Comment by rconti

I used to ride as well, and I had the same reaction. The sheer number of people who moved over for me (in California) blew me away every time I rode. They'd never hear me coming; they SAW me and made the choice to move over. I constantly felt that I was underestimating how many people were truly paying attention while they were driving, despite how much "we" like to complain that everyone's in their own world and nobody pays attention anymore.

I try very hard to do the same. I did before I rode, and I still do now. I'm a skilled and trained and attentive driver who is rarely distracted. And yet, I am ashamed at how often I am surprised when a motorcycle splits past me. Maybe I shouldn't think so highly of my attentiveness compared to the "average" person.

It's also a lesson on law and culture. Here in CA where it's legal by statute (if not always practiced in a legal manner), and where drivers are aware it happens, and MOSTLY aware that it's legal, the drivers are very kind. In places where it is ILLEGAL, drivers can be a lot more antagonistic and unsafe about the practice. But at the end of the day, the laws are arbitrary; on the asphalt, it's just another human trying to get from one place to another, doing nothing to inhibit the journey of the other.