Go Speed Racer
- Wade
First, read this. (Then come back.)
My initial thought when seeing the headline: "I sure hope that wasn't Sara." OK, that was more like a second or third thought. She's really not that bad, anymore. To me, though, anyone whose speed exceeds the posted limit by 7 miles per hour is officially a bat-out-of-hell.
In a 70 m.p.h. zone, I usually drive 75. To me, this is the perfect, sane speed. Anyone going a different speed is, therefore, doing something wrong. Below is a table of my witty reaction to the other drivers around me, based on their speed choice:
+ 70 m.p.h.: "It's not Sunday, Grandma. The pedal on the right makes you go faster."
+ 75 m.p.h.: Me.
+ 80 m.p.h.: "Where's the fire?"
+ 85 m.p.h.: "Zooooooooooooom" (enhanced by me pulling the skin on my face back to indicate high speed. Yes, I know that should be happening to the person in the faster car, not to me. Just go with me.)
+ 87 m.p.h.: "That person obviously is a doctor, on his/her way to the hospital to perform an emergency, life-saving operation."
+ 90 m.p.h.: "I hope that person crashes. Not hurt badly, but enough to learn a lesson. Like a broken leg or two."
+ 92 m.p.h.: "Why is there never a cop around to catch these people?"
+ 95 m.p.h.: "Why the $*(# is there never a $(@#ing cop around to catch these #$$holes?"
And so on. (My wife can vouch for each of these statements.)
The driver said he was guessing he was going at least 100??? I'm guessing the tone of his voice when he said this indicated that going 100 wouldn't be out-of-line. The trooper himself said that finding drivers going 100 isn't uncommon. I find myself getting a case of the heebie-jeebies when I hit 80 m.p.h. (And it did happen.) (Once.)
No word in the article if the driver was on his cell phone or not. But if I were a betting man...
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