Re: On Topic? Cars, anyway: 55 MPH speed limit...

"Leftie" <No@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:qFThk.3436$gg.1404@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Brent P wrote:
>> On 2008-07-24, Leftie <No@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>>>     I've always sup****ted 55, as long as you can go 60 and be left 
>>> alone.
>>
>> So long as the cops don't bother those driving at your chosen speed.
How
>> absurd a standard.
>
>
>    The standard is perfectly reasonable, and long-standing. It's to 
> account for both speedometer error and people momentarily drifting above

> the limit. I use cruise control and know my speedometer error, so I can 
> set it for 60 and know I'll be going 58. You're the one being absurd.
>
>

That's just craziness!

First, the speedo error is already built in. If your speedo says 60, you
are 
doing at least 58 in a modern car with any of the standard size tires that

the factory puts on that model. You can't set the speedo on 55, then make 
the claim that your car was going faster but you did not know. Second, you

are not talking about momentary drifts above the limit, you are talking 
about setting the Cruise to intentionally exceed the limit for miles on
end.

You can do what you want, that's not my point. My point is that the 
"longstanding standard" is a crock of ****. As a practical matter, the 
highway patrol doesn't care very much about 60 in a 55, for the most part.

But they are not giving you a bye due to some longstanding standard,
they're 
giving you a bye because they have bigger fish to fry. They can wait 30 
seconds and get some schmuck doing 80 if you get your slow-poking ass out
of 
the way.




>
>>
>>> I do 58-60 in the center lane on my commute (lots of off-ramps in the 
>>> right lane) and idiots keep passing me on *both* sides. Americans are 
>>> stupid.
>>
>> That may be true generally but in this case you're driving in the wrong
>> lane. Keep right except to pass. If you can't deal with the merge
>> impaired go fast enough so you aren't being passed on the right.
>    This is how we got into the current situation: being told to crowd
into 
> the right-hand lane to make more room for speeders. On a 3 lane highway 
> with off-ramps on the right, the right lane should be for those going 
> below the limit, including those exiting or entering from ramps. The 
> center lane should be for cruising at the limit or so, and the left lane

> for passing and emergency vehicles. This allows for the optimum flow of 
> traffic and for maximum safety. But that's just too sensible for this 
> dumbass country...
>


Anytime you are being passed on the right, you are wrong. End of
discussion.

I drive much the same as you (relative to the speed) because I have a
truck 
that is full of stuff all of the time, and I keep the speed down due
mostly 
to the fact that I also keep the weight up. I seldom get passed on the
right 
because when I venture out of the right lane, I speed up to pass the guy 
that was in my way, then get back in the right lane when I am done. THAT
is 
the way you are supposed to drive in a civilized society. In your selfish 
little world, you drive wherever the hell you want and piss everybody else

off.