Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:01 am**

Yesterday on my commute home I witnessed the most outrageous driving behavior I've ever seen. Traffic in all lanes on southbound Highway 101 through San Jose was moving at around 30 MPH as drivers a couple miles further south were merging at the airport and Highway 87 ramps. I was lanesplitting between the two left-most lanes, and about 50 yards ahead of me was another motorcyclist doing the same. As this other motorcyclist came close to a gold-colored Chevy Tahoe, the Tahoe pulled half-way into the left median, straddling the yellow line. Drivers sometimes do this to help motorcyclists lanesplit cleanly so the behavior wasn't unusual. However, as this other motorcyclist pulled alongside the Tahoe the driver swerved sharply at the motorcyclist, causing him and the cars around him to brake hard and scatter to avoid colliding. After a few moments the traffic re-composed itself and this other motorcyclist found himself again behind the Tahoe. Once again, the Tahoe started straddling the yellow line, inviting the other motorcyclist to take another pass. This he did, but this time he used a gap in the lane to the right to give the Tahoe a wider berth. In response, the Tahoe swerved back to the right and the passenger leaned out the window and tried to grab at the motorcyclist as he passed! By this time I was just a couple of car lengths back and could see the two young male chuckleheads in the Tahoe laughing and having a great time with their murderous antics. Fortunately the other motorcyclist was able to stay out of the Tahoe's grasp and get away cleanly. At this point the Tahoe saw me approaching and did the same move to straddle the yellow line, thinking they could invite me to continue their game. Instead I memorized their license plate and moved over a couple of lanes to the right, putting several cars between us as I lanesplit out of their reach. As soon as I got home I called the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and relayed the incident to the emergency operator. Of course the CHP can't really do anything about a phoned-in complaint unless an officer can catch the alleged perpetrator in the act, but at least there's a record of a complaint. I imagine that this isn't the first or last time these psychopaths will engage in this (or other) reckless behavior, and maybe this incident can come back to haunt them in the future. In the meantime, I'm documenting this incident and publicizing the Tahoe's California license plate: 4XSS478 All drivers, not just motorcyclists, should watch out for this vehicle and its occupants. Shame on them! -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 8:38 pm**

Blake, Glad you and the other motorcyclist made it out alive and that you were able to report the Tahoe's plate. Behavior like that can be fatal. Here's hoping they get caught, and soon! Did the other drivers have any reaction (besides swerving to avoid collisions)? __Arden

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote: > > Yesterday on my commute home I witnessed the most outrageous driving > behavior I've ever seen. Traffic in all lanes on southbound Highway > 101 through San Jose was moving at around 30 MPH as drivers a couple > miles further south were merging at the airport and Highway 87 ramps. > I was lanesplitting between the two left-most lanes, and about 50 > yards ahead of me was another motorcyclist doing the same. > > As this other motorcyclist came close to a gold-colored Chevy Tahoe, > the Tahoe pulled half-way into the left median, straddling the yellow > line. Drivers sometimes do this to help motorcyclists lanesplit > cleanly so the behavior wasn't unusual. However, as this other > motorcyclist pulled alongside the Tahoe the driver swerved sharply at > the motorcyclist, causing him and the cars around him to brake hard > and scatter to avoid colliding. > > After a few moments the traffic re-composed itself and this other > motorcyclist found himself again behind the Tahoe. Once again, the > Tahoe started straddling the yellow line, inviting the other > motorcyclist to take another pass. This he did, but this time he used > a gap in the lane to the right to give the Tahoe a wider berth. In > response, the Tahoe swerved back to the right and the passenger > leaned out the window and tried to grab at the motorcyclist as he > passed! > > By this time I was just a couple of car lengths back and could see > the two young male chuckleheads in the Tahoe laughing and having a > great time with their murderous antics. Fortunately the other > motorcyclist was able to stay out of the Tahoe's grasp and get away > cleanly. At this point the Tahoe saw me approaching and did the same > move to straddle the yellow line, thinking they could invite me to > continue their game. Instead I memorized their license plate and > moved over a couple of lanes to the right, putting several cars > between us as I lanesplit out of their reach. > > As soon as I got home I called the California Highway Patrol (CHP) > and relayed the incident to the emergency operator. Of course the CHP > can't really do anything about a phoned-in complaint unless an > officer can catch the alleged perpetrator in the act, but at least > there's a record of a complaint. I imagine that this isn't the first > or last time these psychopaths will engage in this (or other) > reckless behavior, and maybe this incident can come back to haunt > them in the future. > > In the meantime, I'm documenting this incident and publicizing the > Tahoe's California license plate: > > 4XSS478 > > All drivers, not just motorcyclists, should watch out for this > vehicle and its occupants. Shame on them! > > -- > Blake Sobiloff > http://www.sobiloff.com/> > San Jose, CA (USA) > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:46 am**

On Oct 27, 2007, at 6:38 PM, Arden Kysely wrote:

> Did the other drivers have any reaction (besides swerving to avoid > collisions)?

Not that I could tell; certainly no one had phoned the CHP from their car, as I was the first to report the incident. Disappointing, for sure. A bunch of sheep without a sheepdog around. -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:24 pm**

Imagine in a state where lane-splitting is illegal - like Massachusetts - the drivers really feel they have permission stop lane-splitting.

Posted: **Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:04 pm**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote:

> > Yesterday on my commute home I witnessed the most outrageous

driving

> behavior I've ever seen. Traffic in all lanes on southbound

Highway

> 101 through San Jose was moving at around 30 MPH as drivers a

couple

> miles further south were merging at the airport and Highway 87

ramps.

> I was lanesplitting between the two left-most lanes, and about 50 > yards ahead of me was another motorcyclist doing the same. > > As this other motorcyclist came close to a gold-colored Chevy

Tahoe,

> the Tahoe pulled half-way into the left median, straddling the

yellow

> line. Drivers sometimes do this to help motorcyclists lanesplit > cleanly so the behavior wasn't unusual. However, as this other > motorcyclist pulled alongside the Tahoe the driver swerved sharply

at

> the motorcyclist, causing him and the cars around him to brake

hard

> and scatter to avoid colliding. > > After a few moments the traffic re-composed itself and this other > motorcyclist found himself again behind the Tahoe. Once again, the > Tahoe started straddling the yellow line, inviting the other > motorcyclist to take another pass. This he did, but this time he

used

> a gap in the lane to the right to give the Tahoe a wider berth. In > response, the Tahoe swerved back to the right and the passenger > leaned out the window and tried to grab at the motorcyclist as he > passed! > > By this time I was just a couple of car lengths back and could see > the two young male chuckleheads in the Tahoe laughing and having a > great time with their murderous antics. Fortunately the other > motorcyclist was able to stay out of the Tahoe's grasp and get

away

> cleanly. At this point the Tahoe saw me approaching and did the

same

> move to straddle the yellow line, thinking they could invite me to > continue their game. Instead I memorized their license plate and > moved over a couple of lanes to the right, putting several cars > between us as I lanesplit out of their reach. > > As soon as I got home I called the California Highway Patrol (CHP) > and relayed the incident to the emergency operator. Of course the

CHP

> can't really do anything about a phoned-in complaint unless an > officer can catch the alleged perpetrator in the act, but at least > there's a record of a complaint. I imagine that this isn't the

first

> or last time these psychopaths will engage in this (or other) > reckless behavior, and maybe this incident can come back to haunt > them in the future. > > In the meantime, I'm documenting this incident and publicizing the > Tahoe's California license plate: > > 4XSS478 > > All drivers, not just motorcyclists, should watch out for this > vehicle and its occupants. Shame on them! > > -- > Blake Sobiloff > http://www.sobiloff.com/> > San Jose, CA (USA) > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Blake, You and I do almost the same commute but I think opposite directions. I commute South in the AM and North in the PM. I have stopped riding on 101 for that reason. I had someone take it PERSONAL when I split by them and they actually flew by me just to cut me off. I really felt like kicking their mirrors off but I didn't. My solution, take 280! It seems the nicer road and veiws make people more curtious. Hope to see you soon at a tech day???? Adam 04 KLR 650 04 KTM 450MXC San Bruno CA

Posted: **Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:58 pm**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Adam" wrote:

> You and I do almost the same commute but I think opposite > directions. I commute South in the AM and North in the PM. I have > stopped riding on 101 for that reason. I had someone take it > PERSONAL when I split by them and they actually flew by me just to > cut me off. I really felt like kicking their mirrors off but I > didn't. My solution, take 280! It seems the nicer road and veiws > make people more curtious. Hope to see you soon at a tech day???? > > > Adam > > 04 KLR 650 > 04 KTM 450MXC > > San Bruno CA >

Blake and Adam, Local news is always looking for a story. Tell them yours, and let them remind the folks that lane splitting is leagal in CA, and a crime to threaten a MC with a car. When you give them the cars license plate number, do you suppose they might, just might, go ask them their side of the story? news at 11. revmaaatin.

Posted: **Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:03 pm**

On Oct 29, 2007, at 9:55 AM, Adam wrote:

> My solution, take 280! It seems the nicer road and veiws > make people more curtious.

Yep, I'll go that way if I'm in the truck, but it adds about 10 miles each way, too, and ends up being a wash time-wise on the bike. But you're right, the scenery's definitely nicer!

> Hope to see you soon at a tech day????

Yeah, I've been pretty bad about having another one. Keep remindin' me! -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:05 pm**

On Oct 29, 2007, at 4:58 PM, revmaaatin wrote:

> When you give them the cars license plate number, do you suppose they > might, just might, go ask them their side of the story?

What, and make them do some actual work?

FWIW I sent the story to the local newspaper guy ("Mr. Roadshow") who does a column a couple days a week about traffic around the area. We'll see if he runs with it. -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:17 pm**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote:

> > On Oct 29, 2007, at 4:58 PM, revmaaatin wrote: > > When you give them the cars license plate number, do you suppose

they

> > might, just might, go ask them their side of the story? > > What, and make them do some actual work? FWIW I sent the story

to

> the local newspaper guy ("Mr. Roadshow") who does a column a

couple

> days a week about traffic around the area. We'll see if he runs

with

> it. > -- > Blake Sobiloff > http://www.sobiloff.com/> > San Jose, CA (USA) > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

I agree with Blake. News reporters here would love to bury us (a bike that can go off road) OMG!! It is pretty slanted reporting in the San Francisco Bay Area. Real surprise there huh?? Adam 04 KLR650 04 KTM450MXC San Bruno CA

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:04 pm**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Adam" wrote:

> > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote: > > > > On Oct 29, 2007, at 4:58 PM, revmaaatin wrote: > > > When you give them the cars license plate number, do you

suppose

> they > > > might, just might, go ask them their side of the story? > > > > What, and make them do some actual work? FWIW I sent the

story

> to > > the local newspaper guy ("Mr. Roadshow") who does a column a > couple > > days a week about traffic around the area. We'll see if he runs > with > > it. > > -- > > Blake Sobiloff > > http://www.sobiloff.com/> > > San Jose, CA (USA) > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > I agree with Blake. News reporters here would love to bury us (a > bike that can go off road) OMG!! It is pretty slanted reporting in > the San Francisco Bay Area. Real surprise there huh?? > > Adam > > 04 KLR650 > 04 KTM450MXC > > San Bruno CA >

Then leak the story to Bill O'Riley. "City of XXX, CA & State AG ignores interstate attempts to murder motor cyclist"--well maybe not that radical, but they might find it of interest. Especially if it can be documented as widespread. revmaaatin. revmaaatin.

Wilsons Sandbox

doohickey adjuster hole oil leak

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)

outrageous behavior (nklr)