why do people have to drive so damn fast?

[anarch]

Where's the fire? Jeez.

[RebelOne]

1. Because they are the rich ones and can afford to burn up gas. n/t

[Crazy Dave]

2. To waste gas and endanger other people's lives

Leave on time and get off the fucking cell phones.

[anarch]

3. speaking of cell phones

which are by the way illegal to use in dc while driving, unless you've got a hands-free thingy, I saw some jackass the other day talking on his cell actually run a bicyclist off the road, while pulling up to the curb, and he never even noticed. Lucky that wasn't me on the bike, 'cause his car would have taken some damage for that one.

[Crazy Dave]

4. And I'm sure to that asshole...

...his phone call was so important, had to be right then and there that others lives and safety be damned.

I got a cell phone, it's a pre-paid one and it stays in my glove box turned off.

[DrGonzoLives]

5. Because they can

And it's not just the rich ones either, it's people who think they have rush everywhere.

Keep on driving fast, Americans, and thank you for contributing to higher gasoline demand.

[anarch]

6. that's exactly right

I hardly ever drive, so I'm shocked every time I do get on the road, especially with gas prices like they are, that I can go 75 mph on the highway and still everybody is whizzing by me. Or just tailgating me from four feet back...that's real safe, ya know?

[Book Lover]

7. Because the car is capable of the speed and the road ahead is clear

Stay out of the left lane if you don't like to go fast. Or get off the track.

Unless you are talking about folks who speed in the right or middle lane, in which case I truly am on your side. We all have to share the road.

[anarch]

8. yeah, I'm not really complaining about the passing lane

it's for passing, after all, although I still don't really see why everybody needs to drive at 85 to 100 mph all the time.

But when, for instance, you're on a two lane road, doing well over the speed limit already, and there's a car a reasonable distance in front of you, and still some dick has to sit three feet off your bumper...well, that's different.

Or when people feel the need to ride right up on you in whatever lane on the highway, and weave in and out of traffic without signalling and such. It seems to be the new normal way of driving. Maybe I'm just getting old.

[Book Lover]

9. No, it's that the new speedsters aren't driving the right way

Obviously, I like to drive fast, but I know when to do it. In my opinion, the people you are talking about don't actually enjoy or savor the driving experience - they just drive to the comfortable limits of the vehicle's capabilities because it's actually easier to drive that way; just like it's easier to play piano fast than slow.

[anarch]

12. ha...yeah, it's more the opposite of enjoying driving, I think

they can't wait to get out of the car! At least that must be it, since they all seem to be in some kind of big-ass hurry to get somewhere.

[CottonBear]

14. I always drive the speed limit, especially on two lane roads.

It's called a speed limit not a speed suggestion because roads are designed for certain speeds based on width of lanes, number of lanes, medians or lack thereof, signalization, sight distances, accident records, traffic volume, left and right turns and intersection locations among other factors.

I live in a liberal, blue university town in the Southeast populated by an equal proportion of college students from Metro Atlanta (the world's worst drivers who are mostly driving SUVs, giant 4x4 V-8 pickups and sports cars), redneck contractors in really big trucks with trailers, poor people in affordable sedans and work trucks, a large elderly and retired population in sensible cars, SUV drivers (usually with W stickers), foreign graduate students (many of whom never drove before coming to school here) and liberal drivers in Volvos, Toyotas, Hondas and Subarus. Throw in a healthy mix of pedestrians (very old to very young), bicyclists, skateboarders, moped and motorcycle riders, pedestrians, long-distance, local and university buses and vans and a huge deer population and you have a recipe for disaster if people don't obey the rules of the road.

We have new red light cameras which have helped slow down and stop our most heinous drivers (college students and yahoos from the surrounding rural red countys without bike lanes, sidewalks and pedestrians who think that just because no road rules od speed limits are enforced in their counties that it is OK to speed, pass illegally and tailgate in my county.
:grr: rant off.

[hfojvt]

25. thing is, I am using my cruise control

going 72 down the interstate highway and I need to pass some truck that is doing about 65. So I get in the passing lane and some maniac is coming up behind me at about 20 mph. The road ahead is a long way from being clear, so put your right foot on a diet rocketman!

And in urban areas, if you try to go 60 in the 55 mph zone the traffic is ridiculous. You need to got 70 just to keep from being over-run.

[caty]

10. Because they

haven't learned to enjoy the journey yet.

[LSK]

11. because theres a Grand Prize to reach the RED LIGHT 1st!!!!

:grr:

[MsAnthropy]

13. Why do people have to drive so damn SLOW?!

I've got places to be, things to do! Get out of my way!

[fudge stripe cookays]

15. Hang on, Ms!

Leadfoot it! Woo hoo!

[MsAnthropy]

17. I love that George Carlin line:

"Did you ever notice that everyone that drives slower than you is an idiot and everyone that drives faster than you is a MANIAC?!"

:rofl:

[fudge stripe cookays]

18. Ha! Beat me to it!

:D

[DS1]

16. I normally don't

but today I felt like stepping on it

[leeroysphitz]

19. Because they are BIG IMPORTANT people with BIG

IMPORTANT places to go. Just like the BIG IMPORTANT people who have such BIG IMPORTANT matters to discuss with other BIG IMPORTANT people that they need to have a long loud cell phone conversation in a restaraunt or theatre.

[uncle ray]

20. just to piss you off.

really, just get over it. SOME of us like to drive fast, and are more than capable of doing so safely. driving fast isn't a bad thing, driving with your head up your ass, at any speed, IS. most of my cars have no radio, none have tv's, dvd player or gps, i have no cell phone to distract me from what i am doing, and love to do, drive my car. and the fact of the matter is, i'd rather not be trapped in a pack of morons who DO have all those things distracting them. it isn't the speed at which you drive, it's HOW you drive.

there's an equal chance to find me driving fast, or slow, depending on my mood, which vehicle i'm in etc. the thing is, whatever speed you drive at, do it in a considerate manner towards other motorists. remember the good ol days when slower traffic would yield to faster traffic? now everybody feels they can drive as slow or as fast in whatever lane they choose. if someone is riding your ass, right or wrong, it only takes a second to allow that person to pass, some here admit they like to slow down to piss off tailgaters, yeah, that's gonna help matters!:eyes: let them pass safely, and they'll be ahead of you and gone and off your nerves.

and believe it or not, there are times when driving faster is more efficient, i live in Colorado, we have these things called mountains, i guarantee i get better mileage by ignoring the posted limit and coasting down one grade, with enough momentum to get me up the next one, as opposed to the person who rides the brakes on the way down, only to have to floor it and downshift to get up the next one.

don't get me wrong, i don't think everybody should be able to drive as fast as they want, but many times the posted limits are very conserative, and revenue driven rather than safety driven.

[anarch]

21. yes, perhaps I should have asked "how come there are so many poor drivers"

It sounds like we have many of the same complaints, actually.

I have in fact pulled all the way off the road to let people pass (on a two-lane road), when they were tailgating and driving, in my opinion, too fast for road conditions.

Hey, I like to drive fast too, sometimes...just not all the time and without any regard to road or traffic conditions.

[uncle ray]

27. well at least we have no(or little) gripe with each other.

i just want us all to get along together on the road.

i drive fast, when conditions allow. when wet or snowy, no way. i'm proud that i've never been in the ditch or spun out, or had any accidents since i was 16.

[Oeditpus Rex]

29. Nevada had the best speed law I ever heard

through the mid-'70s or so: "Reasonable and prudent."

Of course, most Nevada highways have sparse traffic.

Point being, if everyone drove safely according to conditions — the road, their vehicle, their ability including mental/emotional state — we wouldn't really need numeric speed limits.

But they don't, so we do. And they're "conservative" because so many people exceed them. If the posted limit is 65, people will go 80 or more. If it's 55, they'll do 70 or 75. If it were 85, they'd do 100 or so.

Et cetera.

[Book Lover]

31. Actually, that law backfired

My idea of safe and the cops' idea of safe may differ. And with no definite number we agree on, therein lies conflict. Better to have a set figure.

[Oeditpus Rex]

34. Good point

You're right. It's not unlike age of consent.

[mduffy31]

22. Why do you hate america?

[anarch]

24. I've heard that damn "Horse with No Name" song one too many times.

[i kiss first]

33. off subject

one of my best friends of all times has initials m duffy. is your first name matt?

[mduffy31]

35. Yes

[SOteric]

23. It's vitally important that we get to the dry cleaner's on time...

the fate of the entire free world depends on it.

[DS1]

26. I've already rigged up my car's audio system to play Jack Bauer

saying "We're running out of time!" every 30 seconds, from the back speakers. It's a good motivator, it even makes the cops write the tickets faster.

[i kiss first]

28. running out of time!

here's my take. right now we got to enjoy the fruits. So if you got a car with balls, you might as well use'em. Its becoming more and more expensive to operate these things so we got to capitolize. You know the saying, when i was your age......, but personally, all kidding aside, i respect our environment and would like to see change

[i kiss first]

32. spelling check

capitalize, duh

[Oeditpus Rex]

30. Because they have small penii or breasts

Half-seriously — I think they're compensating for something. Unless they're truly in a hurry, speeding and passing everybody comes from a need to prove they're "better."

Plus, as vehicles have gotten safer, drivers tend to feel more invulnerable. Funny thing is, vehicles weren't made safer because we suddenly realized that people can get killed. They were made safer because roads were made safer and bigger, thus allowing people to feel safe at higher speeds. The better the road and the safer the cars, the higher the speeds — requiring safer cars, safer roads, et cetera ad infinetum.