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Jay Honeck opined

I learned to ride here and it's pretty much all I know. I have
a feeling if you can live for 18 years on a motorcycle in this
traffic (where I've actually had people TRY to run me off the
freeway because 80 wasn't fast enough*) then I must be doing
something right.

LA is the only place I've ever ridden where (a) I was actually spat at, and
(b) people actively tried to cut me off.

And I was riding a Gold Wing, with Mary on the back. Not exactly the
"outlaw" biker you might expect would raise people's ire.

Well, no wonder. The rules are inverted out there. For respect you need to be an
outlaw biker. Or maybe a cafe racer.

A strange bunch, out there in La-la land...

Strange indeed.


-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?

Jay Honeck wrote:

LA is the only place I've ever ridden where (a) I was actually spat at, and
(b) people actively tried to cut me off.

And I was riding a Gold Wing, with Mary on the back. Not exactly the
"outlaw" biker you might expect would raise people's ire.

A strange bunch, out there in La-la land...

I lived in Long Beach for a couple of years. Although I got my drivers
license in Ohio when I was in High School, I learned how to drive in LA
after I graduated. I didn't ride a motorcycle back then, but it looked
pretty insane. I think the drivers out there get mad at bikers because
they're jealous: CA allows (or at least did back then) bikers to drive
between lanes so they're less confined by traffic. But when the traffic
is bumper to bumper at 80Mph and you see a biker whiz by at 150 between
cars... Well, Darwin will catch up eventually.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame
## VP, Product Development
## MFM Software, Inc. (http://www.mfm.com/)
"I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead."

And the funny part,
The guys splitting lanes would have flip flops , shorts and rarely more
than a tee-shirt, if that, on. But they would have a 400 buck Shoei helmet
on!!!! At least the CHP could identify the head rolling around on the 91 !!!


Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech


"Mark T. Dame" wrote in message
...
Jay Honeck wrote:

LA is the only place I've ever ridden where (a) I was actually spat at,
and (b) people actively tried to cut me off.

And I was riding a Gold Wing, with Mary on the back. Not exactly the
"outlaw" biker you might expect would raise people's ire.

A strange bunch, out there in La-la land...

I lived in Long Beach for a couple of years. Although I got my drivers
license in Ohio when I was in High School, I learned how to drive in LA
after I graduated. I didn't ride a motorcycle back then, but it looked
pretty insane. I think the drivers out there get mad at bikers because
they're jealous: CA allows (or at least did back then) bikers to drive
between lanes so they're less confined by traffic. But when the traffic
is bumper to bumper at 80Mph and you see a biker whiz by at 150 between
cars... Well, Darwin will catch up eventually.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame
## VP, Product Development
## MFM Software, Inc. (http://www.mfm.com/)
"I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead."

"W P Dixon" wrote in
:

And the funny part,
The guys splitting lanes would have flip flops , shorts and rarely
more
than a tee-shirt, if that, on. But they would have a 400 buck Shoei
helmet on!!!! At least the CHP could identify the head rolling around on
the 91 !!!

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech
Snipola

Oh yeah...I get a laugh every time I see one those 'organ donors'.

It get's uncomfortable in the summer, so I'll shed the chaps and
if really bad, the gloves. My helmet's not fullfaced so that's not
too bad. I might not zip the jacket all the way up for ventilation.
But I'd rather have my skin should I go down on the pavement.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
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"Mark T. Dame" wrote in :

Jay Honeck wrote:

LA is the only place I've ever ridden where (a) I was actually spat at,
and (b) people actively tried to cut me off.

And I was riding a Gold Wing, with Mary on the back. Not exactly the
"outlaw" biker you might expect would raise people's ire.

A strange bunch, out there in La-la land...

I lived in Long Beach for a couple of years. Although I got my drivers
license in Ohio when I was in High School, I learned how to drive in LA
after I graduated. I didn't ride a motorcycle back then, but it looked
pretty insane. I think the drivers out there get mad at bikers because
they're jealous: CA allows (or at least did back then) bikers to drive
between lanes so they're less confined by traffic. But when the traffic
is bumper to bumper at 80Mph and you see a biker whiz by at 150 between
cars... Well, Darwin will catch up eventually.


-m

Back when I was learning to ride in the late 80's, the law was
unclear about 'white lining'. The state itself didn't prohibit
it but some cities did. It was hard to know where it was legal
so the advise was not to do it. Well, after years of riding I
learned it actually has benefits if done with care.

My goal on surface streets is to be at the front of the traffic
at the red light. When it turns green, take off fast, and catch
up to the next block of traffic stopped at the next red light.
That way the only one moving is me.

My rule on the freeway is if I can hold 40-45 then I'll stay put
in traffic, otherwise I whiteline, and then not real fast. I try
to stay only about 10-15 faster than traffic. If something happens
I only have to loose 10-15 mph to avoid a collision.

But the above for me are general guidelines. The situation is
always fluid and I take the situation as it comes to me. Sometimes
I find myself near a driver or two that I feel unsafe being near,
like they're yacking on the cell phone and weaving back and forth,
and I'll take whatever measures to get away from them. Most
commonly it's to blow by them as fast as reasonably possible.

I've found from experience that speed on a motorcycle is your
friend. It is far easier to speed ahead of potentially dangerous
situations than it is to try stay behind them. I find that going
the speed of or slower than traffic only invites tailgater's and
people cutting you off.

I've also heard from multiple sources that motorcycle officers
are advised to whiteline at traffic lights as it's safer than
getting crushed between the stopped car in front and the car
behind that doesn't stop. It happens. People don't see what they
don't look for, and they don't look for motorcycles. I take active
control of my situation in traffic and if I don't like it, I do
something about it. I'm not a passive driver.

BTW, I don't recommend the above unless you are an experienced
rider. It works for me but may not work for someone else. I was
riding for 10 years before I changed to the above aggressive
tactics, and only because I was getting tired of nearly being hit
multple times a day. Now it's a rarity. In some instances I
actually feel safer on the bike than in a car because I have more
options for taking control of the situation.

But the last I heard was that 'lane sharing' was legal but if there
is an accident, it will likely be considered your fault.

BTW, in case anyone is curious...one accident (infamous opposing
left turn, no injuries) and one ticket (which in hindsight I could
have talked myself out of, I suspected the officer did not radar
me like he claimed, and I didn't ask to see the reading on the gun,
but I didn't know at the time that if they radar you and they can't
show you the reading, they can't give you a ticket)

Anyway...back to airplanes....

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?
Supernews sucks - blocking google, usenet.com & newsfeeds.com posts

Yep,
You can get mighty darn toasty in leathers in the summer. I could only
manage them during the cooler months. Levi's never let me down though..slide
across Lakewood Blvd. one wet afternoon (blasted concrete roads!) Few
scratches on the Katana's cowling, but not on me
I hated when Pete Wilson made the helmet law out there. I think the
other protective clothing does as much to save your butt than the helmet
does.

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech

"Skywise" wrote in message
...
"W P Dixon" wrote in
:

And the funny part,
The guys splitting lanes would have flip flops , shorts and rarely
more
than a tee-shirt, if that, on. But they would have a 400 buck Shoei
helmet on!!!! At least the CHP could identify the head rolling around on
the 91 !!!

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech
Snipola

Oh yeah...I get a laugh every time I see one those 'organ donors'.

It get's uncomfortable in the summer, so I'll shed the chaps and
if really bad, the gloves. My helmet's not fullfaced so that's not
too bad. I might not zip the jacket all the way up for ventilation.
But I'd rather have my skin should I go down on the pavement.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?
Supernews sucks - blocking google, usenet.com & newsfeeds.com posts

W P Dixon wrote:

The guys splitting lanes would have flip flops , shorts and rarely more
than a tee-shirt, if that, on. But they would have a 400 buck Shoei
helmet on!!!! At least the CHP could identify the head rolling around on
the 91 !!!

I always wore boots, jeans, and a jacket with the helmet. Jean jacket in summer,
leather the rest of the time. Plus cold suits when needed. One of these days I
really need to get my bike running.

George Patterson
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you quarrel with your neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him.

Hee Hee,
I kinda got the itch again myself, find myself looking for a rat project
Triumph chopper, or a Sporty if I could find one cheap enough. Heck it never
hurts to dream !

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech

"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:wsfaf.1567$fF3.1530@trndny04...
W P Dixon wrote:

The guys splitting lanes would have flip flops , shorts and rarely more
than a tee-shirt, if that, on. But they would have a 400 buck Shoei
helmet on!!!! At least the CHP could identify the head rolling around on
the 91 !!!

I always wore boots, jeans, and a jacket with the helmet. Jean jacket in
summer, leather the rest of the time. Plus cold suits when needed. One of
these days I really need to get my bike running.

George Patterson
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you quarrel with your
neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him.

"W P Dixon" wrote in
news
Yep,
You can get mighty darn toasty in leathers in the summer. I could
only
manage them during the cooler months. Levi's never let me down
though..slide across Lakewood Blvd. one wet afternoon (blasted concrete
roads!) Few scratches on the Katana's cowling, but not on me
I hated when Pete Wilson made the helmet law out there. I think the
other protective clothing does as much to save your butt than the helmet
does.

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech
Snipola

I've always worn a helmet. Had no choice at first since I was still
a 'kid' when I started and Mom said so. But I got so used to it I
don't like to go without it. Before the law I tried riding without
it a few times and it's ok at lower speeds.

In fact, I'm now considering moving to a full face helmet to cut down
on wind noise. I started to notice my ears ringing after riding and I
think it's caused by the wind noise. Then I noticed a slight bit of
tinnitus. I wear earplugs now. I can hear sirens still just fine.

I have mixed feelings on mandatory helmet laws, though. I understand
they don't do much good in direct head impacts above 35 mph or so,
but it's better than nothing, and I think people should wear them.
But then I'm wary of governments deciding things for you "for your
own good". Reeks of communism.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?
Supernews sucks - blocking google, usenet.com & newsfeeds.com posts

I can agree with that! I always felt my vision was greatly reduced with the
full face,..and thus not very safe. Didn't make much sense to me to lose one
factor of safety that would affect others. If you don't see someone off to
your side and change lanes and hurt or kill someone versus not having the
thing on at all and the risk is more of "my own butt". Some folks like them
some don't, but we should be able to make up our own minds as adults.

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech

But then I'm wary of governments deciding things for you "for your
own good". Reeks of communism.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?
Supernews sucks - blocking google, usenet.com & newsfeeds.com posts