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March 02, 2006
Sweet, sweet justice
I almost always obey the speed limit. Typically, I set my cruise control for about one or two MPH over the actual limit just so that I can't be accused of "not even going the speed limit!!!" by other drivers or passengers. Still, on a lot of roads, that makes me the slow-poke, annoying a lot of other drivers. * It's not because I'm a complete square. Let's just say I'm doing penance for youthful indiscretions in this area.
There's a new 2-lane country road near where I live, and in my opinion, it should have a limit around 50mph or even 55mph. It's nice and smooth and straight. However, the speed limit is only 40mph, perhaps an omen pointing to the eventual residential development the area is destined for. Most drivers are speeding like crazy on that road, doing 50 or 60 and passing me with honks, even though the entire stretch is marked no-passing with a double-yellow line. It frustrates me because I generally feel that laws should either be enforced or repealed, not ignored. In fact, with everything else adding stress to my life, this little bit was causing me grief well out of proportion.
Well, this morning there was justice. I was driving home from the local elementary school doing my usual 41mph, and another car zoomed up on me and then tailgated me for about a mile and a half, honking and swerving to look around me. Finally, he decided he'd had enough and jumped out into the oncoming lane and punched it, blowing past me at well over sixty. He even put his hand out the window to flip me off as he pulled back in front of me, racing down the road with only the other hand on the wheel.
He must have still been doing at least sixty when he drove past the sheriff’s car tucked behind a mesquite tree a quarter mile down the road. I'd already spotted the sheriff, and I'm sure that she had seen the entire incident. I managed to catch up to them as they were pulled over but before the sheriff had gotten out of her car. I drove past very slowly -- for safety, of course -- and managed to catch the eye of the driver.
I waved.
Ah yes... sweet, sweet justice.
[* Note: On downtown highways, I edge things up to be going closer to speed of traffic as that is actually safer in such a crowded environment, but on other highways, you'd be amazed at how fast you move doing this kind of cruise control thing. In the Austin areas that have a 65mph limit, a lot of people end up doing only 60 or so. I can just set myself in the left lane and rarely have anyone come up from behind me.]
Life in General by Dan at March 2, 2006 10:23 AM
Comments
BTW, the law is that if you're passing a law enforcement vehicle that's on the shoulder or stopped in the right lane (if it's a multi-lane-per-side road) you need to slow down to 25 BELOW the posted speed limit, unless the posted speed limit is under 30, in which case 5MPH is acceptable. New law.
(Or is it 20 and 5MPH acceptable under 25? Well, if you go 25 under, the law enforcement officer can't cite you....)
So, slowing WAAAAAY down for the pulled-over car and the sheriff's car is a Good Thing.
And dang, I hope they set up that speed trap on a regular (but pseudorandom) basis. :)
Posted by: Julia at March 2, 2006 12:16 PM
Schadenfreude is a wonderful, soul-satisfying thing.
Posted by: SamanthaJoy at March 2, 2006 01:13 PM
That's just awesome. :)
Posted by: Jon at March 2, 2006 01:24 PM