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About Breaking Rules
The people who set the legal speed limits on our highways and byways are, presumably, experts. They are familiar with the various correlations between traffic speed, traffic density, accident rates, and accident fatalities. They have a wealth of data to draw upon, since Americans drive literally trillions of miles each year and we’ve been monitoring traffic fatalities for decades. So, assuming they aren’t simply diversity hires, our traffic engineers probably know a thing or two about speed limits and safety.
Despite all that, some significant number of my fellow Americans seem quite willing to exceed the legally posted speed limits. I’ve seen them do it, so I know this is true. I’ve watched drivers run just a couple of miles over. I’ve watched drivers set their cruise controls a full nine miles over the speed the experts have determined to be right and proper.
To be perfectly honest, there have been times, in my 45 years of driving, when even I have exceeded the legal speed limit — but never by more than 85 miles per hour, and that only on a motorcycle and not in a very, very long time.
I no longer exceed the speed limit. For the past twenty years, I’ve been the guy in the big vehicle plodding along at the legal speed limit, always in the right lane, passed at every opportunity by people who live their lives more urgently, apparently, than I live mine.
The people who impose mask mandates are power-obsessed politicians presumably informed by a political calculus that includes, somewhere deep in its Machiavellian equations, a variable representing the contributions mask mandates make to public safety. That variable is a bit problematic, as The Science (and no, that isn’t a pseudonym for the pompously mendacious little guy on TV) really hasn’t established so much as the sign of mask mandate efficacy, let alone its magnitude. Unlike, say, speed limits, we don’t really know if mask mandates contribute to public safety.
I was in a convenience store last night, unmasked. As usual, no one said a word; only once, so far, has anyone in this mask-obsessed state commented negatively on my ruggedly handsome and totally uncovered visage. The next time someone does, I’ll be tempted to respond that “I never exceed the legal speed limit, but I don’t wear a mask. Just think of it as me going nine over. Now give me my change, and have a nice day.”
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I’m kinda like you Hank. I have filed federal income tax returns for over 65 years and never been questioned or audited because I follow the rules. Things have changed.
Actually the last I heard, the roads are designed to be safe at speeds far greater than the posted limits, which are determined by means other than safety and engineering etc. Otherwise, why the 55mph limit for years? Did someone suddenly realize the roads weren’t really safe at 65-75, until when later they suddenly were again?
The primary exceptions would be sharper turns, exit ramps, etc, which are banked and such for lower speeds.
I occasionally speed. I find that’s the only way to compensate for those who do not speed and are inconsiderate enough to get in my way.
I try to make up for it by wearing a mask in elevators.
If would be VERY difficult to test the effectiveness of mask mandates because there is so much variability in masks and mask wearing. Paper mask, cloth mask, N95? How often changed? Worn properly or is (are) the nose and/or mouth exposed? How much leakage around the edges? In any given group of people that I’ve observed, you see practically every conceivable combination. If there’s some gold standard of mask wearing, what is it and who’s going to enforce it?
When I saw the news of that guy bounced off a flight because his mask was a red thong it was the first time I have seen a question raised about the type of mask. That happening only once seems strange if there is a mask mandate. I don’t get out much.
Maybe they kicked him off for
culturalgender appropriation?And that’s perfectly fine because you’re in the right lane. “Slow Traffic Keep Right” applies, even if the cars behind you are speeding and you think it’s your civic duty to slow them down by hogging the left lane (AKA The Passing Lane).
It’s not . . .
Bob, because they are so heavily federally regulated, I suspect airports and airplanes are among the most strict enforcers of mask mandates. I took several flights over the past two weeks, and the carrier (United) made it quite clear what kinds of masks were and weren’t acceptable.
My own LET’S GO BRANDEN mask not only complied with whatever diktats were in force, but got a positive response from everyone willing to make their opinion known. That included three flight attendants and, on one flight, the pilot who told me he wanted one to wear “when off duty.”
In some places, including I think Oregon where I grew up, it’s not illegal to pass on the right, as some people believe. It’s actually more like illegal to be to the left of someone when they pass you.
Structural engineers apply a safety factor of about 150%. I assume traffic engineers do, too. I don’t have a problem driving seven miles over the limit.
Nor do I. I just like keeping my 3 1/2 tons of aging SUV at the legal limit. And I get just over 16 mpg that way.
I read once that the Interstate system was designed to accommodate 70 mph traffic virtually everywhere, with curves and grades configured accordingly. I assume that, given the higher stability and quality of modern cars, it’s pretty safe at even higher speeds.
In the early 80s I had my Triumph TR-8 (looked like a TR-7 “wedge” but with a small-block V8 engine) with VR-rated tires that are designed for constant use at speeds over 130mph. Although I only tried that a couple times, on a segment of I-5 north of Salem, Oregon, where you could go north at regular speed checking out the situation on the southbound side – looking for cops waiting in the bushes etc – then cross over at the next exit at Brooks, and come screaming back southbound knowing that there was nobody lying in wait. (There were no other on/off-ramps in between.)
At times when I was stopped for “excess speed” I was just given a warning, usually because it was on empty highways and one time the cop actually complimented me for pulling over and stopping quicker than he did.
Any mask will work unless
itsit’s one that shows contempt for the enforcers.I guess “Let’s go Brandon” is right out.
I think that the Pass Only On the Left was created for two lane highways and wasn’t meant to apply to places where there are two or more lanes going in the same direction.
But these traffic tickets aren’t going to hand themselves out….
I suspect that might not fly at a lot of public schools.
Some cars are safe at higher speeds. The car below is likely safer at “nine over” than your SUV at the limit.
I don’t recall being the same highway with you, but that would be me.
I just can’t do it. For one thing, it is utterly unsafe to drive that much slower than the crowd here in the Atlanta metro. I call the highways through Atlanta, when not jammed up, “The Maelstrom”. My +9 puts me in the middle of the pack. Still getting passed.
I have noticed that some roads do have speed limits at a pace that works for me. In Texas, in particular. I gather there are more in the upper plains states.
Yes. The first time I drove across South Dakota with its 80 mph limit was simply bliss. Imagine being able to go 90 without anyone caring.
I think there are a lot of cars these days that would have a hard time going that fast. And texting-and-driving becomes a lot more difficult too.
I would like to think that texting-and-driving is more of a street traffic thing where people do it while they are stopped and are surprised when the light changes sooner than they expected.
But then, I would like to think a lot of things.
True. Fortunately, I’m in the small category of people who enjoys driving fast and hates texting.
I drive a four cylinder Toyota Tacoma, and I bet I could get up to more than 100 mph, though it might take a while.
As I tell my young cousins whenever I feel a need to brag about my vehicle: the Yukon will do 0 to 60.
I would be happier if the people who do stuff like text and drive only ran into each other.
All of the Suburbans I’ve owned were good for 100mph. (An extrapolation for the 2nd one. I’m on my fourth.) The current one (2014) even gets 18-20 mpg at the speeds I drive. (The higher value shows up during the cooler months–A/C off.)
I sort of expected a four cylinder truck to get in the 35/mpg range, but it only gets about 24/mpg.
My wife’s Honda van runs on 4 cylinders (eco mode – it’s a 3.5 L V6) at cruising speed where it gets close to 40 MPG. At about 79 it goes back to 6 cylinders and the mileage drops to 20-25. So I don’t go over 78 in that vehicle. On Texas and Utah open roads, that is under the open highway limit of 80. I drive a nearly antique and slow Lexus and I like to set the cruise at 79, four over the AZ 75 limit. I figure as long as people are passing me, I don’t have to worry about a ticket.
When I was much younger and less wise, I drove my father’s 70 Chevelle (a surplus government green law enforcement issue with work-truck upholstery, front disk brakes, a spotlight, two batteries, two alternators, a 350 block 4 barrel carb, 30 gallon gas tank and a three speed automatic) to college in under 2 hours (it was a 3.5 hr. trip if you followed the 55 stay alive speed limit.) How fast, you ask? The car had more to give, but not much. I once drove from Boston to Saratoga Springs in NY in record time. My little Pontiac Sunbird Turbo manual had a lot of heart (0-60 in 7 seconds) and could cruise easily at 1oo mph plus. I think it was as fast as the old Chevelle and about half as thirsty. By today’s standards, these are not performance numbers, but back in the day, they were fun and relatively fast.
Today’s Honda Accord Sport 4 cylinder turbo is as fast as a 1989 Corvette. So is the Subaru Legacy.
Good thing all my cars are old or I’d be a regular criminal.
Not always valid. You being slower, makes you easier to catch.
You would enjoy driving in Montana. When I was last there, there were no speed limits. But you could still get a ticket, “Depending upon conditions and traffic.”