Justified or not?

[rwthomas1]

So here's the scene: Three lanes of slab, the left lane has been paved, and there is a 2-3" lip of asphalt height difference between the middle lane and the left lane. On the right, there is an extended merging lane (this section is uphill) from the on-ramp immediately past.

So there are two cages roughly 5-8mph below the limit, rush hour traffic at 65+mph. I'm trapped behind the two cages stopping up the middle and right lanes. The natives behind me are uncomfortably close, getting restless, and juking back and forth trying to get past. This continues for about 1.5 miles. I kept hoping for the slowpokes to change speed enough that I could squeak past, no joy there. Can't climb over the asphalt lip, to escape in the left lane, or I'm not about to try that in heavy traffic.

The car behind me got close, really close, like I thought I could reach back and touch his hood close. The merging lane had just ended. Nowhere to go. I did it. I banged a downshift, and ripped around the guy in the right lane, passing in the breakdown lane.

I don't normally ride like that, but I felt trapped. The cages behind me, well one in particular, was driving very close, and erratically. I did what I had to do to escape. Just gives me pause in the mental debrief.

RT

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Yes.
If you were genuinely in danger, and there truly was no other escape route, saving your back-side trumps respecting the highway code every time.
The trick is making sure that what one is about to attempt is not a greater threat than the danger that one seeks to escape.

 

[Weaselinsuit]

Agreed

 

[Bee]

100% yes. Sounds like a horrible situation. The bonehead in the car behind you would have no clue why you couldn’t (safely) move out of his way. Climbing that 2-3 inch lip was clearly too much of a risk at those speeds. Don’t know what I would have done differently (wasn’t there), maybe I would have just taken the speed right down until I felt safe to adjust my angle and ‘hop’ over that concrete lip and switch lanes then wave him past (middle finger wave)……

 

[ibike2havefun]

I see nothing wrong with your actions, given the circumstances you describe.

 

[klaproth]

I must be dense, or it might just be too early in the AM for me....why couldn't the guy ( woman) behind you just pull into the left lane and pass? I must be missing something. I know there was a lip, but unless it was a Smart Car with 12" tires, it should not make a lot of difference to a cage.
I agree that it was likely a good idea to get away from the cager behind you....and I'd probably have done the same.
Down here in Georgia, the 5-8MPH under the limit would not be tolerated. There would be horns, and a lot of angst.

 

[ibike2havefun]

why couldn't the guy ( woman) behind you just pull into the left lane and pass?

I cannot count the number of times I have seen someone tailgate a slower vehicle, sometimes for miles, despite the fact that the adjacent lane(s) are entirely free and clear. I've never understood why.

 

[Taffy]

I cannot count the number of times I have seen someone tailgate a slower vehicle, sometimes for miles, despite the fact that the adjacent lane(s) are entirely free and clear. I've never understood why.

Absolutely! Similarly, I can never figure out why when you have decided to take it really easy on a three lane motorway, someone makes the effort to overtake you then cuts in and drops their speed to match yours...like two yards in from of you? There are only two reasons for this behavior. MENTAL and or EVIL!

 

[Obo]

I'd have done the same and passed safely. As long as you do so I'd guess you could explain it to a LEO if required...

 

[SMSW]

I must be dense, or it might just be too early in the AM for me....why couldn't the guy ( woman) behind you just pull into the left lane and pass? I must be missing something.

Probably heavy traffic. If you ask your question, then why couldn't that driver have given rt more room and not tailgated? As said above, drivers often do not drive rationally, and tailgate for miles when there is a clear passing lane on one or both sides of them.

 

[ST1100Y]

Down here in Georgia, the 5-8MPH under the limit would not be tolerated.

Possible some 'lock-down Zombies*' crawling along?
(the numbers of such moving roadblocks raised exponentially last year over here in Europe... )

There would be horns, and a lot of angst.

Bears the risk that, stubborn as they are, they'll purposely slam on the brakes, leading to a bulk pile...
So I'd rather pass and squeeze by where- and whenever possible...

*covers all types of daytime leisure folks who live in the misconception that because they have free time, they can purposely block half of the city...

 

[sirbike]

As long as your move was made in a cool headed calculated fashion, I’d do the same.

Sometimes pulling loads of scrap in a 5 x 8 trailer with my car at 55- 60 mph in low traffic conditions on a 65mph freeway I’ll end up with a tailgater. The really close in push ya kind. Generally I ease off to 50 or so and they finally pass.
I’ve had some go lower.
One time I eased down to 35 mph over about a mile, no traffic in fast lane, before they aggressively passed.
On a motorcycle I’d just exit the situation as soon as sensible as you did.

 

[cjames431]

Washington drivers don't seem to understand "drive right" causing the right hand lanes to become passing lanes to get around the centipede of cars in the left lane. Even with a modulating headlight and open right lane they sit their stupified.
I would have done the same move to get out of the box.

 

[Esti1300]

Good move in a difficult situation. Your safety easily trumps any highway ROEs and your escape is defendable due to road conditions. Well done.

 

[Weaselinsuit]

It does highlight though that driver education prior to getting a license could be better and likely should be mandatory.

 

[rwthomas1]

I must be dense, or it might just be too early in the AM for me....why couldn't the guy ( woman) behind you just pull into the left lane and pass? I must be missing something. I know there was a lip, but unless it was a Smart Car with 12" tires, it should not make a lot of difference to a cage.
I agree that it was likely a good idea to get away from the cager behind you....and I'd probably have done the same.
Down here in Georgia, the 5-8MPH under the limit would not be tolerated. There would be horns, and a lot of angst.

Middle and right lane running 55-60 in a 65 zone, left lane running 80+mph. A solid wall of cars. No room to get over, no breaks. When there is 20+mph difference in speed that's when it gets dangerous.

This is a tough stretch of road. There are very busy exits before and after. Rush hour everyone is pushing to get on or off in a matter of 3-4miles. Some of my commute is hairy, but I have a strategy to get through, and the rest is quite pleasant. That the State of Connecticut has decided to grind the entire width of the highway, leave it bare like that, and now pave on lane at a time, for miles, makes riding a motorcycle less than enjoyable for that stretch.

RT

 

[rwthomas1]

I appreciate the input everybody. I consider what I did safe, necessary, but not legal. It's not like I make that a habit.

RT

 

[Oldbikefixr]

Local traffic is worsening. I think it's likely time for officialdom to begin revoking licenses altogether....never thought I'd feel that way. Being optimistic, I always believed people learn from their mistakes.
Just yesterday an environmentally correct little car drifted across the lane stripes immediately beside me. Head down, texting. I honked and it startled her. Back into her own lane honking back and cursing me.
I'm seeing more deliberate attempts to chase me out of my lane also.
This is all in 40mph residential traffic. As far as legal maneuvers, the ST in first or second has gotten me out of several would be disasters. In traffic, I keep it in the power band when traffic begins to thicken up and keep an eye on the driver as well as the vehicle whenever I can observe them.
Don't bend the bike, you're likely to follow. If you make the proper response, most cops will understand if they get involved. If not, the bike still isn't bent.

 

[ST1100Y]

Local traffic is worsening.

You think...
Yesterday we had TA alarm broadcasted about someone (again) going the wrong way on an Autobahn... the novelty though: the person was on a bicycle!
Most likely this year's most prominent attendee for the Darwin Award...

 

[Chris09]

I've had no training and wouldn't offer advise or my opinion in motorcycle driving situations anymore than I would try to tell someone how to fly a helicopter, other than before you make it go up, let me out.

But... yeah there's always a but, there is non the less what I have done and I'd be interested in anyone's opinion on this or with [off topic] tips on not hitting a deer.

I really like the hazard lights, so much in fact, I'm considering having a set installed on my ball cap.

I've had a few times where I was being followed too close and clicked them on, in every instance so far, I've noticed the vehicle driver would almost immediately drop back a bit and stop looking at their crotch.

Once I've got the attention, I'll often gradually ride to the side, and let him pass. Ten seconds of my life I'll never get back.

Another thing I try to never do is follow anyone very close, of all the different times I've been out riding in a group I'm the furthest back, obviously impossible to do in some circumstances.

But I do this more so now since having witnessed right beside me what appeared as an inevitable high speed rear ender avoided by a guy in a Nissan maybe Altima plough his brake pedal and engage his ABS system and very good tires on very good quality asphalt. It was the same but in reverse of the time I was allowed onto a race track and watched a few low eight second cars launch right beside me.

I have no idea of feet traveled, reaction time but if some of the guys I've seen were behind that guy, and blinked they wouldn't stand a chance.

My own most dramatic full on brake display occurred probably thirty years ago on a dark highway after ten or so hours of driving when a black garbage bag blew across my lane, had I been followed by any trucker looking at the road ahead of me, I might not be able to tell this meandering story.

But that's easy for me, I'm not commuting or dealing with needing to use any particular roads, no clock.