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I think you should have set the CC to 55, but other than that I don't see a reason for you to get angry. Oh, you mean other drivers? If you're doing at least 55 I don't see a reason for them to get angry unless you're in the left lane.
I think you should have set the CC to 55, but other than that I don't see a reason for you to get angry. Oh, you mean other drivers? If you're doing at least 55 I don't see a reason for them to get angry unless you're in the left lane.
Those "doughnut" tires are rated for only about 50 MPH tops, and with the tire being in front, he was probably already going over the max speed for that tire rating.
I think the point the OP is making is that he had a "stopped and smelled the roses" moment and realized that cruising along at a slower, safer speed can be pretty enjoyable as well. It can also be relaxing. Last year, I had a conference to go to down to Myrtle Beach. It's about a 4 hour drive for me. I set the CC for about 5 over the limit, mostly stayed in the right lane (unless I needed to pass someone), and it was the most enjoyable, relaxing trip down and back for me. I listened to podcasts I was behind on, I listened to music, I was able to actually take in the sights while on the road. When I was heading back home, I knew I was home when I was safely merging onto the highway when this impatient woman came out of no where flying up behind me giving me hand gestures and what not. I was actually merging into the lane when the lane was completely clear and I was going about 5 over the limit, going with flow of traffic at that point. She wasn't, and of course, giving me a mouth full. While she may have been able to handle her car at a much faster rate of speed, she was being a complete jerk because she didn't like the idea that I was entering the road (when she wasn't even in sight at that point) and I wasn't going fast enough for her liking.
I don't care what speed other drivers go, whether it's fast or slow. What I care about is whether they are having an impact on other drivers. THAT is what matters. If you want to go 20 mph slower than the rest of traffic, fine. You may have a good reason to do so. BUT, you need to be cognizant of your surroundings and make sure you are not blocking other people and holding other people up.
Same thing goes if you're going faster than everyone else. You may have a very good reason for doing so and it's none of my business what that is. But, if your speeding is endangering other people and is being reckless, then you are doing it wrong.
I don't care what speed other drivers go, whether it's fast or slow. What I care about is whether they are having an impact on other drivers. THAT is what matters. If you want to go 20 mph slower than the rest of traffic, fine. You may have a good reason to do so. BUT, you need to be cognizant of your surroundings and make sure you are not blocking other people and holding other people up.
Same thing goes if you're going faster than everyone else. You may have a very good reason for doing so and it's none of my business what that is. But, if your speeding is endangering other people and is being reckless, then you are doing it wrong.
As long as he/she is in thr right lane and going the the minimum speed, it is the other drivers that will have to make the adjustments to safely pass him or her.
It is a psychological phenomenon. There was a cartoon made in the 1960s or 1970s showing how perfectly ordinary nice "people" (actually the main character may have been a dog) turn into monsters when they get behind the wheel of a car. It is nothing new. I think it is funny when certain people tell me how much worse it has become. It has not changed, they just notice it now because they have backed off somewhat from being one of them. So they now notice people acting just like they used to and get offended by it.
Worse than the aggression is the people who are always out to teach someone a lesson. "I will show you for staying the the lane that is clearly ending (our family calls this driving in the a-hole lane)- I will cut you off." Whenever you set out to "teach someone a lesson" you are not teaching them anything, just creating a dangerous situation.
I do get a bit upset with someone tailgating me at high speeds. I see this as akin to them pointing a loaded gun at me. It is a direct threat of harming me or my passengers. So what do you do in that situation? Brake check? That is like lunging towards the guy point the gun at you. Just get away from them.
I still need to remember the re-install the trick I learned to keep tailgaters back - tie four or five soda cans on fishing line n the bed of your truck. The cannot see the fishing line and it looks like a bunch of cans are flying around in the wind about the low out. It gets nearly everyone to back off.
I always dreamed of a system where everyone has an A-hole driver "gun" You can only use it once or twice per day. You zap the most horrible driver you encounter and it registers in their car. If they get ten zaps, their car will not re-start next time they turn it off and they have to go pay a large fine to get it re-set so it will start again. I know it can never be implemented, but I have fun imagining it in detail and imagining whom I would "shoot" with my A-hole driver gun each day. Having only two "shots" per day makes it hard.
It is a psychological phenomenon. There was a cartoon made in the 1960s or 1970s showing how perfectly ordinary nice "people" (actually the main character may have been a dog) turn into monsters when they get behind the wheel of a car.
It's called "Motor Mania" starring Goofy. It's from 1950.
The posts above already show what the full trend will be...
I'm a special snowflake and it's all about ME!
People who think they can ignore the laws for X, Y or Z reason, people who think their life is more important than the hundreds of others they could possibly ruin, people who think their Skills behind a wheel are VASTLY better than they really are. There will be a million different excuses, but that's all they are.
To the person above who wanted the hazards on, it's flat out illegal in 12 states and there's another 25-ish where it needs to be a hazard/emergency situation (which would be up to the discretion of the LEO and/or Judge, not the driver). Without knowing where the OP was driving, the suggestion is potentially illegal and better than 50% liable to get one pulled over.
You nailed it.
And, OP, thank you for a thoughtful post and for being the kind of person who can actually think about things instead of being all "Me, Me, Me!" and thinking that if the speed limit is slower than YOU want to drive then it MUST be too low because you are supposed to be the only one on YOUR road.
As long as he/she is in thr right lane and going the the minimum speed, it is the other drivers that will have to make the adjustments to safely pass him or her.
But, but, but . . . it is the OTHER guy who is ALWAYS supposed to be the one who is cognizant of their surroundings and get out of your way no matter what so that you don't have to slow down OR be cognizant of the fact that you are sharing the roads with people with varying degrees of skill and experience with cars in varying degrees of condition.
I've spent time training in high performance driving, being an instructor for high performance driving, and a LOT of time on the track honing my skills. in 40 years, never had an accident that wasn't someone rear ending me at a light (2 of those) and yes, I do think my skills are better than yours or most other drivers, because I've TESTED them. I know my limits and my car's limits. So I drive what's comfortable for me and my car (which is designed to go much faster than 55 mph safely). I leave the really fast driving to the track, but I still will enjoy my drive on the street.
I've also only ever had one ticket, back when I was younger and driving an exotic car out of state. I was flowing with traffic at the time, but the state patrol car that was passing me, slowed, got behind me and pulled me over out of the line of cars. I didn't complain because that's the price of playing.
What's aggressive to a wallflower is calm, smooth driving to a type A person. I'm not angry or pushy or weaving all over when I drive. I simply, calmly drive at a comfortable, slightly elevated speed. And since it's a skill you can actually get good at, unlike, say living longer while smoking, I've proven, as have millions of others, that it can be done safely. It's only about luck if you think that a skill can never be improved upon and insist on not improving it. You do think that skills can be improved upon and there's such a concept as talent? Car control is a skillset that you can learn and get better at all without endangering anyone else.
Back in the early days of trains and cars, it was thought that people would get nosebleeds and pass out from going over 30 mph or so. And here you are repeating that same sort of logic in that if you go above some arbitrary speed "limit" posted by a lawmaker intent on generating revenue, that you're going to die or kill someone else. Like the nosebleed scenario, that's not true. As I said, car control is a skillset that you can learn and get better at all without endangering anyone else. So you can enjoy driving, and be safe.
Exactly! People with no co-ordination have no clue.
Speed limits (not all, but most) are due for a massive revision, but the powers that be, don't want to kill their cash cow.
The posts above already show what the full trend will be...
I'm a special snowflake and it's all about ME!
Actually, I think that more aptly applies to the OP and others who are focused solely on their own relaxation and contentment with total disregard to the time constraints of others. Just because they have time to waste and enjoy taking it slow and easy doesn't mean everyone else is wrong not to feel an act the same. The very premise of this thread is "I'm ok with going slow, what is everyone else's problem that they can't just go slow too".
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