# Open your door, smack a biker? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196 "2004-09-26T20:32:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/21 "2004-09-27T01:55:20Z")
The current issue of _Classic Motorsports_ (the issue with the Lotus 7 on the cover) has an article about the history of the Snell rating. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/22 "2004-09-27T09:52:36Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > The story goes that when riding, you gotta watch their mirrors to see if the motorists are looking at you. If they are, chamces are they’re plotting to door you. On purpose. That’s got to be nonsense. Here in the UK, motorcyclists split lanes frequently (I’m not sure of the legality of it, but nobody seems to bat an eyelid) and if I’m in a queue of traffic and see a motorbike coming up along the outside you can bet I’ll be watching him in the mirror. I always thought it would be a reassuring thing for a biker to get eye contact with a driver in the mirror so he could be sure he’s been seen. Are they actually thinking, “Damn, this clown’s about to open his door on me!”? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/23 "2004-09-27T14:38:56Z")
Moved to IMHO. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/24 "2004-09-27T16:28:42Z")
As a current L.A. car commuter, I can say I prefer that motorcycles pass me, even by slipping between lanes. What I dislike is a motorcyclist driving somewhere behind me. That situation requires extra attention from me, since I track all vehicles near me and the smaller vehicle is harder to see. Better the biker goes past me and I can see him easier. BTW, when I lived in the Boston area and commuted there, _cars_ would commonly split lanes. The rule of thumb was that if N cars could fit side-by-side, then N cars would do so. Lane markings be damned. L.A. commuting is relaxing compared to driving in Boston. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/25 "2004-09-27T17:29:23Z")
My aunt is from Phoenix. She lived there for 20 years before moving back to here last year. She said she has witnessed this several times on the freeway down there, when traffic jams developed. She said lane splitting was legal, but car drivers would get agrivated, and some, enough to door a motoryclist. Here in Idaho, lane splitting is not legal for us bikers, so not even an option. I don’t think it is commonplace, but I think it does happen. Think long traffic jams in very hot weather, after people have just left for home from work. These high-stress environments are probably the catalyst for such rotten behaviour. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/26 "2004-09-27T19:58:56Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > This is my last sincere question today, I promise. It’s a beautiful day, so I went for a drive. So did a buncha bikers. > I know this to be a fable near and dear to the hearts of many motorcyclists, but I suspect urban legend. I’ve been driving for many years and I’ve personally seen it happen. I don’t know even one rider who’s had it happen to them. Always it’s a friend of a cousin, etc. > Has anyone ever had a driver in a car open their door in traffic is an attempt to crash your motorcycle? Has anyone ever personally witnessed such an act? > Not the idiot at a curb who’s not paying attention, that does happen, but an intentional attempt at murder. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done with intent to harm the motorcyclist, but I have seen it done any number of times to block motorcyclists from lane-splitting. Some people just can’t stand the thought of others not sharing their misery, and get really upset when we (motorcyclists, that is) aren’t steaming in the traffic jam just like they are. Jerks. And they don’t realize that we’ll just go around the other side, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/27 "2004-09-27T22:05:51Z")
How dumb would you have to be to do this though? Quite apart from the injury to the biker, getting your car door repaired/replaced ain’t going to come cheap. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/28 "2004-09-27T22:54:51Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > How dumb would you have to be to do this though? Quite apart from the injury to the biker, getting your car door repaired/replaced ain’t going to come cheap. I assume that by the time someone does this they’re well beyond rational thought. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/29 "2004-09-27T22:56:09Z")
> [@LMM](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done with intent to harm the motorcyclist, but I have seen it done any number of times to block motorcyclists from lane-splitting. Some people just can’t stand the thought of others not sharing their misery, and get really upset when we (motorcyclists, that is) aren’t steaming in the traffic jam just like they are. Jerks. And they don’t realize that we’ll just go around the other side, anyway. That’s pretty much the story. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/30 "2004-09-27T23:51:23Z")
I used to lane-share all the time when I had my MC. I’ve never had anyone try to door me, but you definitely get people who swerve in order to block you or scare you. People swear at you. I’ve had people toss lit cigarettes at me. But they usually miss. You see, we lane-sharing motorcyclists are watching you _far_ more carefully than you are watching us. We’re scanning for irate/inattentive looking drivers from several car lengths behind. When you glance into your side or rearview mirror and look pissed off, we notice. If your window is open and you’re looking at us, then at something in your car, then back at us, and your arms are moving suspiciously, we notice. We already know you’re a jerk, or might be a jerk, so if and when we pass you, it’s probably going to be with a sudden burst of speed. I think a lot of drivers just don’t know what we’re doing is legal and considered safe. They figure we’re breaking the law, being unsafe, being jerks. “So what the heck, I’ll be a jerk to them. That’ll show 'em!” ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/31 "2004-09-28T00:21:08Z")
As a former San Diego commuter, I think lane-splitting is a fine idea and think it is ludicrous that other states don’t allow it… It allows for vehicles which have the capacity to advance, thus freeing up a space for somebody else, to do so. Nothing wrong with that. I’ve never felt that I was being endangered by lane-splitting. Just gives somebody else a way to beat the traffic; good for them. ---
**Author:** ![SoCalDavid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SoCalDavid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoCalDavid)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/32 "2019-10-08T02:14:07Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > What I’ve been told about allegdedly happens on the freeway, when traffic is stop and go. There are a _lot_ of motorcyclists in CA, and most do split lanes, even bitching if cars don’t “make room”. I don’t blame them, as long as they get away with it. Not that we owe it to them. Some drivers, already annoyed by the traffic, take umbrage at this practice. I’ve been in the car with drivers who get pretty pissed off when a motorctcle squeezes past. > The story goes that when riding, you gotta watch their mirrors to see if the motorists are looking at you. If they are, chamces are they’re plotting to door you. On purpose. > I _can’t_ be the only one whose heard this complaint. > BTW; I would prefer that lane splitting be illegal because it is dangerous for both vehucles. It’s distracting as hell when, at 30 or 40 mph a nearly silent MC goes whizzing by. > Did I say that they sometimes do it at freeway speeds? Stupid, IMO. These comments are based solely on the vehicle code in California. Some motorcycles are air cooled instead of water cooled and can overheat in stop and go traffic, so lane splitting allows them to keep the motorcycle moving and keep the engine cool. And regardless of the type of engine cooling used, the motorcyclist can also suffer heat exhaustion in stop and go traffic, especially with full gear on. It’s not reasonable to train traffic officers to distinguish between air cooled and water cooled motorcycles, so all motorcycles get to lane split. Mathematical models predict that allowing motorcyclists to split lanes helps reduce traffic congestion, and NHTSA data confirms that effect. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/33 "2019-10-08T04:55:26Z")
Go to YouTube and search “driver opens door on motorcycle”. There are scores of videos. I couldn’t find my favorite one though. A driver opened his door on a LEO lane splitting and promptly got lit up. I’m sure he got written up for everything the officer could think of to cite him with. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/34 "2019-10-08T08:06:31Z")
> [@beltbuckle](#): > > My aunt is from Phoenix. She lived there for 20 years before moving back to here last year. She said she has witnessed this several times on the freeway down there, when traffic jams developed. She said lane splitting was legal, but car drivers would get agrivated, and some, enough to door a motoryclist. Here in Idaho, lane splitting is not legal for us bikers, so not even an option. > > I don’t think it is commonplace, but I think it does happen. Think long traffic jams in very hot weather, after people have just left for home from work. These high-stress environments are probably the catalyst for such rotten behaviour. Not legal yet anyway, starting to see happening a little more often in the Boise/Meridian/Nampa corridor on 84. Not all the time, but, still more. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/35 "2019-10-08T08:10:37Z")
> [@beltbuckle](#): > > My aunt is from Phoenix. She lived there for 20 years before moving back to here last year. She said she has witnessed this several times on the freeway down there, when traffic jams developed. She said lane splitting was legal, but car drivers would get agrivated, and some, enough to door a motoryclist. Here in Idaho, lane splitting is not legal for us bikers, so not even an option. > > I don’t think it is commonplace, but I think it does happen. Think long traffic jams in very hot weather, after people have just left for home from work. These high-stress environments are probably the catalyst for such rotten behaviour. Not legal yet anyway, starting to see happening a little more often in the Boise/Meridian/Nampa corridor on 84. Not all the time, but, still more. If I still had my scoot, I damn sure wouldn’t be doing that around here. Driving has gotten stupid scary over the last few years in Ada and Canyon Counties as drivers (just enough of then anyway) have gotten progressively more scary stupid(I swear the driving IQ around here drops a few points every damn year) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/36 "2019-10-08T12:02:36Z")
Does anyone know if **mangeorge** is still, like, alive? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/37 "2019-10-08T13:58:53Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Easy bonus question; > If Harley riders see a guy riding a Harley wearing a conventional helmet instead of one of those little brain buckets, will they yank him off the bike and beat him up? My husband rides a Harley and is a member of a local HOG chapter. Most everyone I’ve seen riding in that group wears real helmets. They’re not stupid, or violent, or MC gang members - they’re a bunch of guys (and a few women) who like to ride and are very safety conscious. And I don’t think they’re atypical. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/38 "2019-10-08T14:12:15Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Does anyone know if **mangeorge** is still, like, alive? The only thing I can tell you is that **mangeorge** has not logged in here since 2014. > [@mangeorge](#): > > If Harley riders see a guy riding a Harley wearing a conventional helmet instead of one of those little brain buckets, will they yank him off the bike and beat him up? I ride a Harley and I wear a full-face helmet (I really don’t like taking a large bug directly to the face at 70 mph). The usual response I get from other Harley riders is just the “Harley wave”. No one ever gives me grief about my helmet type. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/39 "2019-10-08T14:28:52Z")
(zombie thread noted) yep, I have a real lid when I ride (Street Glide) and literally nobody has given me as much as a comment about it. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196/40 "2019-10-08T15:07:42Z")
Had a motorcyclist take off my passenger side mirror in San Francisco back in 2001. Traffic was stopped when I heard a wump sound then looked over to see the guy hit my mirror with his shoulder. He went down in front of the car next to me. The first sound I heard was him hitting the car next to me. We all made it to the shoulder and waited for the Highway Patrol. The guy on the bike was not going to cooperate with anyone so the officer cuffed him and threatened to impound the bike. He had no insurance either. He ended up giving me $120 for my trouble because I was from out of state. I have no idea what happened with the other motorist. Cost me $89 for a replacement mirror at a Toyota dealer and $12 for a cheap socket set to replace the mirror in a parking lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-your-door-smack-a-biker/266196.md?page=3)