By The Way...

Monday, October 16, 2006
1:18:00 PM EDT
Hearing Dead Girls Don't Say No -- Gramophone


Buckle up: Texas' new speed limit is 80mph! In some places, anyway:

The 80 m.p.h. zone extends east on Interstate 10 from the El Paso County line, through Hudspeth County and beyond.

In all, it includes 521 miles of highway in parts of 10 counties, Mr. Lopez said, splitting off at the junction with Interstate 20 east of Kent and continuing toward Monahans and on Interstate 20 into Kerr County.

The limit is an ideal fit for Texas, a state that prides itself on being larger than life. “You can now get places in a more legal fashion,” said Mike Mossman of Fort Hancock. “In Texas, we measure distances by hours rather than miles.”

There's a whole lot of West Texas, I understand, much of it without too much on it. Blasting through there at 80 pretty much makes sense.

Personally, I think the 70mph is a decent speed limit: It's got the right combination of going fast and not drivingly stupidly, because I've noticed that the faster people go above 70, the more recklessly they seem to drive; all those morons weaving through traffic at 95mph. You know who I'm talking about. Personally I seem to drive at the 70-75 range most of the time, and that seems to work for me.

Of course, I'm saying that now. Back when I was in California, I could get from Fresno to Sacramento in just a little over two hours, and that was about 180 miles. I regret nothing; it'd just take me longer now.

How about you? Like the 80mph speed limit? Seem a little too much? Or (yeesh) too little?




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This entry has 6 comments: (Add your own)

• #6 Comment from rebuketheworld 
  10/18/06 4:59 AM | Permalink

  They have less accidents than slower speed limits...when your driving fast...your subconscious is aware that its a life or death.....besides...I drive that all the time...I remember a first date with a guy driving fast on a dark country road...I wanted to be polite...but I was scared to death...lol...He said he knew the roads..and was going like 80+...in his black sports car and I'm trying to not sound like an old fuddy-duddy...but I was like Meg Ryan in the movie Harry Met Sally....no pun intended...nothing happened...but I've never talked so much in my whole life....lol...
  
  ~Raven
  http://journals.aol.com/rebuketheworld/RandomThoughtsConnected/
  
• #5 Comment from monponsett 
  10/17/06 10:47 AM | Permalink

  "If I owned Hell and Texas, I'd live in Hell and rent Texas."
  
  They should make it 150 mph.
• #4 Comment from emmapeeldallas 
  10/16/06 9:37 PM | Permalink

  It's scary to me, and I live in Dallas, where, btw, the majority of drivers seem to speed.  I currently commute a little over a hundred miles round trip each day, so my dream is to get a job where I can walk to work.
  
  Judi
• #3 Comment from plittle 
  10/16/06 4:15 PM | Permalink

    Maximum speed limits on major highways in these parts are 100km/h (kilometers per hour) or about 60mph. Of course, anyone actually driving at the speed limit on a highway is obstructing traffic, because the normal flow is closer to 130km/h (about 80mph). I'm not a big speeder, but I usually go between 110 and 120 (about 70-15mph). Unless, of course, my wife gets me ranting about something: http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/1841
  -Paul
• #2 Comment from princesssaurora 
  10/16/06 3:43 PM | Permalink

  It's a little scary to me...
  
  be well,
  Dawn
  
  

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