Unpleasant ride up Hwy 1

[swilson]

I was having a nice ride northbound on Hwy 1 around 4:30pm today. Then just south of Santa Cruz I see a beige Mazda MPV make like he's changing to the #2 lane from the #1. Problem is, he's mirror to mirror with a car already in that lane. He narrowly misses hitting that car, but a few seconds later he does it again. And again. At first it looked like he was just trying to bully he way into the #2 lane. But soon enough it was obvious he wasn't a bully, he was 3 sheets to the wind.

 

Brake lights came on and traffic began to slow as we got to a construction zone. The MPV driver had been staring at brake lights for 10 seconds and had not started to slow. Just when I'm sure he's about to rear end the car in front of him he swerves left onto the shoulder and drives for 1/4 miles with his left wheels off the pavement, kicking up rocks and dust. Only when he's about to plow into some construction equipment does he suddenly swerve back onto the road.

 

Without Bluetooth in my helmet calling in the calvary isn't an option, and I don't even have the plate on the van. I get close enough to get the plate and then traffic slows to 25-30 and I see my chance to safely get passed him. I start splitting lanes figuring I can get up ahead and maybe pull over to make the call or maybe I'll find a patrol car. As luck would have it within 60 seconds I come up on a CHP cruiser in the #2 lane.

 

I get the CHiPy to pull over and barely have time to give him the vehicle description when the van goes by. The vehicle behind the van is pointing at it and frantically honking so that we don't miss it. The officer pulls in behind the MPV. The driver was so plowed he couldn't even maintain his lane position once he knew a black and white was behind him.

 

Eventually the officer had seen enough for himself and pulls the MPV over. He orders the driver out of the car (in both Spanish and English) but the driver is being an ass. As I finally get my helmet off the officer is opening the drivers door and yanking the driver out of the vehicle. The jerk actually grabs the open driver's door and tries getting back into the car. I got up there just in time to help the CHP officer dump the guy on the ground. The guy still wants to fight, but he's overpowered and soon enough he's in cuffs and in the back of the patrol car.

 

After a minute to take care of the formal introductions, and to tell the 2nd CHP officer how he missed all the action and to laugh about just how bad this guys driving was, I'm on my way again. This wasn't what I had hoped for, but maybe the ride is salvagable... Nope.

 

Just a couple miles north of Santa Cruz traffic had been moving at the speed limit and was thin to moderate. This section of Hwy 1 has only 1 lane in each direction and a double yellow line. Well all of a sudden it gets heavy and slows 30 mph. What gives?

 

Finally I crest a hill and see what gives. At the front of the traffic jam is a group of 20 sport bikes. Most of them are going 25-30 mph and have spread themselves out across the lane, right shoulder, and even the oncoming lane when there is no oncoming traffic. They're creating a traffic break so that a handful of their buddies can shoot out ahead and do wheelies, stoppies, standing on their seats, and whatever other stunts they can think of. Man was I PISSED. As if this wasn't a bad enough idea already, they've chosen to do this on a Sunday afternoon when there is a ton of tourist traffic and locals out for a nice drive.

 

This goes on for many miles. Many vehicles pulled off the road in frustration, others reached their exit and turned off the Hwy. Now I'm only about 10-15 vehicles from the front and I can clearly see the shenanigans. The sport bikes then go to slow things down again, but the vehicles at the front of the line have had enough. Horns are blaring as one vehicle tries to pass on the right and another tries to pass in the oncoming lane.

 

The vehicle on the left squeezes passed them, but the one on the right is blocked and forced to slow. Then one of the riders pulls along side that vehicle and repeatedly tries to put his fist through the driver's window.

 

[rant mode on] WTF?????? You're illegally blocking traffic so that your buddies can perform illegal stunts on a public roadway and then you get bent when people try to get around you to the point that you're trying to break out their windows? You've got to be kidding! [rant mode off]

 

Well the way I see this playing out is they they're gonna get that car stopped and the beat the hell out of the driver. I had no intentions of playing hero on my ride, but I'm not going to stand by while they take their aggression out on this guy. I shot passed the cars in front of me and got to the front just in time to see the the vehicle swerve around the bikes to the right and this time he gets through. I work my way through the idiots trying to create the traffic break and never saw them again. Still, my ride was ruined by this point.

 

For once I actually found myself wishing I was on my work bike.

 

Hope your weekend ride was the opposite of mine.

[SNC 1923]

What a bummer, dude. Squids suck, pure and simple. I hate 'em.

[Solarguy01]

Unblievable never herd of such thing. Mike

[tallman]

Good job with the MPV.

All the dumarsse squids are doing is setting up a confrontation that the laws of physics dictate they will lose.

Wouldn't be surprised to hear of a vehicle pushing through them and dumping oil and roofing tacks out the windows.

I thought Kalifornia was an enlightened, biker friendly, place.

Like it or not, we're all judged by those road blocking idiots actions.

Better luck next time.

[Carnadero]

Sounds like time to look into a helmet-friendly Bluetooth setup....

[W. Mazelin]

At first I thought, an unpleasant ride up Hwy 1? Impossible! Well, that was a little unpleasant, at least the 502 driver got his reward! As for the sportbike squids, what a bunch of old fashioned, world class, a$$holes! I wonder if any of the car drivers used the ever present wireless telecommunication devices to summon help from the local or state law enforcement community, nah, they probably all just blathered on to whoever would listen.

[bendbill]

Sheesh! One and 20 asshats ! You've probably had quieter entire shifts on the beat.

[Tony_K]

The stunter clowns took advantage of the enviroment.

Single lane with extremely difficult access for partols.

 

Odds are in their favor to do as they please.

 

Ever try to swat a room full of flies? You may hit one but all the others get away. Sportbike crews know this and follow it to a tee.

[swilson]

Tony, no matter how many times I see your avatar, it ALWAYS makes me laugh!

[notacop]

A shame indeed. Not so much the traffic but trying on a Sunday. Went down HWY 1 May 31st morning from Monterrey to HWY 46. Loverly! Not much traffic and what little I found pulled over when they thought my RT-P was a real one.

Nice ride on the proper day!

[keithb]

Sounds like a tough weekend on the right coast (Deals Gap) with a multiple accident post and a tough one on the west coast with the drunk driver and squids. I guess it wasn't so bad being in San Bernardino Mtns. in the 4Runner vs. the bike. I let a guy by me on a sport bike and it was refreshing to see both he and his passenger wave to thank me as they passed. The season is just starting so ride safe out there.