Lane-Splitting in California

OK. Let's make one thing clear; it is not legal, nor illegal to lane-split in California. However... everyone on a motorcycle lane splits, especially during commute hours, and even more so in Southern California. For those of us on a bike, we want to get places faster and not have to sit in stale traffic, so we split. For those of you in a car, I think most of you are grateful that we are not another vehicle standing in your way of getting to or from work / home.

I have noticed that almost all California plated vehicles respect that there is that extra little space in their lane and let us pass. Hell, in most cases it is the big trucks, buses, and cargo vans that find a few extra inches to spare so we can pass. Most of us know that we shouldn't get upset by drivers that don't move over when we approach. For those that take the extra effort, I try to make it a point to say thanks with either a wave or over exaggerated head nod when I am working the clutch or throttle. Besides, we understand your plight; you are stuck in traffic, tired, and rockin' out to some CDs or MP3s just to stay awake. You don't always hear or see us, and we understand that. Mistakes are mistakes, and the very few close calls I have had were not malicious so I move on reminded that the drivers are just as responsible for my safety as I am.


But the out of state plates are where the problem lies!

Normally I watch for oddball license plates because I know that most out-of-state drivers are not aware of the symbiotic relationship the cars and bikes have here in Cali. Well, yesterday (Monday, March 23, 2009) I was cruising down the 210 headed East. I came upon another rider who seemed to be enjoying her new Sportster. She was splitting, but at a much slower pace than I was. As I approached, I blipped my throttle, and she got over and I passed her giving her a friendly wave for letting me play through.

I then started to think about the beauty that was all of these people on the freeway. Here is a group of people that, if under different conditions, would most likely not work together in any way shape or form. Yet, there we all were. Operating heavy machines in concert. We were all working to battle the same enemy, traffic. In a sense we battle ourselves, twice a day, Monday through Friday.

So... as you can see from the last paragraph I got distracted in my thoughts and was not on my A-game. That is when I was approaching a Ford Escape or Honda Pilot. It was some sort of silver SUV in that class with a Nebraska license plate. The driver, who looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch model, swerved to cut me off. Well that caused me to react in a moment of WTF!

So I am now on the paint, trying to not hit the cars to my right. Blerg! I look over my shoulder at the driver to see what his facial expression was, and it said "I hate you!" At this point I knew, even though I had not seen it yet, that this was an out-of-state driver. My fellow commuters we so shocked at the situation that they all backed off and left me the room I needed to handle my newly found friend.

I slowed down and got behind my Corn Husker buddy. I noticed the plates and realized that he was administering Nebraska justice in California. My mind went immediately to the woman I passed on her new Sportster just moments earlier. I was glad I passed her. Even if we were of the same skill set, I was on the more agile bike so it was best I was the "victim" of the Nebraska plated vehicle.

I had a decision to make; do I harass this asshole, or just move on? I thought about the Sportster again and realized that he, like others I have encountered, was administering justice, and probably wouldn't stop. This amazes me because regardless of what I may be doing, he rather engage in an act that could very well result in the death of the rider. I proceeded to rev my engine (Buell 1203 Thunderstorm with a Jardine pipe), popup my front end, swerve, and flash my high-beams. As my exit approached, I didn't have time for him, and any further harassment may have been seen as road-rage, so I rode up next to him. His wife was scared, and so was he. From about two feet away I gave him the single digit salute and rode away.

Now I know what some readers may be thinking, "you did exactly what he did." Well, you are right, I did. I acted out and took justice into my own hands. But my form of justice did not almost result in a fatal accident. What it did do is make the silver SUV from Nebraska traveling East on the 210 freeway at approximately 18:10 on March 23, 2009 in Arcadia, California think twice about almost killing a motorcyclist.

Remember this, and this goes for everybody, if you kill someone on a freeway due to road-rage you will go to jail. You will have to live with the death of that person on your conscious while enjoying the company of the local prison gangs.