New Video of J.Burleigh's commute home post-freeway collapse

[James Burleigh]

"Well get outta my way you small-town clowns, this country boy has come to town!"

So anyway, now that we had this little freeway collapse out here in the Bay Area, getting home outta San Francisco and across the Bay Bridge has become a little more--well, maybe a lot more--challenging. Once past the West Oakland detour, though, things loosen up, and it's time to chase motorcycles (who sometimes happen to be off-duty cops takin' their rig on home for the day)....

See the video here. Notice all the bikes I need to let by me on the bridge (that purple Harley's kinda cute).

Jb

 

[kaitsdad]

"Well get outta my way you small-town clowns, this country boy has come to town!"
So anyway, now that we had this little freeway collapse out here in the Bay Area, getting home outta San Francisco and across the Bay Bridge has become a little more--well, maybe a lot more--challenging. Once past the West Oakland detour, though, things loosen up, and it's time to chase motorcycles (who sometimes happen to be off-duty cops takin' their rig on home for the day)....

See the video here. Notice all the bikes I need to let by me on the bridge (that purple Harley's kinda cute).

Jb

DEJA VU !!, JB, that reminds me of a SS1K I ran a bit ago - traffic is traffic, no matter where it is..

Good video!! Enjoyed it!!!

 

[Flyguy]

You Cali guys are nuts! All this "riding the stripes" stuff has to result in LOTS more accidents. God help you if some stopped motorist opens their door to spit or something!

 

[brazos parker]

You guys that have legal "lane sharing" and do it every day as SOP must have nerves of steel. I'd be a nervous wreck at the end of a commute like that! :blink:

 

[twowheelnut]

You Cali guys are nuts! All this "riding the stripes" stuff has to result in LOTS more accidents. God help you if some stopped motorist opens their door to spit or something!

It's actually safer to share lanes that it is to sit in traffic and get punted from behind. Most drivers are used to this and accommodate us nicely. Some are pricks and will close off an opening, but that is rare.

 

[exskibum]

You've got more stones than I do, Hans. I'll take strafing mountain twisties with the pegs spraying sparks any day to doing that, especially on a daily basis. I may be a second generation native Californian, but I just couldn't tolerate that daily urban assault **** that most of our metropolitan area commuter routes have become. And for me (in a car or on a bike), S.F. is just plain f#@&ed up to get around in -- and I was last down there only 3 weeks ago for a seminar. GACK!!!!

 

[05fjrman]

Let me guess Jim, you don't ride with you bags on? No way would I do that, I'd stop commuting on the bike.

 

[worldbound4now]

Great video. I'd move or change jobs if I had a commute like that daily.

 

[stellarsteve]

How many times have you seen someone open their door when sitting in traffic? Not too often.

 

[dbvolfan]

Damn I wish we could split lanes like that here in KY. This interstate work on I-75 is killing me!

BTW, great vid...enjoyed watching it.

 

[Silent]

Tame commute JB B)

 

[keithaba]

Damn I wish we could split lanes like that here in KY. This interstate work on I-75 is killing me!
BTW, great vid...enjoyed watching it.

+1

Although it looks kinda scary!!!!

 

[Bounce]

You Cali guys are nuts! All this "riding the stripes" stuff has to result in LOTS more accidents. God help you if some stopped motorist opens their door to spit or something!

that's what some congresscritter thought too... until he funded a study to support his bill to ban lane sharing... turns out he was wrong as it's safer for bikes to get out of "the flow" and the risk of being rear-ended. he skulked back into the woodwork and let his bill die.

i can hardly wait until the lane sharing bill, proposed in texas last year, gets passed!

 

[jwhite518]

You've got more stones than I do, Hans. I'll take strafing mountain twisties with the pegs spraying sparks any day to doing that, especially on a daily basis. I may be a second generation native Californian, but I just couldn't tolerate that daily urban assault **** that most of our metropolitan area commuter routes have become. And for me (in a car or on a bike), S.F. is just plain f#@&ed up to get around in -- and I was last down there only 3 weeks ago for a seminar. GACK!!!!

'Zackly. That's why I don't commute on the bike regularly. Once in awhile is fine because, you know, I just gotta ride. But every day? My BP would be through the roof.

 

[Silent]

'Zackly. That's why I don't commute on the bike regularly. Once in awhile is fine because, you know, I just gotta ride. But every day? My BP would be through the roof.

I commute by moto every day and my blood preasure is actually lower than when I drive my Jeep. Seems lane sharing keeps you moving so you don't have to stare at the same cell phone chattin, paper readin, latte sipping soccer moms for your entire commute. Anyone that commutes in Cali's biggest citys deserves a round IMHO, all the cagers are nuts, and so are we

Keep the shiny side up B)

 

[jdog109socal]

Tame commute JB B)

Great picture... I need to use that in a video ..lol :yahoo:

 

[James Burleigh]

You guys that have legal "lane sharing" and do it every day as SOP must have nerves of steel. I'd be a nervous wreck at the end of a commute like that! :blink:

Of course there are techniques for doing it, uh, "safely." And having 35 years' experience in traffic (in an automobile) helps with predicting behavior of cars. When I get to work or home after riding, I feel more exhilarated than anything.

Most drivers are used to this and accommodate us nicely. Some are pricks and will close off an opening, but that is rare.

My experience too....

Let me guess Jim, you don't ride with you bags on? No way would I do that, I'd stop commuting on the bike.

I just run with my Givi rear trunk. The mirrors are already too wide on this bike, and the bags--fuggetaboutit! But when I have a client meeting requiring I enter the building in my professional attire, I gotta carry bags to do my Clark Kent conversion.

Great video. I'd move or change jobs if I had a commute like that daily.

Thanks for the compliment. My job actually takes me all over the Bay Area. However, for the last couple months I had to be in our SF office, which requires me to cross the Bay Bridge and enter the traffic shown in the video, which is the result of the recent freeway collapse. So the video traffic is really pretty atypical. Well, maybe not...

How many times have you seen someone open their door when sitting in traffic? Not too often.

I keep waiting for that to happen, but this ain't Texas... :lol:

Actually, the time I need to watch out for people opening doors is when I get off in San Francisco in the morning. We all come off the off-ramp and hit a light. My instinct is to immediately head to the front of the line at the light. But man, as soon as the cars stop, doors start flying open to let out casual commuters who shared a ride in. Sometimes the blasters come in handy for that. And sometimes I just do it for fun to see how high the Space Cadets jump as they're getting out of the car.

BTW, great vid...enjoyed watching it.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. Ain't Commander Cody great? I used to see them all the time in L.A. when they were touring with Sha Na Na. Jb

Anyone that commutes in Cali's biggest citys deserves a round IMHO, all the cagers are nuts, and so are we

You and me, Silent. You and me....

I've earned my commute merit badge. I'm still working on my Ride Leader badge...

Although it looks kinda scary!!!!

I feel more vulnerable when traffic's real tight and moving fast. The segments at the end of the video when the freeway opens up, I have all kinds of space around me. But when I feel most scared is doing the kind of slow and go like in the video, only at night in the rain and wind. I usually just get in line and slog on home :scare:

 

[evil_henchman]

You guys that have legal "lane sharing" and do it every day as SOP must have nerves of steel. I'd be a nervous wreck at the end of a commute like that! :blink:

I'm sure lots of people think like that till they're stopped on the freeway watching other bikes zip by. Next thing you know, they're in the nerves of steel club. :shades:

So JB what's all this talk about a bridge collapse caused commuter hell? Looked like a pretty normal bay area commute to me... :huh:

 

[James Burleigh]

So JB what's all this talk about a bridge collapse caused commuter hell? Looked like a pretty normal bay area commute to me... :huh:

True dat! :lol:

I'm sure lots of people think like that till they're stopped on the freeway watching other bikes zip by. Next thing you know, they're in the nerves of steel club. :shades:

Sometimes I'll pass a motorcycle in line with the cars and I'll be just mystified, but then I figure it's a new rider getting his/her feet wet. Pretty soon they'll get up the nerve and jump out of the nest, and then they'll be flyin'!