Earlier today I was at a stop light waiting for it to change when I see somebody in a motorcycle approaching from behind. It called my attention that he is not in the middle of the lane but rather in between and not looking like he is going to stop behind me. He didn’t, he got in between cars and stopped for the light.
He never noticed that he had made at least one driver very nervous and said driver was prepared to expecting the worse. Light changed and he took off in his red Ducatti, oblivious of the old fart who was trying to get his breathing and blood pressure back to normal levels.
I understand that South Florida is known by its Cuban community, but please also realize that many people from other South American countries also live here and most of them have lived back in their countries of origin with the threat of crime on motorcycle.
For most Americans, the image of somebody in a motorcycle is either the guy or gal enjoying the road or a Hell’s Angel in the highway. For a lot of us, this is the image we have when we see a biker doing the line splitting.
What amazes me is that after two decades of living in the US, this is one lesson that has not been erased by the passing of time. You know what? I don’t mind.
PS: There is no lane Splitting in the State of Florida, so that also kinda added to the alarm bells ringing.
“Lane splitting,” which is what he was doing, is incredibly dangerous and is illegal in most of the US. Partly because it’s incredibly dangerous, and partly because it’s a great way to commit crime on a motorcycle. Your reaction wasn’t entirely unreasonable, especially given your upbringing.
I see lane splitting all the time here in Miami.
Keeping your instincts about you is the best way to go, though. Even if it “doesn’t happen here…”
Because it doesn’t happen here, until it does.
I grew up in Miami and know about this motorcycle robbery technique.
The scooter snatch seems to be more common in the UK as well.
It’s hard to feel compassion when many motorcyclists take liberties with safety by relying on their size and performance envelope. The issue is people drive big cars and SUVs poorly. What is the logical and obvious result, even for good riders?
Physics says momentum equals mass times velocity so motorcycles ALWAYS lose!
Same goes for aggressive bicyclists and runners who insist on running in the bike lane.
From my Driver’s Education class of 40 years ago… “The graveyard is full of people who had the right-of-way.”