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From: guy@rlgvax.UUCP (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: 55mph & common courtesy
Message-ID: <945@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Aug-83 23:28:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.945
Posted: Mon Aug  1 23:28:28 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Aug-83 13:16:56 EDT
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Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA
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	    As to the rights of the 55mph driver to pass a 45mph car:
	        Sure, pass the car at that speed, but GET OUT OF THE WAY as soon as
	you can. DON'T TRY TO ENFORCE THE LAW!!!!!!!

Son, if you're referring to my comments, I didn't say ANYTHING about getting
or not getting out of the way, and I said NOTHING about trying to enforce
the law.  Nor everyone who drives 55 is trying to set themselves up as
a surrogate state trooper.  Depending on my mood, I average between 55 and 65,
but I don't claim anyone has the "right" to go above the speed limit.  (However,
for people who want to flame about how "laws are laws", I present this
simple example.  Several states have laws forbidding any form of sexual
activity except genital intercourse between lawfully wedded spouses.  Will
anyone who has abstained from oral sex, fornication, etc. due in part or in
full to the legal penalties against it raise their hands?  Good.  Now you may
leave, as you are very silly people.)

	     On a road with a single lane in each direction, our State Law says to
	pull over and let cars pass when there are 5 or more cars behind you....
	regardless of what speed you are driving.  What's wrong with common
	courtesy?  Why impede ANY drivers?  Why not pull over (when its safe)
	and let even ONE car pass?

I find that a slightly bizarre and obnoxious law.  What if I'm going what is
a safe speed for me on a somewhat treacherous road - let's say, to keep the
argument simple, that it is at or slightly above the posted limit - and some
bozo comes along in their 928 at 20 MPH above the speed limit.  Why the HELL
should *I* slow down, pull over, and stop, just because THIS person isn't
courteous enough to slow down for ME?  Why should the "rights" of the person who
wants to go very fast prevail over the "rights" of the person who doesn't?  I
DO think there is a serious difference between people who go slower than
the prevailing traffic and those going at that speed.  It IS discourteous (and
frequently unsafe) to be going slower than the prevailing traffic in a given
lane.  It is ALSO discourteous (and frequently unsafe) to be going faster than
the prevailing traffic, unless the prevailing traffic is itself going slower
than the posted speed for no good reason (yes, Virginia, this does happen - in
fact, Virginia seems to be a state where this is exceptionally popular).

	     The bottom line is:  What's wrong with exercising common (perhaps
	not-so-common anymore) courtesy and let drivers who wish to go faster,
	for whatever reasons, do so?

For that matter, what's wrong with exercising common courtesy and letting
someone who wishes to get ahead of you in line, for whatever reasons, do so?
What's wrong with it is that the person pushing is exhibiting a greater lack
of common courtesy in pushing ahead!  The key here is the difference between
people traveling along with the general flow of traffic and some bozo trying
to shoot ahead of unoffending traffic.

	     Next time, try it. Try going out of your way slightly, just to
	be nice to the other person and let them do their thing.  Maybe,
	they'll return the favor some day when YOU need to be somewhere in
	a hurry....such as driving your pregnant wife, or injured child to
	the hospital. (an ambulance is not always appropriate or available.)

Frankly, I suspect most of the people moving ahead of prevailing traffic which
is moving at a reasonable rate are not in an emergency situation.  Most of
them are just convinced they have some right to be going at the speed they
want to be going at regardless of traffic conditions.

Courtesy is a TWO-WAY STREET!  I have as little patience with people who
ride another person's tail to get them to go faster than prevailing traffic
or get out of the way (tailgating is a VERY unsafe practice and does NOT
reassure me that they have what it takes to go that fast) as I do with people
who become rolling roadblocks going 10MPH under the speed limit - especially
in other than the right-hand lane.  And I have NO desire or intention to
grant the "courtesy of the road" to some jerk who is whizzing along at 70 on
a road where the prevailing traffic is going 65.

I am told that Mike Royko, the columnist, once suggested that cars be
equipped with a dart gun and a set of paint-loaded darts.  Each month each
driver or car would be provided with a month's supply of such darts; they
would use them on drivers who performed stupid or obnoxious acts.  If your
car had more than a certain number of paint marks from the darts you could
be pulled over by the police.  Frankly, some of the frenetic speeders on
the road would induce me to shoot my month's supply off in one shot...

	Guy Harris
	{seismo,mcnc,we13,brl-bmd,allegra}!rlgvax!guy