"for every movement, a leader."

Posted by nanc

Yes.

And fer every bowel movement, there's nanc.

This is radical:

"That type of short sighted vision will get red cross workers murdered."

This needs to be repeated every time some bonehead defends this foolishly limited strategy.

"...like he's promising to you wide-eyed slobbering boobs?"

He's not promising anything, you ignorant fuck.

Oh, wait...here's another!

Wow...there are a couple of actual "thinkers" posting over at "American Stinker"...who'da thunk it:

I agree that Congress should not be playing around with speed limits as a conservation ploy. Speed limits should be set for safety considerations.

I would much prefer to see realistic speed limits that are actually enforced as posted. Cut the hypocrisy.

I know from a life-time of pushing airplanes that there are signifcant costs to going faster than the optimum speed. Airlines know that these costs are not offset by productivity gains. They make a constant effort to educate and discipline aircres to this fact.

My American sedan is most efficient at 60 mph. I pay a penalty for speeds faster or slower than that. In the interest of my pocket book that is the speed I try to drive now. I know that the time lost will be negligble.

There is typical ignorance of actual time-distance factors being expressed here.

Ten mph makes a significant difference on a long-haul trip. It does not make an appreciable difference to a delivery person or the casual driver.

Just do some simple arithmetic. A 100 mile trip at an average speed of 60 mph take 100 minutes. The same 100 miles at 70 takes 86 minutes. A difference of 14 minutes. So how about that delivery guy? If he is running 15 miles between stops he is saving a whopping 2.2 minutes on each leg. For the casual driver or short-haul business there are much better ways to improve or preserve productivity.

Long haul drivers need to actually do some analysis based on real data to determine what speed to drive. They might be surprised.

Posted by: BobG | July 14, 2008 05:39 PM

This post is from a poster over at "American Thinker", who appears to one of the few with a brain in their head:

I drive the speed limit. I dispute the assertion that much/most highway traffic is commerce. If this were so then those not engaged in commerce would drive slower because it would save them money. They don't. I never, and I do mean never, pass anyone. Every single vehicle, be it a huge Winnebago, a tiny Civic, an empty pickup, a huge SUV with one person aboard...all of them pass me. People speed because they want to be wherever they are going in the least amount of time, regardless of cost. In other words, they are driving mindlessly, more intent on getting ahead as fast as possible by lining up in the fast line bumper to bumper at 70mph than thinking about productivity and efficiency.

Studies continue to show the most efficient speed is 55 - 60 and common sense tells us that accidents have a lesser effect on vehicle damage and personal injury at lower speeds. Nevertheless, people go as fast as they think they can without getting a ticket, even buying radar detectors to allow it. It's just the old American independence - that has brought us to this brick wall of oil price increases we now face. It isn't the gov't's fault. It isn't the car manufacturers' fault, it is OUR fault for not thinking about what we do and pretending there are no limits, speed or otherwise.

Improving efficiency of commerce, taking advantage of aerodynamics, etc., etc. are all rationalizations. Even the truck lines are installing governors to keep their drivers from exceeding certain speeds. Can we argue with those whose money is on the line and address it thinking clearly of the bottom line that they are thereby lowering the productivity of a business to which speed is critical?

The bottom line here? People do not want to drive slower and by not doing so up to now have set the stage for being required to do so in the future. We have not been thinking ahead, or at least not beyond our immediate destination when we get behind the wheel.

Posted by: CB | July 14, 2008 05:01 PM

Where's George Bailey when ya need 'im?