It does not creep along like NYC sludge, but accelerates up to 20-30mph and slams back to a dead stop. Over and over, like a giant accordion. A bike caught in the midst of this has to hope the car in back is paying attention and stops in time.
Bumper tag is very common, you do not want to play that with a car. I used to get a kick out of admitring the skid marks all over the concrete center dividers from those that lost control trying to stop in time.
Better idea now? I stopped riding on LA streets and freeways long before I stopped riding altogether.
I have spent a few weeks in So Cal on biz and have driven the CA freeways over the decades. (Though yeah, I am currently just outside of NYC.)
That sort of stop and go, however, would seem to make it more dangerous for motorcyclists to do their weaving—as they really could only surprise car drivers by doing so—and also be the sort of chronic traffic that the cyclists couldn’t really get away from by just getting ahead of a few cars.
Again, my ignorance on this issue is clearly deep and wide, but I’ve always taken motorcyclists as just annoyingly jumping traffic by that move—while also endangering themselves and, to a degree, car drivers and occupants.