Filtering etiquette?

[Guest]

Okay, so I was splitting lanes on the freeway the other day, between the carpool lane and the fast lane, which I do virtually every day on my way to work. I came up pretty quickly on a full-dress cruiser that was filtering ahead of me. Maybe because his bike was so big, or his skills were not great, he was riding shakily and slowly even compared to the traffic that he was supposed to be filtering through. This section of the 405 was fairly narrow and he was weaving around, trying to use momentum to control the bike.

Our usual etiquette in this neck of the woods (Southern California) is that the slower rider in front slips back into one of the adjacent lanes to allow the faster lane-splitter to go by. This guy, however, did not move over for quite a bit longer than average, like maybe 3-4 minutes, but I gave him as much distance as I could while still indicating that I wanted to pass. Finally he moved over and made a big show of waving me on by. I gave him my usual thank-you wave even though he was not nearly as considerate as most riders are. I picked up my usual pace and soon could not see him anymore. But he must have been trying his best to catch up to me because about 10 minutes later, he appeared behind me again. The lanes were wider by then and the traffic had sped up to about 70 mph. I wasn't filtering anymore by then, as I don't enjoy it at high speed, but the cruiser guy was anxious to filter past me, so I moved over to let him pass. Not surprisingly, I didn't get the friendly thank-you wave.

I thought it was interesting that someone who does not appear competent at slow-speed handling would (1) filter anyway at slow speed when not in good control of the bike, (2) then filter anyway at high speed where many skilled riders would hesitate to do so (which is even worse if someone is doing it just to compete with a complete stranger), and (3) lack consideration of other riders. My husband thinks that some male riders (and car drivers) get worked up to see a female rider pass them. It's hard to tell when that may be happening but I do wonder sometimes.

Oh, well! My personal philosophy is to ride as safely and considerately as possible, even if others misbehave on the road. Luckily most riders around here are polite and competent, at least compared to the average car driver.

[BobFV1]

Guest -

I wouldn't sweat it, these cruiser guys are idiots. I learned to ride in LA 30 years ago and travel there frequently. Last Summer on the 101 I had three cruiser dorks just barely able to balance their bikes holding me up while trying to split in front of me. I just get away from them - move over a few lanes, even if it is to the right, and split past them. Dorks.

[socalrob]

Guest,

You are 100 percent right as to filtering in Socal as I see it done & do it.

I will say that the longer youve been riding the wider that gap looks

I've heard that the CHP has enforced crossing the carpool double yellows (for bikes). Maybe the rider in question didn't look safe, as I like riding down the center of all of those double yellows on the 405.

We may have met, I ran into a woman RR rider in a parking structure of an office building in Santa Monica maybe a year ago (big law firm on Wilshire I think).

Ride safe, & if the boys can't keep up, screw em.

[popgazer]

405
So brave of you...

[beekstersocal]

ya, what rob said

[Guest]

Thanks for your input, folks. I agree about the cruisers. The smaller ones that are more like standard bikes usually do okay, but the gigundous customed-out choppers just don't make sense to me. If they want to go beyond cruising and ride, um, "assertively", why not get a bike that is made for it and probably costs less?

SoCal Rob, I do go to Santa Monica sometimes so maybe that was me. Depends when last year, since I just got the RR last April. Here we are, if you want to compare with your memory banks:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/goebet/de ... pg&.src=ph

Ebet

[BobFV1]

Whoa Guest!

What a unique bike you have - RR with Jesse bags! At first I thought is was a Gold WIng

Say - you don't lane split with those giant cans on the side of the bike, do you? I guess you could - I lane split with alacrity on my RT. Anyway - those are really cool pics and deserve an inline post and a thread of their own! Why don't you join the board and post a hello thread with pics. We need more women on the board anyway - especially an experienced rider who can give us a fresh perspective about stuff like touring and lane-splitting: advanced topics.

Ride safe!

[jonothan]

Sounds to me like a new (or maybe born-again) biker, middle class, large disposable income, trying to be bad-ass (as I think you Americans say) even though he's a novice.

I think that you're right about the female thing - some blokes just cannot cope with that stuff. Me? I just can't wait for my wife Elaine to take her test, and off her Honda CBR125 onto something a bit bigger so we can go touring together.

J

[Guest Ebet]

Hi again -

Thanks for your message, Bob. I actually have been participating on the board for a while (Ebet) but for some reason my username doesn't always work - I will check into why. Yes, I sure do split lanes with the Jesse cases. They are chunky cases but not as wide as the BMW System Cases, because they are mounted so close to the frame. (Down side - items inside can get cooked in hot weather.) With both Jesses the bike is 3-4" wider than with the City lids, though. I still find it easier to filter with this bike than with my narrower 650-GS. I think it's the opposed-twin configuration that makes it so easy to balance, adding confidence in those narrow passages... I have scared a few car drivers, though - they see this wide-looking urban-warrior machine approaching their mirrors and panic - I saw one guy put his hand over his mirror! Hmmm, would he really want his hand to get squished instead?

Jonothan, I think you are right about the bad-ass wanna-be types. (Is there an equivalent term for "bad-ass" in the UK?) Best wishes to you and your wife, and hope she is up and running soon so you can go touring together! The roads are so beautiful over there.

Ebet (Elizabeth)

[socalrob]

Ebet,

Pretty sure it wasn't you, I think I'd remember those cases (I'm really terrible at recognizing people, but I think those cases are special. I saw my ex wife (I had been married to her for 5 years) in a restraunt and had to stare & stare to figure out where I'd seen her before).

I remember now I'd seen a pix of your bike before & liked it. I filter with just a tank bag (big mak thing) & leave the system cases home. If your bags are even a few inches narrower than the system cases I would think no problem for filtering, to me the system cases are barely too wide. Its the mirrors that I watch for.

I forgot I had my standard system cases on the bike the other day & zipped between some cars in heavy traffic on a surface street. No idea how close I came, because I sure wasn't taking them into account.

For me the old freeways like the 5 (in LA, in the OC its a dream) & the Pasadena Freeway (the 110, the worlds first freeway, has stop signs near the ends of the on ramps, the truly legitimate place to test your vehicles 0-60 time are the ones that make me nervous, tight curves, bad sight distances, crumy pavement; the 405 is pretty modern, like the 210, 2, 57 & 105. More gentle curves, more carpool lanes, more emergency "shoulder" lane space, better pavement & seems to me maybe wider lanes.

[BobFV1]

Jonothan, I think you are right about the bad-ass wanna-be types. (Is there an equivalent term for "bad-ass" in the UK?)

Not to steal "Dr. Jon's" thunder, but I think the term would be "wanker".

[jonothan]

Jonothan, I think you are right about the bad-ass wanna-be types. (Is there an equivalent term for "bad-ass" in the UK?)

Not to steal "Dr. Jon's" thunder, but I think the term would be "wanker".

You are hereby an honourary Brit, Bob.

"Twat" is also acceptable.

J

[Guest]

Hi again -

Thanks for your message, Bob. I actually have been participating on the board for a while (Ebet) but for some reason my username doesn't always work - I will check into why.
Ebet (Elizabeth)

I had the same problem until I discovred that my name shows as guest if I send a post without logging in.

[morrie]

well maybe that isn't the answer. I thought I was logged in when I sent the above message. I'll be watching to see how this one turns out. My apologies for a momentary hijack of the thread.

Morrie

[BobFV1]

You are hereby an honourary Brit, Bob.

Thank you sir, I am honored, although my true cultural heritage is all Southern European.

"Twat" is also acceptable.

You know, I hear my British business partners (we have a strategic alliance with a group in London) use this term as well, although fyi it is vulgar in the USA. I know in the UK it is sort of a schoolboy slang, but somehow it became much more intense when it crossed the pond.

I'm told that the next level beyond wanker would be "tosser" - which is made worse when used after "bloody". Tosser really doesn't mean anything here in the US, but I understand it can land you in a bar fight if used in England.

I love the cultural differences - they make the world interesting.

Oh and Ebet - happy filtering and beware wankers on big, underpowered motorbikes out on the motorway!

[jonothan]

...although fyi it is vulgar in the USA. I know in the UK it is sort of a schoolboy slang, but somehow it became much more intense when it crossed the pond.

I do apologise. Honestly, I really had no idea it was such a vulgar word over there.

Jonothan, I think you are right about the bad-ass wanna-be types. (Is there an equivalent term for "bad-ass" in the UK?) Best wishes to you and your wife, and hope she is up and running soon so you can go touring together! The roads are so beautiful over there.

Ebet (Elizabeth)

You just come over, Ebet, and call me first. Elaine and I will show you (and anyone else who's interested) the best bits of England, the parts the tourists seldom see. Pubs in the beautiful Yorshire Dales, the remote Highlands of Scotland. We are literally looking for an excuse to tour the UK. American guests would be just the incentive we need.

J

[captainK]

I've discovered that when I'm not using my own computer at home where log-on happens automatically, I need to log-on twice before my name registers -- may the moderator/admin guys can look into it?

[Guest]

Jonothan, that is so nice of you! My husband John Jo and I will PM-ing you by email.

Ebet