The joy Interstate travel

This driver in Maryland is a man after my own heart. Glenn Conrad got pulled over by a statie for driving 50 MPH on I-95 - the speed limit is 65 MPH. I'm trying to remember, but when I drove I-95 through MD, I don't remember there being a "minimum speed limit" sign in that state (some states DO have them, and I think they are generally a good idea).

The reason he was driving 50 MPH on the interstate? He was saving gas. When the cop pulled him over, Conrad was getting 69 miles to the gallon. Smart guy. His only problem is that the rest of the world is in a hurry, and they are likely to kill him.

But why is it this way? Why is it more acceptable to speed than it is to drive slow? I'm willing to bet there were people going close to 80 MPH that the cop could have pulled over instead. With falling tax revenues, you'd think the state police would like to have more money in their budget. My guess is that the cop thought Conrad was perhaps drunk or high.

During the 1970s fuel crisis, speed limits were much lower. Why? It's more fuel efficient. It amazes me that we as a society haven't yet figured out how much money we'd save by dropping the speed limits, not to mention the increase in safety (and speeding ticket revenue). Many of the people who complain about the high price of gas are the very same people who race stop light to stop light, peel out at intersections, and floor it on the highway going 80 MPH. The only thing that aggressive driving behavior accomplishes is showing the rest of the world what an idiot you are. Or perhaps you're compensating for something (small anatomy, perhaps - or, more likely, small brain).

On the other hand, 50 MPH is a little dangerous in a 65 MPH zone. But between 55 and 60 SHOULD be acceptable. In theory, 65 is the LIMIT - thats the fastest you are supposed to go. It does NOT mean you HAVE to drive at that speed. I choose to go about 5-8 MPH under the speed limit (in the right or middle lane, depending on how many on/off ramps there are) - there is no one in the world that is important enough to me to speed for (or even waste extra gas for). I leave a few minutes earlier. Its really not a big deal.

Think about. Crude oil broke $142 a barrel today. We're paying above $4 a gas. I traded in our truck in Texas when gas hit $1.50 and got a Civic because I could read the writing on the wall. A year later, I ditched the Audi because it got 20 MPG and took premium fuel (granted, I now have an SUV that holds 8 people - and IT gets the same mileage the audi did - except the SUV is a ULEV, takes regular fuel, and holds twice as much stuff/people). Its time for all of us to wake up and realize that life as we previously knew it is likely over.

It's time to adapt.