By Staff
I had a birthday on Monday and as I was driving back to Brewton I realized just how &#8221old“ I was getting.
It's amazing to me just how fast people travel on the Interstate these days. Back in the day I was a speed demon, and I still thought that as I traveled at a mere 80 mph (note to officers, I don't make it a habit to go that fast, but you know how it is).
I was alarmed at how many times I had to scoot over into the right hand lane – most notably known as the &#8221slow“ lane. I kept glancing down at my speedometer to make sure my cruise control was still properly working.
Just how fast were these people traveling, and to where were they headed to be in such a huge rush?
Then it dawned on me. I stared at my speedometer some more and realized that my car could travel 140 mph and more if I wanted.
But let's think logically here. In most of the United States, 70 mph is the speed limit. Anyone traveling faster than say, 80 mph, is a serious threat to many drivers on the road. What happens if you can't slip on over to the other lane quickly enough? I know from personal experience I can only handle people riding my bumper and flashing their lights for so long.
And with everyone griping about gas prices being so high, hasn't anyone paid a bit of attention to one of the biggest gas saving tips? Stay at a moderate speed – anything higher than the posted speed limit has a good chance of burning more fuel.
But whose fault is it for these speed demons? If we're in the business of the blame game, it would be all car manufacturers' fault for producing cars with such high speeds.
Move over George Costanza, we've got some real people proud of making good time.
For those of you unaware, George is a character on Seinfeld who was known to always brag about the great timing he made while he traveled at high speeds and no pit stops.
It's just so tempting to test the speed of your car. Does it really go that fast or is it just a gimmick to get people to buy cars? Well look ahead, there's a huge, empty stretch of highway in front of me. Let's see if it can go that fast.
Who really does that? So, in the meantime, I guess I'll just ponder that thought as I slip on over to the &#8221slow“ lane and ride with the rest of the slow pokes.
Mary-Allison Lancaster is the Managing editor of the Brewton Standard. She can be reached via e-mail at mlancaster@brewtonstandard.com.