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Status: Drafting the fourth book in the PERILOUS series!

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Right to Drive the Speed Limit

Today as I was driving home from Sam's Club, I got stuck behind a dump truck. Not just me, either, but a big line of cars got stuck behind this guy. Unfortunately, we were on a two-lane highway. The speed limit might have been 50 mph, but we couldn't go any faster that the dump truck in front of us going 25 mph.

While inconvenient, there was nothing that could be done about it. The dump truck needed the road. He couldn't go any faster (I assume). We simply had to slow down and crawl along behind him.

But what about those other times? Those times when you are happily zipping along at the POSTED 40 mph, and a car pulls out in front of you doing 35 mph? Um, hello. Speed limit is 40.


Disclaimer: I do not advocate speeding. I don't speed. Ever. The last time I urged someone to go faster than the speed limit was when my mom was driving me to the hospital to give birth to my second son. ah, what a fun day.

Back to the issue at hand. Perhaps it is because I don't speed that I like to take advantage of every legal fastness I can. My husband and I got in a huge argument about this a few weeks ago. He's one of those absent-minded drivers. He drives what he wants, not paying attention, whether that's ten below or ten above the speed limit. He said people have the right to drive slower than the speed limit.

Sure, of course they do! As long as they do it in the right lane. The right lane being the right lane.

I'm a respectful driver. I won't tailgate you. I won't yell at you. I'll simply go around you. But if I can't get around you because John Doe in the right lane is also going 5 miles below the speed limit, I'm going to be exasperated.

After all--don't I have the right to go the speed limit???

Sequel revisions:
today's goal: 90/166
actual: 90/168
tomorrow's goal: page 100/168

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You'd love driving in England :) When I'm driving on the motorway, if I plod along at the speed limit (70 mph) I would still be getting in peoples way...lol...I don't think anyone sticks to the speed limit in this country.

Jay said...

Speed limit? Is that one of those sign things with some random numbers on it?

Tamara - I've nominated you for an Honest Scrap award because you gosh-darn deserve it. :-) Swing by my blog for info.

Tamara Hart Heiner said...

Really, Jay? That's nice of you! I'll be right over.

The people over here who drive LESS than the speed limit would drive you insane. believe me.

Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos} said...

So funny - I feel the same way. Slow drivers drive (no pun intended, ha) me crazy. Not that I go much more than 5 mph over limits (too many past tickets and a healthy respect for life) but UGH. Move. To. The. Right.

(Unless it's downpouring, in which case I'm the jerk who crawls along slow inch by slow inch - it's that healthy respect for life thing again! Though I do stick to the right lane in those times)

Tamara Hart Heiner said...

LOL, Sara. Yes! I have a respect for life too. And yes, sometimes I do go slow. In the right lane. :)

Jay said...

Do they slow at the yellow lights, too, rather than speeding up? How in heck am I supposed to get around the northeast???

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