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Impatience kills

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Basil

Basil

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The speed limit on RT66 heading west out of the village of Tijeras is 35 MPH for about a half mile, then it bumps up to 45MP and about another 1/4 mile later it's 55MPH.

I have had numerous instances where some impatient driver behind me didn't like the fact that I was observing the posted speed limit, and they go zooming around me - in a NO PASSING ZONE!! This happened again just the other day and the idiot who passed me in that no-pass double line zone, came within inches of being involved in a head on collision. Just as he was beside me on my left, there came another car coming the opposite direction around the blind bend and I was sure I was going to witness something horrible.

I braked hard to back away (quickly checking my six first) and give the moron room to pull back into the west-bound lane. Had I not braked hard to let that "driver" move over, we would probably have been reading his obituary, along with that of whoever was in the other car.

I get it that 35MPH seems a little slow for that area, but that's what the speed limit is, whether I like it or not. Also, that area is a no -passing area for a reason!! PS: I did call the local Sheriff in East Mountains and related the incident, and asked them to try to increase patrols in that area.

Being impaction like that is how people get killed. It's not going to cost you more than a few seconds if you just wait for a passing zone before passing!
 
You're describing much of the driving world I'm afraid. "The rules are only for other people".

This happens to me nearly every day. Our twisting two lane roads have 35 to 45 mph limits. No one - and I mean no one - drives like that. Even on hills, intersections, blind curves, etc.

I-84 and I-90 here have limits of 65 or 70. About 20% of the cars are weaving at 85 to 90mph through crowded traffic.

Sometimes you might wish that a very negative outcome would occur. Maybe then a few more people would take the limits seriously. Most of us pay the dollar price for other people's egos and irresponsibility.

yeesh
 
my dda has a saying, " one day he will meet himsel£ comming back", didnt really understand what he meant until one day,
when I saw a similar thing happen, but another stupid arse was doing the same thing comming in the opposite direction,
There were some brown trousers that day.
 
Basil said:
No, actually I don’t wish for a negative outcome. I do wish that the people who do this would get a steep fine….maybe that would make them think twice and possibly save theirs and others’ lives…a positive outcome.
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I don't wish for a negative outcome either. I wonder if some of the issue is that there's no deterrent/enforcement around here. On the interstate that loops around the city, the average speed seems to be 15 mph over the speed limit with many traveling faster than that. The only time you someone pulled over, it's a semi. Otherwise the one state trooper you see is zipping along in the left hand lane - defining the acceptable speed. May-be the risk of pulling someone over to issuing a speeding ticket isn't worth it.
 
I wouldn't mine some negative outcomes in terms of damage to cars and the need to change undies. Generally I run no more than the limit on secondary roads and with the flow of traffic on freeways. Keep to the right hand lane except to pass. But I see a lot who cut in and out and even use the berms as lanes to get around people. They stopped a corvette doing 149 in a 65 zone on I75 here last week. Driver raised a fuss with the cop for stopping him it was said.
 
BobHaskell said:
wonder if some of the issue is that there's no deterrent/enforcement around here.
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Ironically, RT66 between where we live and Albuquerque is actually pretty well patrolled. We constantly see the Sheriff's deputies in their Ford Explorer SUVs tucked away, out of sight to drivers until it would be too late to slow down. That's always a good incentive for me to just stick with the speed limit on that road. When I see them, I know I'm not in any danger of a ticket.
 
Interesting that you bring this up. From Faceplant just the other day:

Rt 66 Postcard.jpg


This mid-1950s photo of cars passing a Greyhound bus eastbound on Route 66 in Arizona reminds me of when I was with my parents driving between Albuquerque and L.A. on Rt. 66 during the same time frame. My dad was a bomber pilot in World War II and had no fear and absolute confidence that he could pass on Route 66 and not have a major wreck. It was quite an experience!

In 1962, "an Arizona Highway Patrol official said the highway often called “Bloody 66” was no more dangerous than any other highway in the state. The highway had just been the focus of an intensive investigation into accidents on the 381 miles across Arizona. But the patrol found Highway 66 did have a higher average of accidents due to driver inattention, vehicles running off the road, illegal passing, and driving over the center line than the highway system as a whole."

This photo and the above quote are courtesy of Joe Sonderman.
 
Slow for the cone zone unfortunately is better said than done. Sections of the 405 and 101 under construction are posted 55MPH. Cars were passing me at 2X that speed. I became a "hazard to navigation" in trying to comply. I have front and back-facing dashcams now.
 
gonzo said:
Slow for the cone zone unfortunately is better said than done. Sections of the 405 and 101 under construction are posted 55MPH. Cars were passing me at 2X that speed. I became a "hazard to navigation" in trying to comply. I have front and back-facing dashcams now.
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Oh yeah, I've driven the 405 when I was out there for my work. Scary place to drive! :scared:
 
At least once a month here there's a head-on because some impatient "Y'all can't tell ME what to do!!" yahoo passes in a double-yellow. Unfortunately, the double-yellow zones around here frequently have speed limits between 60 and 75MPH, which means those encounters generally don't end well. Of course, refusal to wear seat belts (because they're required by law) all but guarantees an unhappy ending.
 
As my brother says -

ah, humans ...
 
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