When it seems like the news just gets worse and worse every day, it can wear you down. You and I ride motorcycles not only because we enjoy it, but also because we want a momentary escape from whatever is bothering us. Everything else is just details. 

All of us complain about the terrible behavior we see from drivers on the road—and sometimes from other riders, as well. From distracted drivers to petty, vengeful drivers who think that it’s somehow OK to try to kill you because you split lanes—there are a lot of reasons to be frustrated, angry, and cautious around the cars and trucks with which we share the road.

That’s exactly why a video like this is so nice to see. It’s small, and it’s simple, but the short exchange depicted here says so much about both the driver of the truck and the motorcyclist involved. 

The story goes like this: Motorcyclist is lane-splitting safely in LA, but a truck driver gets his attention and saves him from the car the biker can’t see that’s trying to cross in front of the truck. Had the truck driver not stopped the biker, the biker would probably have been T-boned by the car that just darted out in front of the truck. 

However, because of the truck driver’s quick action—and the rider trusting the driver enough to stop—no accident happened. The rider waved and thanked the driver, and continued lane-splitting on his way to wherever he was going. 

It’s a good reminder of a few things. One, not every driver is out to get us when we’re on two wheels. Two, even small, positive actions like this one can resonate. The truck driver made the choice to save the day. The rider’s helmet cam caught this entire thing on video, and he decided to upload it to YouTube. Then, another rider posted it to r/motorcycles to share with a wider audience of riders. It’s less than 30 seconds long, but the impacts of actions like these can have positive ripple effects. 

Sources: YouTube, r/motorcycles

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