VERY large group!

Headed to Oklahoma on Thursday with a bunch. 1500 mile round trip. Gonna be a great time!

"Group" or "club" or .....?

Thats what my question is about. Law enforcement may be able to answer my question.

First I want to say I respect the hell out of the biker groups and what they do, what they stand for. I, at times, have been and will be a biker. Currently I don't own one but I've got the hankering.

Today as I got up on 459N I encountered a group of bikers, probably 100 to 200 in all. The lead came up on me as I was merging from the on ramp. I rolled down the window and gave the first group a big thumbs up. They were riding in the middle of three lanes. Their numbers forced about 30 cars to stack up in the slow right outside lane. No big deal. There is a large gap between the first and second group. I signal and merge into the center lane. I match their pace and give about 100 yards space in front of me.

This is where I encountered the guard riders who were wearing yellow with large black lettering. I note the fast outside lane is empty as far back as I can see in my mirror. One of these guys rides up next to me and signals me to move back to the slow lane. Not law enforcement on a mission like a funeral. Just a civilian with the neon yellow gear. I signaled him to move on past me. I had no room in the slow lane which was now moving at 45 miles per hour because of all the cars stacked up. This is the point where a number of these bikers try to box me in and force me over.

Now I'm pissed and damned stubborn and I'm not gonna let anyone just bogart the two fast lanes of traffic because they think they can. I stayed put until I was able to merge safely back to the slow lane and move at a decent clip. They didn't like it, they passed hand signals back and forth and I didn't give a single shat. I was being polite compared to what I saw some drivers doing.

I watched this this aggressive behavior by the bikers through four very busy intersections on 459N, including the I65 interchange where traffic came nearly to a standstill until a few motorists and a tractor trailer had enough. I'm amazed nobody got killed. Had a motorist tagged a biker or two it would have been well deserved.

The bikers could have taken the fast lane and left the two slower lanes to others and it would have been safer for everyone. Taking the TWO faster lanes was unsafe and just azzhat behavior. I don't understand it.

So my question is by what authority do the guards feel they can bully and direct traffic on the interstate?

Does Alabama have any laws that grant powers of this nature? I know MN and some other northern states do. But I couldn't find anything in Alabama.

Again, I respect the bikers, many of whom are vets. I appreciate them. But this specific group today needs a lesson in manners and hopefully it won't cost one of them their life in the process.

Rant over.

Let me ask you this one. I come across group2 riding 2 abreast. The one guy is always hugging the yellow line. Why? That seems so dangerous. One person not paying attention or texting and he is gone.