Speed Limits

I lived more than half my life, almost all my adult years, in Tidewater, Virginia with half a million other people. Some days, watching the traffic report, it seemed like they were all out in cars, in a hurry to get somewhere. Speed limits there were treated more like suggestions for a good place to start. Going the posted speed usually meant someone was on your tail, anxious to pass you at the first opportunity. On the interstate driving the limit of 55 felt dangerous, because it caused others to follow too closely or pass too abruptly, like they were suddenly surprised that someone would be actually following the speed limit.

Now I live in Florida where the interstate has a speed limit of 70. Tourists and others using the highway do not seem to have a problem going fast. I live in a community surrounded by farming. Most roads are posted at 45-55 which means traffic goes 50-60. That is until you reach the part of the road that passes by my 55+ community. That's age. not speed limit. Here there are signs warning of golf cart crossings for about 1 1/2 miles. They can be translated, "Watch out for old people!" who see the posted speed of 45 as just that-a limit-and may choose to go 30-35 because that's what they are comfortable doing. Even worse I have seen some in a golf cart travelling on the state road which is not legal and with capable top speeds around 25, very dangerous. Crossing the road at 3 designated spots is all that is allowed.

Within my community the speed limit is 30, more than the 25 I am used to for residential areas. Here the old people become speed demons, passing me if I am doing 25. I had an older golf cart that would average 12 mph on a full charge. After being passed so often by other golf carts, the old cart wouldn't turn over one day, and DSH decided we could get a brand spanking new one. This one will actually go 19 mph. I feel like I am really flying when I am in it. Until today when some old guy in a hurry passed me in his golf cart. Oh, well!