[bonneville Joe]

I just have to vent. Let me preface this story by saying I have nothing against motorcycles and their owners. I have a lot of friends who are bikers and I totally respect them on the highway. What I saw this afternoon was totally unacceptable though. I was traveling North/East up I85 out of Atlanta this afternoon and about 10 miles from the GA/SC border I came up on about 20 or 30 bikers riding in the left lane going about 65 in a 70mph zone. All 2 deep and about 10-12 rows of them. If you aren't going 80 in the left lane on 85 you will get your ass run over and that's just the situation. Not saying its right, and it's most certainly not the law but that's how it plays out. Anyways it was their idea to stay in that left lane blocking the flow of traffic for at least 20 miles that I was behind them. Not making any effort to pass slower cars in the right lane just riding along. I saw a guy in a fullsize Chevy P/U intentionally break into their group to get around them. It was not a good idea on his part at all but at the same time they shouldn't have been blocking traffic that way either. They were putting themselves in danger by making A LOT of motorists very angry. When one or two cars did get the opportunity they were passing them in the right lane at a VERY high rate of speed. There was a lot of traffic laws being broken on everyone's part I'm sure. My biggest gripe is, everyone preaches motorcycle safety which I totally agree with, but they shouldn't be intentionally putting themselves in a very dangerous situation.

[LeighP]

They're idiots......pure and simple....
I never used to do that, even when riding in a group. Probably a bunch of lawyers playing weekend 1%'ers...."Look at me, I'm a big bad butch biker!" lol.

[Tripower455]

I run into that nonsense all the time. You'd think they would (or should!) know better, especially when they are most certainly gonna be on the losing end of an encounter with a car.

A few weeks ago, I was on a 2 lane road when a group of bikers came to a stop sign on a side road. I very clearly had the right of way, not to mention some speed going, when one of them pulled into the intersection, made a "parade" 360, stopped, and put his hand out for ME to stop. I stood on the brakes and still had to swerve to miss him. I fgot the bird as I went by. There was NOBODY BEHIND ME for at least a mile.

I used to ride when I was younger. I respect bikers more than the average guy and always give them wide berth.

All of that said, you will never see me riding a bike around here. Way to many morons not paying attention for me to risk orphaning my kids.

[bonneville Joe]

I remember a friend of mine that's lived in the area his entire life told me that the 85 stretch between Greenville and Atlanta is one of the deadliest stretches of interstate in the country. I usually deal with at least a dozen truckers doing rediculous stuff while traveling in that area but this took the cake by far. I just hope they all got where they were going safely. When I saw that pickup cut into their group I was waiting for bodies to be flying everywhere. It was crazy.

[screamingchief]

In many states that's clearly against the law,the left lane is typically intended for passing only,and slower traffic must stay in the right hand lanes as SOP,in those states there are almost always tons of signs that clearly state such.

Same deal with semis,in many states it's against the law for them to even be in the left lanes @ all,as their speed limits are typically 5-10 MPH slower than cars,so by all logic they are supposed to stay to the right as well.

But typically most drivers lane discipline sucks b@lls...

And it's almost always a instant moving violation to impede the flow of traffic anywhere @ anytime too.

Someone shoulda rang up the highway patrol and told them they need to get out there and deal with those idiots before someone gets killed.

FWIW

Signed a reasonable and responsible bike rider.

Bret P.

[shawn e.]

See the same behavior with Prius drivers!

Shawn

[cdrookie]

your angry because motorcycles were riding responsibly causing grief to vehicles that weren't?

everyone here has been in the left lane and had someone go flying by them in the right lane, probably cursing at them cause we were going too slow. truckers do it, soccer moms do it, teens do it, seniors do it, classic car enthusiasts do it...

reminds me of a saying: hows come everyone going slower than you are idiots and those driving faster than you are maniacs?

[mike nixon]

Idiot was the biker I saw a few yrs ago on the interstate riding with a laptop surfing the internet!

[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by cdrookie

your angry because motorcycles were riding responsibly causing grief to vehicles that weren't?

everyone here has been in the left lane and had someone go flying by them in the right lane, probably cursing at them cause we were going too slow. truckers do it, soccer moms do it, teens do it, seniors do it, classic car enthusiasts do it...

reminds me of a saying: hows come everyone going slower than you are idiots and those driving faster than you are maniacs?

Although the 2 are related, the situation described above has much less to do with speed, than poor lane discipline. A bunch of guys with their lives depending on being safe on the road should know better.

[T.Weber]

cdrookie,
You missed a spot. The cyclists were doing 65 in a 70 and holding up traffic. Deliberatly driving below the speed limit and holding up traffic is NOT driving responsibly. In CA, if you are holding up 5 or more vehicles you pull over and let them pass that's the law. There is nothing about what those clowns on the mororcycles did yo could remotely consider driving responsibly.

[quick67bird]

If you are not passing get out of the left lane especially if you don't want to do the speed limit. I ride a lot and try to avoid putting myself in bad situations.

I usually drive a bit over, but even I move out of the left lane even if I am the fastest on the highway. That is my pet peeve as well as people on a two lane highway going slower than the speed limit blocking traffic refusing to pull over when safe. I wish more police would write them tickets as they should.

Robert Rife

[goatless]

Originally Posted by cdrookie

your angry because motorcycles were riding responsibly causing grief to vehicles that weren't?

everyone here has been in the left lane and had someone go flying by them in the right lane, probably cursing at them cause we were going too slow. truckers do it, soccer moms do it, teens do it, seniors do it, classic car enthusiasts do it...

reminds me of a saying: hows come everyone going slower than you are idiots and those driving faster than you are maniacs?

Clogging up traffic isn't driving responsibly. If you're going slow enough that cars are passing you on the right then MOVE THE HELL OVER! Ever see those signs along the highway, you know, the ones that say things like "keep right except to pass" or "slower traffic keep right"?

[bonneville Joe]

Driving responsibly would mean they were in the right lane. Forcing people to pass 10 rows of motorcycles in the right lane is the total opposite of responsible.

[Jack Gifford]

It's the whole "group" deal that I'm most uncomfortable with when riding. I feel much safer riding single-file with 2 - 3 seconds of reaction time in front of me and behind me- even if the other vehicles are fellow riders. My sons and I sometimes will ride two-abreast on city/village streets, but that's the extent of our "grouping".

[71GP76TA]

Biker trash acting like the A-holes that most of them are....

I'm sick and tired of these A-holes blowing their f*****g Harley pipes in my face at a stop light when they split lanes....

[INJUNTOM]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

I'm sick and tired of these A-holes blowing their f*****g Harley pipes in my face at a stop light when they split lanes....

Sorry about that

[JUDGNOT]

In my younger years I was heading North on I5 between Eugene and Portland. RV in the right lane and 18 wheeler shadowing him in the left... for freaking miles. Damn truck had a big line of cars behind him and I was in it. Now why would this trucker be doing this? Intentionally clogging the fast lane, don't even try and tell me you weren't aware. I made a break for it and had to do some clever shoulder passing. Got in front of that big ass truck and brought that SOB to a dead stop in a hurry. Guys eyes looked like saucers, tires smoking, skid marks the whole 9 yards. Buddy and I sat there and saluted him until I we were good and done, trucker was in such shock he never even went for his air horn.

Driving away I felt like a town hero or something. In retrospect it was the action of a young hotheaded hungover teenager but it sure felt justified at the time. Dangerous though... bringing the left lane to a stop on an interstate. Goes to show why people should drive with some courtesy. You piss people off too much or too often and you may just tango with someone who aint got much to lose and get your ass run down. Not saying it's right but people do rash things when they get road rage. As a biker myslef I sure try to avoid any situation that could lead to a rash decision from an automobile pilot.

[jhann42]

Around here the culprits are bicyclists on the secondary roads. They travel in packs of from 5 to 20 and think they own the road. They won't let you pass. Will take up both sides of the road. Pisses me off so much I could just crush a grape. They are lawers, doctors and executives getting their exercise. What a bunch of obnoxious a**holes. Jon

[Deadhead]

When you pass jack asses like that in the break-down lane they get the Msg. Pulling in front of them and gradually slowing down so the R. lane can pass is stupid too, but if it clears it up quicker than the 20 miles they ride it is still ultimately safer IMO.

Just a bunch of hard-ons that want everybody to see them out on their scooters.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by INJUNTOM

Sorry about that

I'm sure you are.....