Notes From the Cave

New Math - Highway Style

Forget about studying the "new math" in school. All you need to do is get in your car, find the nearest highway, set your cruise control at the set speed limit... and watch.

It seems that there is a special formula that applies to speed limit calculations. When the sign says "55," most drivers go 65+. When the sign says "65," the standard speed is 70-75. And when the sign says "70," the standard speed is 75-80+.

And this is not limited to highway driving. Try doing the posted 30 miles per hour in a residential area and watch the blood pressure levels of the drivers around you rise.

What is it with people that they simply cannot obey the speed limits? I do not buy the argument that people feel that they can drive safely at a higher speed. Even if that is true, it does not account for the consistent levels of "pushing the envelope" of speed. If there were a posted speed limit of "80", people would do 85-90 as the standard. I think it is simply a matter of drivers getting away with something they are not supposed to do... kind of like sinning without the religious and spiritual consequences.

In my opinion, the government should either enforce existing laws or do away with speed limits altogether. The existing system is a joke. It gives law enforcement a tool to harass drivers on an individual basis and only serves to encourage disrespect for law enforcement.

Besides, leaving the situation the way it exists is simply too dangerous for those of us who try to observe posted speed limits. Although there is a raging debate over whether higher speeds lead to an increase in traffic fatalities, it is clear to me, through personal observation over the years, that the people who speed either get into accidents or cause other people to have accidents due to their carelessness.

If we want to have a "free-for-all" on the roadways, so be it. At least we will know what to expect when we get in our cars. However, when you get into your car, you have an expectation that others will be observing the same rules you are. When that does not happen, anything can happen on the roadways... and it does, on a regular basis.

Memo to Auto Makers: Save Money... Remove Turn Signals

This is the first in an occasional series of "pet peeve" postings.

Today's pet peeve is my continuing aggravation with people who don't have enough courtesy to use turn signals when they are driving.

Turn signals were made part of automobiles in the 1920's, not as a standard feature, but as an accessory. Perhaps we should return to those "good old days," since nobody seems to use them anyway.

Since I live in South Florida, I don't know if it is cultural: perhaps latins (and other immigrants) don't get the concept of a turn signal. Or, perhaps, it is geographical: tourists don't feel the need to use turn signals when away from home. Or, perhaps it is simply a sign of the increasing lack of courtesy in American society overall.

Any way you look at it, it is simply rude. Those of us who are making driving decisions based upon where we think an oncoming car is headed get infuriated when we can't determine what that car is going to do. We are forced to wait for the oncoming car to make its move. And, with the accident levels as high as they are in South Florida, making a judgment call is a very calculated risk. Also, since South Florida is one of the worst areas in the country for road rage, making any comment or gesture (polite or otherwise) to the offending vehicle essentially amounts to risking your life. The number of shootings and fistfights that occur on South Florida roadways over petty traffic disputes is astounding.

Is the lack of turn signal usage limited only to South Florida, or is it a nationwide phenomenon? Any and all comments would be appreciated.