake if there is room - even if there is a yellow no-passing line, providing you do not cross that yellow line.

I would just not pay the fine, and force them to take you to court. I seriously doubt they would go through with that.

Steve