Driver entitlement is problem road users only see in others
Q Mark Flynn says Tesla drivers are inconsiderate because they don’t move over for him on his motorcycle.
It is going to become more regular as more autonomous (self-driving) cars hit the roads.
Get used to it. — David Burwell, Morgan Hill
A When these cars flood our freeways, we’ll all realize how much smarter they drive than many of us do.
Q The sense of entitlement displayed by motorcyclist Mark Flynn of San Jose in a recent column is pretty outrageous. He infers that those who do not swerve left for lane splitters are “jerks.” While lane splitting may be legal in this state, I, as the driver of a full-sized van (or any other vehicle, for that matter), am not obligated to move to facilitate your dangerous riding habits as you fly past at 20 or 30 mph faster than the surrounding traffic.
Several times my passenger side mirror has been intentionally slapped and nearly broken by bikers going by in bumper-tobumper traffic on Highway
24. These are bikers whose presence I was unaware of until they tried to damage my vehicle. You split lanes at your own risk, Mr. Flynn, and avoiding the traffic around you is your responsibility, not mine. — Matt Peterson, Martinez
A Here’s the rule: Do what you need to do to be safe. If that means giving up your sense of entitlement, give it up.
Q I couldn’t resist responding to your comment about wanting to hear from Tesla owners.
I’m a great fan of innovation, and the Tesla is definitely innovative. (I’ve been driving since I got my license in 1955 and have never had a moving violation. Saying that will jinx me for sure.) I think the Tesla is probably the safest and most fun car I have owned, but just like any computerized object, I don’t fully trust it. I would never do something distracting while in autopilot mode.
I suspect the Tesla IT team knows about the motorcycle issue and is working to accommodate it.
I love my car and will not likely buy another internal combustion car in my lifetime. — Mary Oliver, San Ramon
A You have the right to continue your long and stellar safety record driving any car you want.
Q I wanted to respond to the letter written by the motorcyclist on Highway 85. I regularly drive my Tesla on Highway 85 and understand his frustration. He is right that autopilot locks the car on to the middle of the lane. I prefer to move to the left for motorcyclists to pass and have to disengage the system to do so. Because of this, I’ve mostly stopped using the lane-keeping feature on my regular commute.
I wish there was a way to add an easy offset to the lane centerline to make this a smoother operation. I don’t suppose the Tesla autopilot designers read your column? — Veronica Wong
A What?! Everyone reads Roadshow.