Date:         Thu, 19 Oct 1995 11:23:00 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      RE: Humor+passing=flying fur....



>BTW, the last I read, on a Cal. multi-lane hwy, it IS permissable to
>pass on the right if it's clear.


It's not only "permissable", it's a good idea. And that's including
areas where it's against the law.

Yes, yes, I know, we must obey the law. Just pointing out that some
laws are pretty silly, and not necessarily wise. Most laws ARE good and
fairly wise, but sometimes, you gotta wonder. It's illegal to turn right
on a red light in New Jersey, for example (or it was in the '70s, anyway,
please correct me if I'm out of date). Why, on earth, if no one is coming?

The 55 mph laws on interstate freeways reduced speeds slightly. But it also
created more criminals in one stroke, than anything since Prohibition.
And, in fact, by requiring people to do something they had no intention
of doing, and which they saw little point in, the law diminished respect
for all laws-- made people start to look twice before obeying. A bad
situation IMHO.

One result of this, was that the 55 laws created a wider speed differential
on interstates. Some did 55, others kept doing 75, including moi. But now
the 55ers had righteousness on their side, making it "OK" to travel four
across the entire road doing 55. Bingo, more conflict, more anger, more
accidents. Yeah, its the 75ers who are at fault, according to law. But if
the law had never been passed, what would have been the result? Inquiring
minds want to know.

Over time, more and more people started ignoring the law, at least here
in CA. Cruising at 55 in the right lane, a hundred people would pass me
for every one I passed-- and I'd see very few people going the same
speed as me. Anyone else have this experience?

Now that laws seem to be going back to reasonable levels (hope I'm not
premature in this), I wonder if the speed differential will go away.
Will people say, "Well, since I got away with 75 during the 55 limit,
can I now get away with 90 during the 70 limit on rural interstates?"

Time will tell. Changing peoples' perception of the law as "silly and
irrelevant", isn't easy. Although going the othe way, can be done in a
stroke, as has been amply demonstrated.

 -Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   '71 VW Transporter