Man, it all started after I saw some dude zipping past traffic on a Ninja in California. Got me thinking – wait, can I do this back home in Texas?
The Wake-up Call
Got cocky last summer splitting lanes on I-35 near Austin. Heat was cooking my gears something fierce. Cop lights flashed behind me before I even merged – bam, $275 ticket right there. Officer looked at me like I grew horns. “Son, you’re gonna cause a dang funeral procession doin’ that here.”
Rabbit Hole Time
Spent three nights elbow-deep in research. Gawd the rules were all over the place! Had:
- Google throwing ancient forums at me from 2008
- DMV sites contradicting police bulletins in the same damn state
- Zero official maps showing where it’s cool
Dusted off my ancient spreadsheet skills real quick. Color-coded states like some budget detective: green for legal, red for nope, yellow for “they might not kill you but don’t push it.”
West Coast vs. Everywhere Else
Rode through Cali last October like it was Disneyland. Split past miles of Prius parades on 405 – felt like Moses parting the traffic sea. Arizona? Totally different beast. Tempe cops waved me through but Tucson officers gave stink-eye so bad I pulled over just to check my taillights.
Shockers in the Wild
Remember packing for the Utah trip? Figured it’d be red-state no-go land. Wrong. Showed up to find Salt Lake City riders happily filtering at red lights! Meanwhile Oregon – supposedly fine if you’re “safe” – had me almost kissing a Subaru’s bumper when Portland rush hour turned into sudden parking lot chaos.
After 7,000 miles and twelve states, my takeaway? Unless you see other bikes doing it regularly or find crystal-clear laws, assume it’s illegal. Saved my license plate from three more tickets – but that Texas fine still stings like hell.
