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From: wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: A FINAL WORD or two ON SPEEDING, etc.
Message-ID: <534@pyuxa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 31-Jan-84 14:52:24 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxa.534
Posted: Tue Jan 31 14:52:24 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Feb-84 04:08:49 EST
Organization: Central Services Org., Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 90

Let us clear the air concerning fast driving, seatbelts, and tailgaters
since they have become the topics of the day recently.  It seems there
are two schools of thought on each of these subjects, the pros and the cons.

A great deal of FREEDOM and RIGHTS verbage has been thrown around by the
cons concerning these subjects.  Let us examine what FREEDOMS and RIGHTS
mean.  First, FREEDOM is NOT license.  FREEDOM means that you may pursue
your life in any manner you wish, within the limits of constraints set
by laws and regulations.  If you do not like those laws and regulations,
then you have the RIGHT to try to change those laws and regulations.
I, for instance, do not think that seatbelt laws should be promulgated,
however, if one is, I will follow it.  I have been, as a result of the
net discussions, convinced that I had better start using mine.  There 
are others, I am sure, who will refuse to use the belts if a law is
passed.  They are not excercising a FREEDOM, they are not excercising
a RIGHT.  They are exercising FREE WILL, another story altogether.
If they are caught and punished for their crime?, then so be it.
Let's look at it this way.  The law says that I must have a windshield
on my car.  Why?  Couldn't I just get away with wearing a pair of
goggles?  What is the reason behind this one?  I really don't need
a windshield except to keep bugs out of my teeth.  How about the law
saying I must have a horn on my car?  Then, if I use it in some places,
I can get a ticket for being noisy.  I can holler better without a
windshield.  Why are these laws on the books?  Because they protect
someone else.  Without my windshield, I could take a rock in the
face from a passing truck, careen across the road, and wipe out a
family of five tourists from Iowa and end up with no more than a sore
head because I flew out of my car (not likely however).

Now, as to speeding and tailgating.  I do not subscribe to the 55 mph
attitude, I follow the old rule of "when in Rome ....".  That is, if
the traffic is moving along at 65, then I go 65.  If conditions are
such to warrent it, I go slower.  If I am in the left lane, moving
along in a line of traffic that is moving faster than the center and 
right lanes, I stay in the left lane until I come to a spot to move 
into a slower lane.  I WILL NOT squeeze into the center lane just
because some birdbrain decides to clear the left lane just for
himself.  I am going as fast as the rest of the traffic in front
of me and I see no reason why I should endanger myself by pulling 
into a space that is too small in the center lane.  Yet, that is
what some of the FREEDOMs and RIGHTs spouters want me to do.
Well, I have the FREEDOM and RIGHT to drive sanely, to use their
analogy.  Further, I don't know where anyone gets the idea that
tailgateing and flashing lights is a courteous way of asking you to
move over.  All it tells me is that the one doing it is a borish
road hog who wouldn't know the meaning of courtesy if it fell on them.

FREEDOM only gives you the right to live your life as you wish, not
to endanger or infringe on anyone elses life.  When you drive your
car at speeds above what the others on the road are doing, you are
then endagering and infringing on my life.  Therefore, you have
negated your FREEDOM and are liable for the consequences of your
actions.  You have the RIGHT to own a license, however, if you are
abusive of others RIGHTS because you own a license, your RIGHT can
be revoked.  That's how FREEDOM and RIGHT work.  They do not allow
you to "do what you please".  That ain't the way it works and the
sooner you realize that your not the only person with FREEDOMS and
RIGHTS, the better you will be.

The 55 mph speed limit is a case where the law and the enforcement are
two different things.  On the Garden State Parkway, here in Jersey, the
common speed is 65 mph during rush hours.  Even the State Police
maintain this speed at this time.  However, if some nut is abusing
the general speed by weaving in and out of traffic, even though
he is staying at 65, he will get nailed just like one did this morning.
He was doing about 65, but was weaving back and forth in traffic to
try and make better time.  What he didn't know was that a patrolman
was cruising along in the fast lane watching him.  Even though the
guy was maintaining the general speed, he was endangering lives
by his constant darting back and forth.  That's what it is all about.

If I were out in Arizona again, and had those looong stretches of
highway in front of me with no one else around, I would certainly
not hesitate to open 'er up.  If the local consensus is that it is 
OK to go faster, and everyone does it equally, then go ahead, you
would be foolish to try to slow everyone down to your speed.  Do
as the locals do, but be sure you do it only when conditions
permit.  It was fun watching the egg-suckers roll off the Parkway
last week on the ice.  You just can't go 55 and expect to turn
on an ice slicked highway.

Finally, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR TAILGATING.  It is not a FREEDOM.
It is not a RIGHT. It is the hallmark of a very stupid and selfish
person.

That's all I am going to say on the three subjects on this net.
Flames will be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement
agencies so that Big Brother can keep an eye on you.

T. C. Wheeler