Re: [ST] Lane Splitting II

[Steve Lawler <slawler@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In a previous email, aronnmail-list@xxxxxxxxx stated:
> More generally, I'd like to know if lane splitting is
> legal in any state other than California (and,
> possibly, Texas).  Anybody have knowledge of this?

In New Jersey "lane splitting" is not illegal. However they will, or so 
I've been told, write you up for improper passing. This does not stop me.

I have been stopped a few times by LEOs:

Place: Entrance to Lincoln Tunnel, NY side
The event: Verbal thrashing, checked license and ins., more verbal 
thrashing.
Result: No ticket.

Place: Entrance to Lincoln Tunnel, NY side
The event: Gave me grief, checked my paper.
Result: No ticket.


Place: Approach to Holland Tunnel, NJ side
The event: Papered.
Result: No ticket.

Place: I-280W, Harrison, NJ
Result: State trooper driving down the shoulder, without getting out of 
his car matches my speed and says, "Stay in your lane. Know what I mean?"
Result: No ticket.

Place: I-280W, Harrison, NJ
Result: After splitting lanes for about a half mile I come up to a 
flatbed tractor trailer. I decide to not pass but stay behind him on the 
lines. A trooper comes flying down the shoulder, sees me, slows to match 
speed, realizes that I'm not passing and continues on her way.
Result: No ticket.


Stopped or near stop by non-LEOs:
Place: I-280W, Harrison, NJ
The event: Some buttwipe in a Volvo swerves to stop me and calls out to 
me, "A$$hole."
Result: I still got ahead of him.

Place: Merrit Parkway EB, somewhere north of New Haven, CT
The event: Some microcephalic in the left lane in a black pick-up with a 
"3" sticker in the back window refused to let me pass. I fall behind him 
and while he is busy making sure that he blocks the center line I zip 
around on his left and with his left arm he takes a swing at me as I 
pass the cab.
The result: I was so "Intimidated" that I wanted to cry. NOT! Zoom! See ya!

Place: WB on Worth St in New York City
The event (from an old post on another list):
I was traveling west on Worth St. when I came upon a long line of 
traffic waiting for the red light at Church St. I had plenty of room to 
ride down the right side of traffic, so I decided to take advantage of 
the situation. I proceed at about 5 mph. Suddenly this Buick Riviera 
with NY plates cuts to the right, into my path. I squeeze the breaks. No 
harm done, no problem. I look at the guy. He's a wiry man wearing a tie, 
in, I would estimate, his late 50's. We establish eye contact. He's not 
moving. The line of cars is still not moving. I begin to move and he 
moves in closer. I stop again. We establish eye contact for the second 
time. But now I'm pissed.
    "TRY USING YOUR SIGNALS, YOU F^CKING MORON." Suddenly, the 
contagion of tempers kicks in. He pulls slightly forward, and while 
still blocking my path, throws it into park and jumps out.
    "What did you say?" he asks as he's walking toward me.
    "I said 'Try using your signals.'"
    "Look," You know when someone starts a sentence with "look" as an 
interjection the lecture is about to begin. And he was doing it so fine 
in a nasally voice! "Look, I was getting out the the way of the busses." 
Ironically, he was the only vehicle that had to make a path for the 
eastbound busses and he did it all while looking at me! "And you're not 
supposed to be passing when there's only one lane." By now the traffic 
is moving and I am completely dumbfounded by Father Freakin' Flannagin's 
little sermon.
    "And you're blocking traffic. Come on, let's make some progress 
here" was the best line I could come up with. But apparently that was 
enough. Silently he turned and headed back to his car. That was when I 
made a startling observation. Neatly tucked into a belt holster was an 
automatic. "Oh great," I say to myself. "I get some dick on a bad donut 
day."
    By now the light is back to red and he is the second vehicle in 
line. Again I have plenty of room to get on his right side but I fear 
that history will repeat itself and I like my fairings just the way they 
are. Thank you very much. That was when I see him doing something evil. 
He's dialing on his cell phone! At that point I figure, let me just get 
some distance here. I take the right on to Church and the next left, 
then right on Hudson. Just before I get to the Holland Tunnel entrance 
at Canal I see him in the lanes to continue up Hudson. Once again we 
establish eye contact.
    The light goes green but I'm unable to get through the light before 
being held up by the traffic cops. I watch the Riviera start to signal 
right. I figure he's going to give me another little sermon. Nope. He 
pulls into the side entrance to the tunnel that LEOs are allowed to use, 
thus confirming my suspicion. Once I got through the light I fully 
expected to see him at the guard shack. Nope!
Result: This feeble little man who probably wasn't much more than a desk 
 clerk hurt my feelings.



--
Steve Lawler
Verona, NJ, USA

2001 Sprint ST "Blue Devil"

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