Really why is everyone in such a hurry

[Sgt Mickey]

I freely admit to being a freeway speeder. I drive in the HOV lanes in the morning and the speed limit is 65 mph. I am regularly doing about 73 MPH. With that, I *still* have people trying to join me in my backseat or flying by me.

The things I won't do:

I never tailgate anyone and most certainly not anyone who is doing the speed limit. I just wait for my chance and go around them.

I never speed on local roads, especially through residential areas. This is where I get the WORST of tailgaters. Especially on Sunday morning. I live off a main road where the speed is 45MPH. It is normal for most everyone to do about 50MPH which is fine. On Sunday mornings, when I get out to do my grocery shopping, I have people routinely tailgating me and doing 60 MPH or higher. We have 3 churches on our road and they are always turning into them. It really makes me angry. There are people out on the sidewalks of these roads walking dogs, exercising, etc. At those speeds, on those roads, it's easy to lose control and then hit someone.

I hear constantly on the news someone in VA beach or Norfolk being hit by a car. I see why.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Because they know that there is going to be an accident or a broken down vehicle in the tunnel and they want to get out of there before they're stuck in traffic for 3 hours. One thing I do NOT miss about Hampton Roads is the traffic!

Yes but if they weren't the ones causing the accidents we wouldn't be stuck

 

[Sgt Mickey]

What's the excuse for the slowpokes?

I'm ALWAYS in a hurry!

 

[Sgt Mickey]

OP, you were doing 70 in a 55 in the rain and people were passing you??

Be glad you live where you do, and not where I live. People here pretty much obey the speed limits, in part because of the strict enforcement of the law.

I guess I'm conditioned by living here, but I'd never think to go 15+ over the speed limit, especially in the rain. Wouldn't be worth the expensive speeding ticket that I'd eventually receive.

I was keeping up with traffic. SO can you imagine how much more over everyone passing me was going

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Sgt Mickey, you were driving 70 in the slow lane on 64 heading to the HRBT? IN THE RAIN? WHAT? I have never heard of that happening. Ever. What time was that? I'm in awe of your road warrior skills, but have no explanation as to why the myriad folks around you are homicidal maniacs. Maybe it's just the whole tunnel thing. Maybe it's just knowing that hell-bent-for-leather can swiftly change to slugs-move-faster on I-64 and they're hoping they can circumvent it. I'm usually in a hurry because I put off my commute--not through the tunnel but bad enough--until the last possible second. I'm not maniacal in my driving behavior, just my vocalizations.

WELLLL it was like 7:30-8:00 am so I know a lot of other people were in on their way to work as well.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91lJhEzMaH4

and that is the truth

 

[Liberty Belle]

Because we sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses
Half of the time we're rushing around to get things done last minute or we realize we're running behind so we need to catch up. I on the other hand have never driven faster than the posted speed limit

I think that's the answer. At least in my case, though I don't really speed (more than a couple of miles over the limit).

 

[Sgt Mickey]

My favorite is when some nutjob thinks they need to speed past you to prove a point then you pull up next to them at the next stop light. Except on longer stretches of highway, driving like a maniac doesn't really accomplish much in the way of saving time, and it's very dangerous.

ALLL the time here

I usually WAVE at them when I get next to them!!

I usually say to them...to myself but I imagine they can hear me. Glad you made it to that last SOOOO much faster then I did.

 

[ceemys]

ALLL the time here



I usually say to them...to myself but I imagine they can hear me. Glad you made it to that last SOOOO much faster then I did.

I always think....I just got better gas mileage than you did the last mile from light to light.

My car is a slow speeder upper. I don't go to the 3,000RPM's (I think that is what it is called), I don't go over 2,000. I have learned the hard way that speeding up fast kills the gas mileage. And with gas hitting $4.00 again...I am doing anything I can to save.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I always think....I just got better gas mileage than you did the last mile from light to light.

good point

 

[hereyago]

The HRBT is the debil lol. Amd why were you doing 70 in the rain as well. Dang it, now I want some Dounars , but its amidst 3 so no tunnel for me lol.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

The HRBT is the debil lol. Amd why were you doing 70 in the rain as well. Dang it, now I want some Dounars , but its amidst 3 so no tunnel for me lol.

What is Dounars???

I was trying to keep up with the other crazies

 

[hereyago]

What is Dounars???

I was trying to keep up with the other crazies

Oops, I meant Doumar's, the food drive in place.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Oops, I meant Doumar's, the food drive in place.

Never been there. I may need to investigate into it.

 

[PirateFuzzball]

OP, sounds like Atlanta. 80 is the usual speed on the freeways and interstates I travel on. Granted that's up until it rains, then everyone has a conniption (except me ).

CSB time:
Back a few years ago I was on I-285 heading home. A drop of rain hits my windshield and must have hit a car that was ahead two lanes to the left. I'm guessing at the sight of one drop of rain, Punkin had to start avoiding other drops because he nearly caused two accidents.

I can haul butt in my car in the rain, but that's because I've got tires that grip well in the wet (no low-rolling-resistance silliness), proper suspension, all wheel drive, and know how to handle my car. IMHO some accidents could be avoided with better tires and knowing how to drive one's car. I don't think people pay enough attention to their tires and just go with the cheapest, longest lasting, and/or lowest rolling resistance.

My favorite tire has to be the German (not China) manufactured Goodyear F1 GS-D3. Sure, the soft sidewalls on low profile wheels were a pain, but I never hydroplaned. Ever. I could cut through a pool of standing water and take turns in the rain at moronic speeds. Too bad they don't make it in my size anymore and started making them in China. Not trying to stereotype China, but there is a significant degradation of quality in this model when comparing the manufacture locations.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

OP, sounds like Atlanta. 80 is the usual speed on the freeways and interstates I travel on. Granted that's up until it rains, then everyone has a conniption (except me ).

CSB time:
Back a few years ago I was on I-285 heading home. A drop of rain hits my windshield and must have hit a car that was ahead two lanes to the left. I'm guessing at the sight of one drop of rain, Punkin had to start avoiding other drops because he nearly caused two accidents.

I can haul butt in my car in the rain, but that's because I've got tires that grip well in the wet (no low-rolling-resistance silliness), proper suspension, all wheel drive, and know how to handle my car. IMHO some accidents could be avoided with better tires and knowing how to drive one's car. I don't think people pay enough attention to their tires and just go with the cheapest, longest lasting, and/or lowest rolling resistance.

My favorite tire has to be the German (not China) manufactured Goodyear F1 GS-D3. Sure, the soft sidewalls on low profile wheels were a pain, but I never hydroplaned. Ever. I could cut through a pool of standing water and take turns in the rain at moronic speeds. Too bad they don't make it in my size anymore and started making them in China. Not trying to stereotype China, but there is a significant degradation of quality in this model when comparing the manufacture locations.

I don't know where I was in Georgia but last summer I drove to Disney and when I was driving through Georgia it started pouring so hard that all the cars started to pull off the side of the road. I didn't know what to doso I kept going just following the lights of the car in front of me. Not doing 70 maybe 10.

 

[Becky2005]

Because driving fast is fun.

I'm only half serious. I do somewhat think that our vehicles are getting so nice that it's difficult not to drive fast. The cars I used to drive back in the day would have been falling apart at 70 mph. Today's vehicles handle that, and much more, very smoothly.

Unless it is a older minivan! I half joke that my car CAN'T go more than 70 mph!!! It has issues when it is going that fast as it is...I'm pretty sure it would completely fall apart or something if I went faster.

I DO drive like an old lady though, so am 99% of the time in the right lane doing the speed limit minding my own business unless I'm going to make a left hand turn! LOVE middle lanes for tollway type driving -- I'm out of the way of speed racers & out of the way for the merging traffic.

It's a running joke at my work that they won't let me drive anywhere because it would take too long! Eh...I'll get there when I get there and make sure I leave in enough time to do so as long as there isn't any unforseen road closures, accidents or anything else.

I'm just not a drive fast person as most of the time people pass me by and then I end up at the red light next to them...hmm...how did that work out for you? Saved you what all of 10-15 seconds for you to reach the red light before me?

 

[Minerva Mouse]

OP, you were doing 70 in a 55 in the rain and people were passing you??

Be glad you live where you do, and not where I live. People here pretty much obey the speed limits, in part because of the strict enforcement of the law.

I guess I'm conditioned by living here, but I'd never think to go 15+ over the speed limit, especially in the rain. Wouldn't be worth the expensive speeding ticket that I'd eventually receive.

Ding, Ding, Ding... and that's (IMO) exactly why everone else IS in such a hurry, because they can be. Because there isn't enough law enforcement on the roads to ticket the majority of the speeders. I drive I-4 everyday, in Orlando, and typically travel at 65-70 mph, even in the 55 zones and all I can think when some ******* goes flying around me is "please let there be a cop, please let there be a cop" but there NEVER is, so people continue to it. The people that really bug me, are the lane changers. And I don't mean the ones, that change every now and then. I mean the ones who are CONSTANTLY trying to get ahead, and changeing lanes every 2 or 3 cars.

I usually WAVE at them when I get next to them!!

I do that too

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Unless it is a older minivan! I half joke that my car CAN'T go more than 70 mph!!! It has issues when it is going that fast as it is...I'm pretty sure it would completely fall apart or something if I went faster.

I DO drive like an old lady though, so am 99% of the time in the right lane doing the speed limit minding my own business unless I'm going to make a left hand turn! LOVE middle lanes for tollway type driving -- I'm out of the way of speed racers & out of the way for the merging traffic.

It's a running joke at my work that they won't let me drive anywhere because it would take too long! Eh...I'll get there when I get there and make sure I leave in enough time to do so as long as there isn't any unforseen road closures, accidents or anything else.

I'm just not a drive fast person as most of the time people pass me by and then I end up at the red light next to them...hmm...how did that work out for you? Saved you what all of 10-15 seconds for you to reach the red light before me?

 

[Robinrs]

OP, sounds like Atlanta. 80 is the usual speed on the freeways and interstates I travel on. Granted that's up until it rains, then everyone has a conniption (except me ).

I thought of this thread today when a COP STOPPED ME FOR DRIVING 73 in a 55 mph zone!!!

I, of course, DENIED IT, sweetly, then blamed it on the donut I was eating that must've given me a sugar high.

I asked him if he wanted the donut.

He says "are you trying to bribe me?"

"No", I say, "I'm now too nervous to eat anymore".

He laughed and went back to his car.

A few minutes later he came back and gave me a WARNING!

He told me "I couldn't give you a ticket, you made me LAUGH"

I'm driving 55 from NOW ON...