Speed limits. How many of you really obey them all the time?
Most state and U.S. highways in south Arkansas have a 55 mph speed limit. That doesn’t seem so bad until you cross the state line into Texas and find the same roads with a limit of 70!
I really don’t like driving 55. It’s not that I’m a speed demon or anything, there’s just something about being able to drive 60 (a mile a minute) that satisfies my senses. Of course if the posted limit is 65 or 70, that’s what I drive.
Law enforcement has been out in full force lately in my neck of the woods. A few weeks ago my son was stopped and given a warning for going 57 in a 55 zone. Ticky, ticky. Once upon a time most officers would allow a five mph “cushion”. Not anymore.
My younger daughter and I made a trip to Little Rock on Monday in my new car. It was a beautiful day with perfect driving conditions so I decided to set my cruise control to 55 on the button. Everyone blew by us, and not just when there were passing lanes! I had to laugh. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, handicap plates, young drivers, old folks… everyone in a hurry and many of them clearly aggravated at me for slowing them down. The scariest was the 18-wheeler with the shiny maroon-colored International cab that stayed mere feet behind me until he could pass.
I’m not always the most patient driver, but my attitude has changed a lot in recent years. It was nice knowing that I didn’t have to worry about getting stopped. That was reinforced every time we passed a state trooper or other cop, especially when they were pulling someone over. And no, I don’t gloat when I see that. I learned long ago that vengefulness often backfires.
So tell me, honestly….do you speed??
- Kelly
- Making my way through the ups and downs of life, holding fast to my favorite Bible verse: "For we walk by faith, not by sight." ~2 Corinthians 5:7. I began blogging in earnest at Yahoo360 on October 24, 2005. (briefly using LiveJournal and blog-city prior to that) In June 2008 I moved to Blogger. I'm now at WordPress where I hope to remain.
4 comments:
I do. Often. More often on the tollway than on streets. The tollway and I are about to get into sync. Speed limits in my part of the tollway is moving up to 70.
What I really hate about those who drive slower than the flow of traffic ( and I'm talking major highways here ) is the dangerous driving that goes on around them with lane changing, etc. by those who don't want to be stuck behind them.
It really scares me when I'm being tail-gated by a big ol' semi!!! No contest as to who would win should we have to slam on the brakes!!!! Ack!
I drive the speed limit in town and where I know the speed traps are. When we visited my brother in Arkansas, he told me exactly which towns had speed traps and sure enough, coming and going there was city officers in the exact same spots!! But I usually get behind one of those semi's and
'rock the cradle' a term for having a semi in front and another speeder like yourself behind you which usually prevents the one in the middle from getting a ticket. I also blink my headlights to oncoming traffic to let them know when a speed trap is ahead and they usually return the favor. I don't drive more than 10 miles over the limit usually. And I am a safe, defensive driver.
I guess I'm just always in a hurry to get where I'm going when I travel on highways or Interstates. LOL! I've only had one speeding ticket when I was about 21 in Shreveport on I-20. Thank goodness, none since! Interesting post, Kelly! Blessings!
I don't speed very often. Most of my out of town driving in on the freeway and I use cruise control at 70 or maybe a mile or two faster depending on the flow. If everyone is pushing 80, then I might go 75...I just want people passing ME. In town I almost never speed, except on Cantrell where I usually go with the flow. With school back in session the flow has become a slow cluster-#@&+.
57 in a 55! They've gotta be kidding. If the speed limit is 55, I drive 66. (What a rebel, huh?) I think Pam and I drive a lot alike.
I'd rather they had no cell phone "in hand" laws than to try and collect traffic fines on speeding less than 10 miles under the limit.
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