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From: rh@mit-eddi.UUCP (Randy Haskins)
Newsgroups: net.physics,net.auto
Subject: Re: physical laws of freeway traffic?
Message-ID: <322@mit-eddi.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-Jun-83 15:44:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.322
Posted: Sun Jun 26 15:44:04 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jun-83 22:09:21 EDT
References: mhuxa.15
Lines: 21

There is also the 'action at a distance effect' on freeways:  If
there is an accident in one direction, there is usually one in the
other direction, since some of the yo-yo's going the other way
turn their heads to see the accident, and the yo-yo's in front of
them SLOW DOWN and turn their head to see the accident.

And don't forget the 'tunnel macho-driver effect.' I was coming
back to MIT from Logan Airport in a cab, and we were in the
Callahan tunnel.  Then there was a siren.  I'm thinking: "Oh &*$#,
now what do we do?" Suprisingly, in a rare act of reasonability
for Boston drivers, everyone got over into the right lane while
the ambulance went by.  My cabbie had nerves of steel, so he cut
in behind the ambulance when it came by.  Well, not right behind.
Another cabbie had already done this, and he was within (no
exaggeration) 5 feet of the ambulance.  But the second guy was
following at about 10 feet, and that was plenty of room for my
cabbie to cut in.  So we rode through the tunnel (in an
ever-growing line of cars) behind the ambulance at about 35-40
mph.  Fun, huh?
			
				-Randy