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Old 07-01-2014, 03:35 AM   #1
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Insanity on the highway

Just returned from a driving trip (just the car - not our camper) to Ft Worth, Texas to visit relatives. The visit was great, and the Texas weather was perfect - 70s and low humidity. The trip to and from Ft Worth, especially on the interstate through Tennessee and Arkansas, however, was a different story.

Here in VA, we are used to a speed limit of 70 on the interstate, and troopers generally allow 5mph over before they will pull you over. Many drivers get away with 10 or more over, but we know the troopers will eventually get at least some of them.

During our trip, we discovered that if you don't drive at least 85 (10 over), you will get run over. And it is very scary to have two trucks doing OVER 85, side by side, and one is flashing his lights in your mirror to go faster, when you are in the right lane already doing 85. And then there are the motorists who pass you doing somewhere around 90+, and on their cell phones to boot.

While this is going on in the middle of Tennessee, we encountered two separate pairs of state troopers parked in the median, and totally ignoring the fact that almost everyone was doing 10-20mph over the posted limit.

Lastly, we also saw a 5th wheel, approximately 35 footer, being towed in the passing lane at over 85mph. What would happen if he blew a tire at that speed ??? They would probably be picking up the pieces for a week, not to mention other motorists who would be involved in the wreck.

IMHO, this is insanity on the highway, but obviously the state troopers don't seem to care, and all the motorists know it.
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Old 07-01-2014, 04:26 AM   #2
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Had a similar experience in south Florida. Was very happy to get out of there and back to the insanity of Boston
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Old 07-01-2014, 04:42 AM   #3
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How dare you to talk about us in Arkansas and not even mention our pot-holes interstate highway system....that's mostly what we are known for!!!!
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Old 07-01-2014, 04:59 AM   #4
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I'm most uncomfortable driving around San Francisco.
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Old 07-01-2014, 07:57 AM   #5
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Yikes!
Now I know why the GoodSam trip planner has a button to click for "avoid interstates".
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Old 07-01-2014, 08:00 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tunce the traveler View Post
I'm most uncomfortable driving around San Francisco.
You and me both. We narrowly missed a really bad accident 15 minutes after getting on the freeway with a rental car. San Francisco = public transportation.
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Old 07-01-2014, 08:12 AM   #7
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Hehe glad to see its everywhere in the great US of A. Next week I'm towing down New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. By the time you get to the campground you need to have a few cold ones after white knuckling it for 3 hours.
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Old 07-01-2014, 08:39 AM   #8
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South Carolina had public service announcements on how to merge onto an interstate - complete with animation.

San Diego had the best interstate manners. Unless there was rush hour congestion, you could merge at 65 and folks would make a hole for you. Not so in Washington state. Left lane drivers who PREVENT you from passing.

As for 2-lane state / county roads, I still find myself driving in the middle of the road (like I did growing up in MT) and only move over when a car is approaching.

Interesting to hear driving habit quirks from around the country.
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Old 07-01-2014, 09:23 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by SecretCoveDave View Post
Yikes!
Now I know why the GoodSam trip planner has a button to click for "avoid interstates".
You may have just sold me on a Good Sam trip planner; the ability to route a trip specifying interstate avoidance is probably worth the price of admission for me.

Down here in Texas, most of our interstates are limited at 75, some are 80 or 85. That's the posted limit, 10 over is quite common and mostly accepted around the state.

I tow at no more than 65 (and that's if I'm gaining speed to go up a hill) most times I'm at 60, sometimes even as low as 55 depending on the road and conditions. I have spent significant time towing on the interstate exactly once. Big rigs were passing me like I was sitting still, and it was one of the very few times towing that I felt sway because of them. Since then, I avoid interstates if at all possible while towing.

When I'm not towing, I'm going no more than 5 over the limit, on the roads that are limited at 80 or 85, I'm going no more than 75. It drives my wife crazy because she wants to drive with the speed of traffic; I'm happy to let them all get way ahead of me and just relax in the natural gaps that develop between clumps of vehicles on the highways. On most of our trips, the additional risk of traveling that fast is DEFINITELY not worth the few minutes (if any) of time saved...
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Old 07-01-2014, 10:35 AM   #10
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Old 07-01-2014, 10:48 AM   #11
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You should try Vancouver BC Canada. 75% of the drivers are new citizens where they either didn't drive before ever, drive on the other side. Or both plus they have so much money they all buy cars with 500 plus horsepower and can't handle it or go toooooo slooooooow. And I drive a commercial truck in that madness. People here are so rude on the road. They see a turn signal and speed up to jam you from getting over or in. Because where they come from its a dog eat dog world.
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Old 07-01-2014, 01:54 PM   #12
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I find only the PA Turnpike scarier than I-81 from Hagerstown to Bristol, Va. I, and many others call it the Suicide Highway.
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Old 07-01-2014, 01:55 PM   #13
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Have a Happy Canada Day.
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Old 07-01-2014, 02:41 PM   #14
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We just got back from a quick 2 day trip out.. Had to drive though the City of Dallas.. I was in the right hand lane going a bit slow I'll admit because I had 30 - 35 mph cross winds with gusts. Had 2 different idiots go around on my right into freeway entrance ramps to get around me.. One just barely missed clipping a guy getting into his truck on the emergency lane. Not counting the other idiots who just can't wait for their exit ramp so they have to pass like a bat out of hell on the left lane and then fly over into my lane right in front of me to just barely make their exit.. Had there been ANYBODY exiting slowly they would have taken all of us out... If cops could give out tickets for just being stupid they would have solved all of the city money issues on those freeways..
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Old 07-01-2014, 04:14 PM   #15
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Hey... the motto here in Tennessee is that speed limit signs are just suggestions..... as are most other rules of the road. I have my own theory...TN has one of the worst educational systems in the Nation as far as students actually learning something.....I think they just don't know what the numbers are. Anything greater the number of fingers and toes, they're clueless.....
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Old 07-02-2014, 12:22 PM   #16
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Like Bill Engval [sp] here's your sign. Some people should never breed.
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Old 07-02-2014, 05:40 PM   #17
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On the other hand we recently returned from a round trip from South Carolina to Boston. Just in the truck, no trailer. Try going across the George Washington bridge just north of NYC at 2:00 pm on a Friday. Bumper to bumper for 50 miles across bridge into Conn. There were no accidents. Just not enough lanes for the traffic. Came back on the Tappanzee Bridge on 287 Sunday afternoon. Much better route however would not want a trailer behind me on either. Now I know why I no longer live in New York.
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Old 07-02-2014, 07:46 PM   #18
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Same in Utah, semis passing in a down pour at 85 - 90 mph. We pulled off and waited out the rain. Since we are from Washington rain is a good thing.
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Old 07-03-2014, 10:05 AM   #19
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Funny how they keep legislating that autos and trucks be manufactured to get better mileage as well as legislating all the safety requirements. Manufacturers comply to get better gas mileage and stronger safety and then they legislate higher speeds on interstates to counteract the initial legislation. With better mileage you use less gas, this leads to less gas taxes being paid, raising the speed limit is a way to get more money. Think they refer this as an exercise in "Mental Masturbation"
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Old 07-03-2014, 08:52 PM   #20
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My biggest gripe are the drivers that "camp" out in the passing lane with no intention of, well...... passing!!

We just got back today from a trip to upstate N.Y. and back home. I will say I did see several motorists pulled over in Pa. and Ohio. I've heard the troopers in PA don't allow for the "5 mile over rule"!
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