From: dcb@kopachuk.uucp (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Why CAN'T people drive 55?!
Organization: Tacoma Screw Products, Inc.
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 21:58:35 GMT

In article <3040@uswnvg.uswnvg.com> hcorbin@uswnvg.com (Harold Corbin) writes:
>Why is it that people are always giving me dirty looks when they pass me on the 
>highway and I'm driving 60 in a 55 MPH zone?  I get irritated and angry EVERY   TIME some jerk tailgates me and flashes his/her brights fo rme to move over justbecause I don't have a TOTAL DISRESPECT for the LAW and I don't want to drive
>75 just to get the hell out of their way!

I'm not going to try to convince you to break the law - civil
disobedience is a personal decision - however, as one who prides
himself in obeying any law no matter how unjust or perverse you
should know that impeding traffic is also against the law.  It
doesn't matter if you are going the speed limit, or over the
speed limit, if somebody wants to pass you and you are in the
inside lane, you are *required* to pull over and let them pass.

>The scariest thing is.... NOBODY cares!  Sure, it's a piddly thing.... who caresabout the speed limit, there are more important things to focus energy on.
>Nobody thinks it's dangerous to drive 70 in a 55, so why shouldn't we???

Actually, the safest speed to drive is the speed that the cars around
you are going - if they're all going 70, *you* are the one courting
danger by going 55, even if you earn social brownie points for doing so.

>Question:  Are we ALL experts in determining the safe speed limitations requiredon the roads we drive?  Does passing the Drivers Ed class and getting a license
>guarantee instant expertise on road conditions and speed/velocity/gravity 
>equations?  I think NOT! 

Agreed.  Driver's Ed does not teach you how to drive a car.  However,
you must understand that many speed limits - especially *national*
speed limits, are set by people who have never even *seen*, let alone
driven on, the roads they are setting speed limits for.  As a person
who regularly drives a stretch of road, I *do* know more about what
a safe speed for the road is than the person who set the limit does.

>                           The speed limits are LIMITS for a reason!

Money.

>Does everyone think that the DOT knows nothing and that the drivers on the raod
>should be able to drive as fast as THEY want to? 

I do.  Within reason.  For most stretches of interstate highway, 55 is
not reasonable.

>                                                   Sometimes I think that the
>grandpa in front of me driving his FORD Fairlane and myself are the only ones
>on the road with any respect for the law and the police that enforce such limitson society.

Remember, Grandpa's Fairlane was build when many stretches of I-5 were
80 mph.  Are cars now less safe at such speeds?

>Maybe the speeders of the world all think it's OK to help themselves to a few 
>free penny candies at 7-Eleven whenver they want?  After all, what's the BIG
>DEAL???  Unless you get caught, nobody really cares.  

This is a silly analogy and I'm sure you're just being rhetorical here.
There's a big difference between stealing - an act reviled since the
Dawn of Man and with a long history in natural law, and speeding.

>What does this trend towards disrespect mean for the future?  If we don't obey 
>the law, what will our children think?  Are the rules really rules, or are they
>subject to your own discretion?  What kind of message is this to the future
>youth of America?

Rules are rules.  I guess they do have that in common :-)
There are unjust, stupid, unfair, evil and immoral laws as well.
These types of laws lead to disrespect for all laws.  Is it
virtuous to obey a bad law?  Where's Socrates when you need him?
Oh, that's right - he broke the law and had to drink hemlock.
At least he proved himself virtuous in the end.

>The fabric of our society is dwindling.  It is commonly accepted to break the
>law.  What's next?

Start repealing the bad laws?  Nah, there's no money in that.  If the
speed limit was, say, 70 MPH, fewer speeding tickets would be written.
That would mean less money in the coffers of state, county and local
government.  Then the insurance companies couldn't raise the rates of
people who haven't had accidents - they'd lose too.  And think of all
the thousands of people who spend millions of dollars making sure
the states conform with "55" - they'd be out of work.  There'd be no
federal highway grant money to keep the radar companies like Kustom
Signals in business - those things are expensive, you know.  Cops
might have to go back to solving real crimes instead of sitting by the
side of the road waiting for a box to beep at them - that could be
dangerous!  Etc., etc., etc.

>Let me guess....... about 20 responses to this posting all flaming me for being
>a tightwad.  "Loosen up, there are more important things to worry about."

Actually, it is a very important issue.  You just happen to be on
the wrong side. :-)

>I'm probably the BAD GUY, since I still remember how to follow the rules.  Well
>EXCUSE ME for respecting the speed limit, and FLAME AWAY!  I'm waiting....

Please continue driving 55.  Just have the courtesy to do it in the
outside lane.  Thanks.

-- 
David Breneman     Sys Admin, Tacoma Screw Products, Inc. |  ____  ____  ____
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