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From: ebh@hou4b.UUCP (Ed Horch)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.flame
Subject: Did he really say this?
Message-ID: <1388@hou4b.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Apr-85 11:03:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou4b.1388
Posted: Mon Apr 29 11:03:08 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 2-May-85 06:11:53 EDT
Organization: AT&T-ISL, Holmdel, NJ
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Xref: linus net.auto:5521 net.flame:8697

>From: rob@osiris.UUCP (Robert St. Amant)
>
>I suppose most of the contributors to net.auto were driving long
>before the national speed limit came into effect.  Not me.

I was 12 when the national speed limit was enacted (1974).  

>I have my various reasons for never driving over 60.  So if I stay in
>the fast lane driving, say, one mile over or under the speed limit,
>tough shit to the speeders.  _I'm_ not breaking the law.  If there
>are so many people set on speeding, they can change the laws, right?

So how come I occasionally drive over 60?  Simple.  I regularly drive 
on the Garden State Parkway, where everyone goes *fast*.  In many 
places, all traffic averages upwards of 70mph.  The only people who go
55 are the ones who probably should not be driving anyway, or those 
slowing down for exits or to stop on the shoulder.  And they all stay 
to the right, so that those of us in the center and left lanes can go 
about our business.  Going 55 in the normal traffic flow may be legal,
but it's also *dangerous*.

>Self-righteous crap, you say?  Is your house burning down?  No?
>Then slow down.

[FLAME ON]

You're damn straight that's self-righteous crap!  If my house is or is
not burning down, what the hell business is that of yours?  The only way
it would be is if you were a cop.  Your organization says Johns Hopkins,
so I think we can safely rule that out.  It *certainly* is not your job
to protect us from our speeding selves by obstructing traffic (something
else you can get ticketed for, O last of the law-abiding citizens).  I
have a new idea for you.  Add stars, bangs and underbars for emphasis.

		C O M M O N   S E N S E

Common sense says that if EVERYONE is going a certain speed, you should
do the same, to protect your divine head/ass (which is which?) from
getting rear-ended.  Or are you *hoping* that that'll happen so you can
collect on somebody else's insurance?  Or maybe you're not confident
that you can safely drive at high speeds.  If that's the case, stay the
hell off the freeways, or (and this is the main point of this whole
article, more stars, bangs and underbars):

		STAY OUT OF THE GODDAM LEFT LANE

[FLAME OFF]

In short, nobody is saying you *have* to speed.  But if you must go that
much slower than the rest of the traffic, don't endanger yourself or the
rest of us by deliberately creating a hazard.

Rebuttals are welcome by private mail.

-Ed Horch  {ihnp4,akgua,houxm}!hou4b!ebh    After 5/1: mtx5b!ebh