Advocacy & Safety - Splitting Lanes?

When I approach a traffic light to make a left turn, my tendency is to ride around the cars on their right to get to the head of the pack. I do this because I like to get a jump on the traffic in the turn.

Lane splitting on motorcycles is legal in CA, and so I imagine that the same applies to a bicycle. But beyond the legality of it, what do others think of positioning yourself at the head of the line at a traffic light? Or is it better or more acceptable to keep your place in line?

I somehow always end up in the front..... lol

I keep my place in line. If you want to be considered traffic, you gotta share the misery of other traffic. There are plenty of other ways to take advantage of being on a bicycle that aren't, in essence, flipping off the other users of the road.

C'mon Chipcom tell the truth... you don't lane split coz yer arse hits both the mirrors. :p

I keep my place in line. If you want to be considered traffic, you gotta share the misery of other traffic. There are plenty of other ways to take advantage of being on a bicycle that aren't, in essence, flipping off the other users of the road.

That's what I've been thinking. I keep preaching the "if you want to be considered traffic" line, then I recognized over the weekend that splitting lanes like I've been doing might not be such a good example to set in traffic, and is a practice that sets me apart from traffic. Perhaps I've been thoughtless and wrong :eek: Furthermore, I thought that it might not be entirely safe considering that the cars are not likely expecting it.

I've tried to adopt the policy of using the same standards as other lane sharing. If there is enough room that I wouldn't mind the car passing me in the same lane, I don't feel bad about moving up. If I wouldn't want them to pass me with the same space I don't pass.

I always consider the turn and the road after it. If I can swing wide in the turn and stay to the right so cars can pass me after that, then I'm not cutting the line in the sense of taking someone else's place. If that is the case I filter to the front.

I do it when it enhances my safety, such as at a long line of traffic at a stop light. The last place I want to be is at the end of the line. Then I'd be the first one rear ended. By the way, it is illegal here in Ky. I do it anyway on both bike and motorcycle. Probably the only instance that I ignore traffic law.

For motorcycles, filtering at stoplights is accepted and expected practice pretty much everywhere in the world except the 49 US states that aren't California. Traffic engineers generally agree that filtering and lane-splitting *reduce* congestion, by reducing the amount of roadway space that motorcycles consume -- every motorcycle that filters to the front at a red is one more car that can make it through on the next green cycle.

I happily filter on my bicycle. (I'd do it on my motorcycle as well, if I didn't think it would mean getting ticketed regularly.) I don't think it constitutes anything like "flipping off" other road users. Are motorists flipping me off when they pass me? Filtering is the same situation, but with the roles reversed.

I can understand sharing the misery when avoiding it would mean heaping undue misery on others. But I don't think that's the case here.

It's not about sharing the misery, it's about being part of it rather than outside of it.

The same people who filter to the front are also the ones who typically keep to the right outside radius of the left turn to allow motorists to pass them while they're still in the intersection. Not me, I take my place in line, then just follow the car in front of me, controlling the lane at least through the turn, and only pulling aside after completing the left turn and being on the new street and having the car in front of me pulling away from me.

Usually, if there were any cyclists who filtered to the front, I pass them before I even move aside.

It's situational for me... If I am in a position in traffic that allows me to flow with the next green light... I stay right where I am... behind motor vehicles. (Although I usually end up in front anyway... by timing my approach)

If on the other hand I am coming up to a long long line of motor vehicles... I will try to filter forward when and where I can. Usually I am lucky and can just move forward in a Bike Lane. But there are times when BL do not exist, and the motor traffic is so backed up that I might be looking at a 20 minute wait. Then I work my way forward slowly and get out of there as soon as I can.

No point in "driving" a skinny vehicle if you can't take advantage now and then.

No point in "driving" a skinny vehicle if you can't take advantage now and then.

I agree. Cars certainly take full advantage of being big. We should take advantage of being small.

When I approach a traffic light to make a left turn, my tendency is to ride around the cars on their right to get to the head of the pack. I do this because I like to get a jump on the traffic in the turn.

Lane splitting on motorcycles is legal in CA, and so I imagine that the same applies to a bicycle. But beyond the legality of it, what do others think of positioning yourself at the head of the line at a traffic light? Or is it better or more acceptable to keep your place in line? Um, for one if lane splitting is illegal, cars shouldn't ever be passing you in the same lane, right? But they do all the time, right?

Having said that, I usually wait for my place in line. This shows respect and, hopefully, gains respect. It just feels right, feels vehicular in the best sense of the word. :) I am not just trying to go where there are no cars, I am actually acting like traffic and, one hopes, am getting recognized as a fellow road user with all the rights blah blah... Not to mention that I don't like to play "I pass you - you pass me" game with the drivers ahead for the next n blocks. There are exceptions to that rule: I will, for example, usually pass the a**holes who accelerate just to get ahead of me before the red light/stop sign. I will also pass if I see a bunch of right-turners, but in that case I'll pass on the left. Or if they are all turning left - I'll pass on the right if there is room.

I do not (and will not) filter while cycling. I can see where it would benifit a motorcyclist, but the slower acceleration rate of a cyclist (at the front of a pack of left-turning cagers) is recipie for trouble.

You'll only find me at the front if I so happen to be the first there.

-Kurt

But there are times when BL do not exist, and the motor traffic is so backed up that I might be looking at a 20 minute wait. Then I work my way forward slowly and get out of there as soon as I can. Oh, that's quite different. In this case there will be no "pass you - pass me" game: the cars I pass are stuck hopelessly behind, you're not impeding them by passing anyway. So in that case, yeah, I'd work my way forward too. In really tight spots, I might just get off and walk.

Oh, that's quite different. In this case there will be no "pass you - pass me" game: the cars I pass are stuck hopelessly behind, you're not impeding them by passing anyway. So in that case, yeah, I'd work my way forward too. In really tight spots, I might just get off and walk.

Funny... I played that pass you pass me game a little while back with a cyclist, while I was driving. I was on my way to an open water swim spot to do a mile, and this guy happened to be cycling the same route... and beat me.

He was flying in places that I crawl when I ride (up a large hill on a freeway ramp, for instance), but overall he was faster than my car in rush hour traffic. Was simply amazing... and quite an encouraging example.

When cycling though I don't usually get into the pass you pass me game as most of the motor traffic on my commute route moves at 45MPH or so. I can usually stay with the motorists for a light or two, then they are gone... so I don't worry about any "games" that might arise from "leapfrogging."

I do not (and will not) filter while cycling. I can see where it would benifit a motorcyclist, but the slower acceleration rate of a cyclist (at the front of a pack of left-turning cagers) is recipie for trouble.

I only split lanes / filter because I know that I can beat the cars off the line and across the intersections, so I feel safer in some weird way. In fact, the final sprint of my morning commute is straight across a busy road at a traffic light, into a residential area with a 25 mph speed limit. My daily challenge, for a while, was to beat the cars off the line and get to 25 before they did. It usually works, but sometimes you get a cager with happy feet who must feel bad getting beat by a commuting rig with panniers :)

C'mon Chipcom tell the truth... you don't lane split coz yer arse hits both the mirrors. :p

Busted!:eek:

Been splitting lanes on a motorcycle for 34 years, it's as natural as breathing on the both types of 2 wheelers. In that time, 1 accident caused by a Florida driver, minor injury resulted.

I humbly submit that splitting is safer in many situations. Sitting in stopped, or stopping traffic in a line of cars you're likely to get crunched if the person behind you (or the person behind them) is not paying attention. You're a lot less likely to get crunched if you're between the lanes of slow/stopped traffic.

Not to mention I encounter a few lights on my commute where sitting in traffic would mean waiting through two or more light cycles. F*** that. Lanesplitting is not illegal in CA where I do 99.99% of my cycling, so I'm going to take advantage of the maneuverability and compactness of my bicycle when and where I can. I generally don't split all the way to the front. I'll move up to anywhere from 1 to 3 cars back and let cars run "interference" for me through the intersection to keep something big and heavy between me and any potential red-light runners. Then I'll sprint or nearly sprint after the light changes and merge over into the gap behind the 2nd or 3rd car in line; signaling while doing so. If you're matching their speed, and they don't have to slow down for you, drivers (except for the jerks, and there's no pleasing them), are generally ok with you merging back over to the right after or while clearing the intersection.

I'd also submit that it's probably based somewhat on riding style. If you're willing to stand on it and exert yourself for a a couple hundred feet you can outpace traffic from stop and smoothly merge over. If you prefer not to exert yourself while commuting, or don't have the fitness to sprint for a couple hundred feet after every red light then it's probably best to wait in line. Even then, I'd still probably move far enough ahead to avoid sitting through multiple lights.

situational, but cars split lanes with me, i will split lanes with cars. i even pass cars at speed on multi lane roads by splitting lanes when appropriate.....

at stops, because i know i will be faster off the stop, first thru the intersection and likely first in line for the next light in urban situations, i will split lanes and take 'pole position' for much of the stop and go traffic riding so typical of 25-35, signed and signaled, city block riding.

i wonder how long a riders like helemt head or chipcoms' commute takes when traffic is really backed up and they decide to wait behind the cars all the time????

jeesh boys, pass the cars, pass the cars, pass the cars

I generally filter at lights, if it will give me an advantage. The exception is large trucks (and some SUV's). Most of the cycling fatalities in TO involve a cyclist being dragged under the rear wheels of a truck. I try not to pass them, or let them pass me (when I feel there's not enough room for both of us in the lane).

I'll filter past a line of cars waiting at a light, with parked cars in the right lane - but I'll go slowly so that I can stop if someone decides to give me the door prize.

I won't filter to the right of a cager signalling a right turn - I'll go to the left. We call people who pass right turning cars "statistics" here

situational, but cars split lanes with me, i will split lanes with cars.
Agreed. It's situational based on the safety of the maneuver. I generally stay in line, but you bet I'll filter past a traffic jam.

My speed has absolutely nothing to do with how quickly they get where they are going, as long as I don't hold them up. After all, I don't get mad at motorists because they are faster than I am, why should they get mad when I'm the one who's faster?

And generally speaking, nobody gets mad at me for filtering, if I don't hold up the queue. Heck, they probably wish they could do it.

Filter to the front.. that's why you're riding a bike. I have one spot I filter past 25 cars between the straight and right turn lane. I call that section "Dances with Mirrors". Option2 in that zone is wait 3 lights, and that ain't gonna happen.

Where cars have an opportunity to turn right, you have to be really really careful if you are filtering on the right, lest you can get right hooked.

I have one stop sign that I blast every day too.. I guess I'm a freakin' renegade non-conformist. Or just a cyclist. hmmmm

For motorcycles, filtering at stoplights is accepted and expected practice pretty much everywhere in the world except the 49 US states that aren't California. Traffic engineers generally agree that filtering and lane-splitting *reduce* congestion, by reducing the amount of roadway space that motorcycles consume -- every motorcycle that filters to the front at a red is one more car that can make it through on the next green cycle.
+1, this guy gets it.

I always filter to the front, then at the red light, I wait for a break in traffic and once its clear and I am not interfering in any way with anyone's right of way, I run the red, and repeat as necessary. Usually, I am so far ahead of traffic they do not even catch up with me by the next light.

For me, this is very safe since I stay away from traffic as much as possible and when I do get passed, its when I'm riding at my fastest, which is safest since at that time, I have the most options to manouevre.

The same people who filter to the front are also the ones who typically keep to the right outside radius of the left turn to allow motorists to pass them while they're still in the intersection.
Why do you say this? I do not fit this description.

I filter in certain situations. I also typically control the lane for about half of my hour-long morning commute.

You just can't generalize like that.

I have one stop sign that I blast every day too.. I guess I'm a freakin' renegade non-conformist. Or just a cyclist. hmmmm

Cager on a bike is more like it. You wanna blow signs, lights and stuff, that's what you are, a COB.

I always filter to the front, then at the red light, I wait for a break in traffic and once its clear and I am not interfering in any way with anyone's right of way, I run the red, and repeat as necessary.

Yet another COB

I typically do not do this. Although it is sort of a moot point in my situation: First off I choose my times/routes to avoid the roads with high volume, there are usually only two or three other cars waiting at each light. Secondly none of the light sensors along my route notice my bicycle (still bothering the city about this) so I like to have at least one car in front of me at the intersection to trip the light for both of us. Finally I like to have the crazies in front of me, as they are not required to have a sign on the front of their car (readable in a mirror) that says, "Lunatic on board" I stop back from the light and let a few of the cars go ahead.

I usually follow a guideline I learned from someone here back when I was a newbie, which is to take the lane and wait if I am within one cycle of the light, otherwise feel free to filter to within one cycle, if it feels safe to. Usually I am able to slide into a gap and take the lane again once I start getting close, without going all the way to the front. (If traffic's that backed up, it's not moving very fast.) Maybe not technically legal, but if it's not too dangerous, helps me get through the line, and does not impede others, I'll do it anyway. (Plus it's very hard to resist! :D)

The big question for me, and one I don't have a consistent answer for, is whether to filter on the right or left. We've had lots of threads on this one before, too. Obviously you want to watch out for right hooks, and if there's a lot of opportunity for that, I'll go on the left. Ditto if there is more than one lane going straight. But often on my roads there are minimal turn-ins on the right, and a nice shoulder, so I'll happily use it. I suppose bike lanes would be similar, although I don't have many of those, certainly not in the usual traffic jam areas.

The same people who filter to the front are also the ones who typically keep to the right outside radius of the left turn to allow motorists to pass them while they're still in the intersection.

Why do you say this? I do not fit this description.

I filter in certain situations. I also typically control the lane for about half of my hour-long morning commute.

You just can't generalize like that.
Yes I can. The kind of generalizing that one can't do is to observe typical behavior and then conclude that everyone, without exception, does it. I didn't do that.

Just because you're an exception to what I observe to be typically true of most cyclists (and, speaking of generalizations, I would expect most A&S long-term participants to be exceptions to what most cyclists do in traffic, so this is no surprise), does not mean that my generalization is false.

However, if you observe most cyclists (not just yourself) controlling the left turn lane all the way through the intersection, that would be something to use to counter my claim.

I usually follow a guideline I learned from someone here back when I was a newbie, which is to take the lane and wait if I am within one cycle of the light, otherwise feel free to filter to within one cycle, if it feels safe to. Usually I am able to slide into a gap and take the lane again once I start getting close, without going all the way to the front. (If traffic's that backed up, it's not moving very fast.) Maybe not technically legal, but if it's not too dangerous, helps me get through the line, and does not impede others, I'll do it anyway. (Plus it's very hard to resist! :D)

You're welcome (well, there's a chance it was me... why not take the credit? :D )


The big question for me, and one I don't have a consistent answer for, is whether to filter on the right or left. We've had lots of threads on this one before, too. Obviously you want to watch out for right hooks, and if there's a lot of opportunity for that, I'll go on the left. Ditto if there is more than one lane going straight. But often on my roads there are minimal turn-ins on the right, and a nice shoulder, so I'll happily use it. I suppose bike lanes would be similar, although I don't have many of those, certainly not in the usual traffic jam areas.
:beer:

Every situation is different. In long jams, I'll even cross into the oncoming to pass stopped traffic, as long as the sight lines are good and I can see that there is no oncoming traffic coming!

situational, but cars split lanes with me, i will split lanes with cars.
It's very difficult (but not impossible) for motorists to split lanes with a cyclist who is not splitting the lane. In other words, for a motorist to split lanes with a cyclist, the cyclist has to have chosen to move aside and yield the remainder of his lane to others. My point is that lane splitting is mostly a choice on the part of the cyclist.

And when the cyclist is passing the motorists, the motorists are usually in their normal position, not choosing to split with anyone. If there happens to be enough pavement left over, then motorcyclists and bicyclists may choose to use it. Again, it's mostly a choice on the part of the cyclist.

I think it's very important and very helpful to ride in traffic with an attitude based on the understanding that the choice of lane splitting in almost all situations lies with the cyclist. Realizing this can help raise a cyclist's self-esteem in the context of riding in traffic.

The main exception to splitting being entirely the cyclist's choice is when trying to control a lane, someone in a car (not to mention someone on another bike or motorcycle) can still at least encroach in your lane. But, for a car driver, that's more straddling lanes than splitting lanes, and is only possible when there is space in the adjacent lane to straddle.

Just because you're an exception to what I observe to be typically true of most cyclists (and, speaking of generalizations, I would expect most A&S long-term participants to be exceptions to what most cyclists do in traffic, so this is no surprise), does not mean that my generalization is false.
No, but it takes some weight from your argument.

You could also argue that motorists tend to live longer and be in better health than non-motoring pedestrians. The obvious implication is that driving is better for you than walking. Yet on closer inspection, it becomes apparent that people who walk usually cannot afford to drive, and also cannot afford proper health care. But to say that walking is therefore less healthy than driving is making a false conclusion.

Just because someone filters to the front, it does not necessarily mean they don't take the lane. Even if they don't take the lane, that doesn't mean there is an iron-clad relationship between the two.

Yet another COB

And what are you, "jarhead?" Judging from your posts, an A.O.B.

I'll give you two guesses as to what AOB stands for...

No, but it takes some weight from your argument.

You could also argue that motorists tend to live longer and be in better health than non-motoring pedestrians. The obvious implication is that driving is better for you than walking. Yet on closer inspection, it becomes apparent that people who walk usually cannot afford to drive, and also cannot afford proper health care. But to say that walking is therefore less healthy than driving is making a false conclusion.

Just because someone filters to the front, it does not necessarily mean they don't take the lane. Even if they don't take the lane, that doesn't mean there is an iron-clad relationship between the two.
Who said anything about an iron-clad relationship?

I noted an apparent correlation. I said nor implied nothing about cause and effect.

You're welcome (well, there's a chance it was me... why not take the credit? :D )
Actually, I believe that it may have been. Thank you!

For motorcycles, filtering at stoplights is accepted and expected practice pretty much everywhere in the world except the 49 US states that aren't California. Traffic engineers generally agree that filtering and lane-splitting *reduce* congestion, by reducing the amount of roadway space that motorcycles consume -- every motorcycle that filters to the front at a red is one more car that can make it through on the next green cycle.
I don't see much filtering and I don't do it myself. If the line is really that backed up, I jump off my bike and jog along on the sidewalk (even in the middle of town there's hardly anyone there) with my bike. Yes, in cleats.

If traffic is really slow, I usually change my position to extreme left -- part of my body will be further left than the cars, but not so far that I interfere with the flow in the next lane over. If that lane is faster, I'll feel free to take it. I've found this positioning encourages drivers to pull in very close, but they see me and seem to let me go where I want without getting aggravated.

One thing to be aware of when filtering is that people will sometimes suddenly cut over to get into an alley or another lane, so you have to be careful about passing when people don't know you're there.

It's legal here in Cali, and with the amount of traffic congestion in my area, splitting lanes, and passing lines of vehicles in the bike lane / shoulder makes it much faster for me to get home from work by bike than it would be in a car. There are times I won't split lanes if I feel the conditions are unsafe, but it's fine for the most part.

Also, I take left turns a lot faster than cars here... most people lag going from 0 to 10 on a turn, so getting flattened by someone with a lead foot is usually not a concern.

I'm sorry but people who don't filter to the front are part of the problem. You are contributing to congestion, you are contributing to the amount of time someone in a motor vehicle will spend idling, pumping pollution into the air. You might as well just put a gasoline engine on your bike.

I have never met anybody who drives who gave a darn about cyclists filtering. They don't consider cyclists who don't filter somehow "more polite", and they don't get any indignation over being passed by a bicyclist who is filtering forward.

Bicyclists who would choose to get stuck in a long line of traffic are simply incomprehensible. Why wouldn't you filter? They would filter in their cars if they could.

I don't see much filtering and I don't do it myself. If the line is really that backed up, I jump off my bike and jog along on the sidewalk (even in the middle of town there's hardly anyone there) with my bike. Yes, in cleats.

For some reason, I can't help but find that to be very comedic...

click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click... ;)

-Kurt

When I approach a traffic light to make a left turn, my tendency is to ride around the cars on their right to get to the head of the pack. I do this because I like to get a jump on the traffic in the turn.

Lane splitting on motorcycles is legal in CA, and so I imagine that the same applies to a bicycle. But beyond the legality of it, what do others think of positioning yourself at the head of the line at a traffic light? Or is it better or more acceptable to keep your place in line?

I keep my place in traffic, not because of the law, but because I don't want to get right hooked, I drift slightly to the left, into the line of traffic, behind the right wheel of the car in front. When traffic starts moving, I will drift back towards the curb, staying about 3/4 m from it (about 2 1/2 feet). Before I drift, I give 2 signals to the next car, I point left, then drop my left arm at the elbow, to signal slow down/stop. This has always worked for me.

I'm sorry but people who don't filter to the front are part of the problem. You are contributing to congestion, you are contributing to the amount of time someone in a motor vehicle will spend idling, pumping pollution into the air. You might as well just put a gasoline engine on your bike.

I have never met anybody who drives who gave a darn about cyclists filtering. They don't consider cyclists who don't filter somehow "more polite", and they don't get any indignation over being passed by a bicyclist who is filtering forward.

Bicyclists who would choose to get stuck in a long line of traffic are simply incomprehensible. Why wouldn't you filter? They would filter in their cars if they could.
What most cyclists who filter to the front don't realize is how much they contribute to the problem. Typically, they move to the front, into the crosswalk, in front of the first car. Then, when the light turns green, no one can go, because this a-hole cyclist is in the way. Even when they move off to the right as soon as they can, the driver behind is often unsure of what the cyclist is doing, and still slows down. It's pathetic.

On the other hand, if you just take your place behind the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 10th car, whatever, then you have plenty of time to clip in and track stand after the light turns green before it's your turn to go. By the time the car in front gets going, you're ready to go, and, taking advantage of the draft, it's pretty easy to keep up. As I said before, I almost always end up passing up any cyclist who passed me at the light as they filter to the front. Finally, when the motor traffic achieves speeds exceeding mine, I move aside.

It's very smooth.

And I don't know of any cyclist who said he wouldn't filter even when the congestion is so long that not filtering means missing one or more green phases.

I'm an absolute believer in lane splitting..... bring it on. Cagers give me no respect even if it's legislated, so bring it on. :lol: Lane splitting allows me to be the fastest vehicle on the road in the city. Sit and wait in their exhaust? I don't think so. As for when the light turns green, I jump it a couple seconds (dual reds for three seconds here) and I'm well away before cars even move. Unless the car is flooring it, he's not crossing the intersection before me anyway. The logic being if I'm in front I win, very few drivers have the stones to run you over from behind. Clipping you from the side is something entirely different. "I'm sorry I didn't see him" This worked for 6 years of daily messenger work in Montreal, and continues to work as a commuter.

What most cyclists who filter to the front don't realize is how much they contribute to the problem.... Then, when the light turns green, no one can go, because this a-hole cyclist is in the way....


so, its a-hole cyclists now, eh, that don't agree with 100% helemet method???


When the light turns green, I am 1,2,3 or 4 blocks ahead of the cars before they catch up......

and waiting in line of traffic, if extrapolated to the extent of a bad traffic day, means helmet head or whoever else's commute takes as long as people stuck in traffic..... wacky, wacky stuff. I see helm says in there somewhere, if the cycles are long, he'll filter then but it sounds like it takes a lot longer to ride that way.

i split lanes, i wait in line, its all situational.Tonight I 'diced the yellow stripe' on a drawbridge instead of get stuck in 4 or five cycles of lights and traffic in Seattle. Cars will split lanes mercilessy with me, so i do the same when safe and expedient to do so. I split lanes of moving traffic if it is expeditious and I deem it safe to do so, i bet a lot of us do a variatiion of this, approaching a backup of right-turners in a travel lane......

BUT, cars split lanes with me (safely OR unsafely, thank you for the clarification, mr head) I split lanes with cars.

simple enough, and needs no window dressing.

When I am in line 1st at the stop light, I am usually 3-6 car lengths ahead of the car by the time I get to the other side of the intersection, so I would not be the " a-hole cyclist holding up traffic"

I don't see much filtering and I don't do it myself. If the line is really that backed up, I jump off my bike and jog along on the sidewalk (even in the middle of town there's hardly anyone there) with my bike. Yes, in cleats.
For some reason, I can't help but find that to be very comedic...

click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click... ;)

If doing it allows me to dodge 3 or 4 stoplight cycles, it's worth it. Granted, it looks kind of silly (but not as silly as sitting in a car going nowhere)

The reason I don't filter is that space is really tight where I'd want to do it, and I've heard a number of motorists say they don't care what cyclists do so long as they don't get some special advantage. Fair or unfair, I try not to aggravate 'em because we see each other every day.

we don't get our special advantages? do you still buy gasoline as a solidarity gesture for the gashuffers' sake, banarejek?

hilarious, i am sorry. if it's that tight, i guess....

If doing it allows me to dodge 3 or 4 stoplight cycles, it's worth it. Granted, it looks kind of silly (but not as silly as sitting in a car going nowhere)

The reason I don't filter is that space is really tight where I'd want to do it, and I've heard a number of motorists say they don't care what cyclists do so long as they don't get some special advantage. Fair or unfair, I try not to aggravate 'em because we see each other every day.
Cars...Heat in the cold, air conditioning in the heat, radio, TV, DVD, air bags, 2 tons of metal for protection, shelter from the elements, block out road noise, climb the steepest hill effortlessly, Ability to travel at high speeds, antilock brakes, ability to kill and destroy, basically a fast rolling cocoon.

2 wheels motor, intimate contact with your enviroment, compactness, Maneuverability,Ability to travel at high speeds, climb the steepest hill effortlessly, enconomic compared to a car, acceleration.

2 wheels human power, intimate contact with your enviroment, compactness, Maneuverability,enconomic compared to other forms of transport, fitness.

What special advantage are you talking about?

I drive, ride a motorcycle and a bicycle, there are trade offs with each. I tell people that are jealous of lane splitting that it's easy to get a class M and available to everyone. Bicycles require no licence and are relatively cheap compared to motorized transport.