Lane Slitting, Do or Dont, Wish you could

[Redbird]

There does need to be more awareness about the merging scenario.

The proper merge technique is called a "zipper merge". Cars from each lane alternate merging. So when people get all pissed off at the one dude who "cuts into the line" by taking the empty lane, he's actually the guy doing it right. For best flow, traffic should make use of all lanes for as long as possible. Everyone piling into the left lane early (when the right lane is ending) is actually causing traffic to be worse.

Correct. And if everybody zippered in properly it'd work out great. But as Sonic mentioned, most cagers here aren't that smart and/or kind. What happens is one lane gets impatient and more than one car jumps in line, so the other lane gets pissed and stops allowing the others (that weren't the ones who jumped in) to merge, which makes the first lane pissed and they start jumping in more than one car at a time, and... then it just becomes a big "fuck you, I'm going" situation. People here are too self absorbed. Nobody is more important than they are.

And Sonic, there's a Motorcycle Awareness Campaign (MAC) that was started here in Louisiana, but is spreading rapidly. I've been a member for years. You can check them out at www.macorg.com

To answer the original question... I don't and won't lane split. Too dangerous (and illegal) where I live. I might consider it, if it was legalized, but only years after it was legalized and cagers were accustom to the practice.
Now I have rolled slowly down the shoulder a very few times, when traffic was at a standstill. But only when the temps were high and the bike was running hot.

 

[boingk]

Its not legal here (Australia), but I think is being made legal shortly in stationary traffic. There has been a trial period in Sydney and apparently thats gone well... ie everyone has carried on doing it as they always have. Its also common for motorcyclists to run along the shoulder if its gridlocked or there is a traffic stop ahead.

As an aside I've has cops flash me plenty of times whilst I've been doing it. They've never caught me because... uh... I'm splitting away from them through heavy traffic that they are stuck in.

Not condoning high speed splitting or doing it in moving traffic, but very slow (walking pace) or stationary traffic... it makes sense to use your bikes ability to just cut to the front, so why not?

FWIW, we mostly turn left after stopping at reds as well and many intersections are signposted as such.

Downside to all this is heavy penalties for even minor speeding infringements and lots of infrastructure to capture said infringements.

Cheers - boingk

EDIT: As for merging traffic the rule here is whoever is ahead at the merge point has right of way. If you are behind you let the guy in front go first.

 

[WeberKid]

Not legal in MA, but I could care less. I take my life in my own hands every time I ride my bike and when I'm the one gambling I take the chances I feel most comfortable with. Sometimes that means go with the flow - sometimes that means get around the erratic teenagers by any means necessary. I've also been a bike messenger in Boston, so I'm a little more comfortable squeezing through precarious situations than many. I can't imagine sitting at a red light behind cars waiting for some sixteen year old imbecile to kill me. no thanks. You guys do what you want, think what you think, and make whatever laws you want. at the end of the day I'm taking care of myself.

 

[pawn]

I miss living in Cali. Not really for lane splitting, but this thread has brought the state up enough for me to reminisce. Anyway, I prefer lane splitting. It cuts down time sitting in traffic, which is where I feel most vulnerable. I don't split lanes on the highway for multiple reasons (most notably it's illegal here in FL.) On surface streets though, I will split when traffic is at a standstill. I understand the plausibility of someone cutting out and me running into them, but I also understand that there is a lot of rear end collisions and I prefer the lesser of two negatives. I used to be an exchange student in high school in France and rode a scooter a lot in Cannes during the summer and could not imagine not being able to split lanes there. Traffic is slow there though for the most part.

 

[crackerman]

I hear ya man. The city is tough. I drive through Cambridge most every day. You gotta be very self aware of everything around you at all times. Lane splitting or not, it's f ing dangerous. I'll split from time to time but do I'll do it slow. I'm not one of these f tards on rice rockets doing wheelies on the highway 93.

Not legal in MA, but I could care less. I take my life in my own hands every time I ride my bike and when I'm the one gambling I take the chances I feel most comfortable with. Sometimes that means go with the flow - sometimes that means get around the erratic teenagers by any means necessary. I've also been a bike messenger in Boston, so I'm a little more comfortable squeezing through precarious situations than many. I can't imagine sitting at a red light behind cars waiting for some sixteen year old imbecile to kill me. no thanks. You guys do what you want, think what you think, and make whatever laws you want. at the end of the day I'm taking care of myself.

 

[Newagerocker]

Call me crazy.

I split lanes regularly on NJ GSP, Friday evening shore traffic. On the streets of NYC and Philly. When traveling Birmingham, AL, Wilmington, NC etc. I size up the traffic around/behind me and do it or not depending. I never split lanes if the traffic is moving briskly and try not to exceed the speed of those in the adjacent lanes by more than 10MPH when I do split. I've been doing this for more than forty five years and only been stopped three times -- one ticket in Biloxi Miss. It's not a good idea to filter when cueing up for a toll booth in the Philly area you piss the cagers off and get to see their nickel plated hardware.

 

[pawn]

I started riding in Philly and used to split lanes there. I never did going over bridges to tolls though so I never received a nickel plated reminder to not do it again, but I know what you mean. I miss riding around the Philly suburbs though. There's a lot of fun roads in the deleware valley.

 

[taggat]