[mscuddy]

Lane splitting is in my blood, of course it's hard to perform in a Honda Element, but I still think about how it's the only reason (besides the weather) to ride a street bike in L.A. traffic. Once, while on my XS1100Vision (1980 vintage)as a bike messenger I forgot about the big fiberglass and steel saddle bags on the back, and got wedged betwen a plumbers van, and a bread truck. They had me wedged for about 10 blocks down 3rd sreet, with my tires barely skimming the tarmac. Then, as quick as it happened, the bread truck truned right on 3rd, and the plumbers van turned left. I was free! Of course racing other people while lane splitting is scary, and can only lead to ruined side view mirrors and big scratches on the cages that surround you. One of my last rides to LAX from my house in Burbank tuned into death race 2006 as some Ducati rider thought he as going to show me the quick way down a clogged 405 freeway at the Sepulveda pass. He underestimated the powers of a City-X rider with a few slugs of liquid courage under his belt. Ha! Fie and Pox!