Can I drive the speed limit in the “fast lane?”

  We’ve all seen the signs on many freeways that state “Slower Traffic Keep Right.”  Usually somewhere down the road from that is a speed limit sign that states the maximum and the minimum speed.  To me this means that if you choose to drive less than the maximum speed limit, then you need to stay in the right hand lane.  However, if you are driving the speed limit, then you have every right to be in the left hand lane for as long as you like, right?  Well, I’m not so sure everyone feels that way.

The other day I was driving east on I-40 headed toward downtown OKC.  I had two of my children in the mini van with me.  The speed limit was 65mph so that is what I was doing.  I was happily driving along in the right hand lane.   There were vehicles whizzing past me in the left hand lane. I swear, some of them had to have been going 90mph.  That really ticks me off.   I’m a rules kind of girl.  I feel like the speed limit and other traffic laws are there for our safety and protection.  It irritates me when many drivers only obey traffic laws when they see a police car around.  I’m all for unmarked police cars.  Why do these drivers feel that they are above the law?  Do they think that the traffic laws don’t apply to them?  Even if I’m going to be late to something I drive the speed limit.  Better to arrive late than to not arrive at all because I’ve been in a car accident because I was driving too fast.  Many times fast driving goes hand in hand with reckless driving.  

  Anyway, so I’m driving along in the right hand lane going the speed limit of 65 mph and I come upon a car that is going just a little slower than that, so I signal (I always signal too.  My greatest pet peeve in all the world is drivers who don’t signal, but that will be another entry) look behind me and move into the left hand lane, maintaining the 65 mph speed limit.  A few seconds later a guy in a big ‘ole truck comes roaring up behind me.  I’ve not quite passsed the car yet, so I’m still in the left hand lane and the car in the right hand lane is just slightly behind me.  The guy in the big ’ole truck is stuck.  He is obviously irritated.  He blinks his brights at me.  He is gesturing with his hand for me to move along by rolling his hand over and over.  He’s mad because I’m in the left hand lane going the speed limit and now he can’t speed anymore.  Until I can pass the car on my right, which will only take another minute at the most, he’s just going to have to slow down. 

My neighbor Scott is an OKC police officer.  I told him about my encounter with the big ‘ole truck and asked if I was in the wrong.  Do I have a right to be in the left hand lane and drive the speed limit?  Is that lane for “speeders?”  He said I did nothing wrong and that all drivers are expected to drive the speed limit regardless of the lane they are in.  He noted that many accidents are caused by drivers not paying attention to their surroundings. Whats beside them, behind them, and way ahead of them?  

So I did eventually pass the car on my right and move back into the right hand lane continuing to maintain the speed limit.   The guy in the big ‘ole truck must have floored it because he went roaring by me as fast as he could.  I didn’t look at him as he passed.  I didn’t need to see his angry, irritated face and I didn’t think giving him a disgusted look would make any difference.  Now that I think about it I should have looked at him and smiled and maybe even waved.  I wonder what kind of reaction that would have brought?   

I just don’t understand why so many drivers feel the need to disobey traffic laws.  We cannot pick and choose which laws we want to obey.  I teach my children that all people who live in or visit this country must abide by all its laws, not just those that are convenient.  This is a great country and a great state, and everyone has a responsibility to be a good citizen. 

Well, until next time…Stay Great Oklahoma!

820 comments May 2nd, 2006

Trade Oil for Food? It’s As Simple As Economics 101

  Recently a friend and I were talking about the surge in gasoline prices. During our conversation I mentioned that Wal-Mart was no longer the richest company in the world. It had been overtaken by the Exxon Oil Company. With a tone of disgust, my friend commented that it took nearly $100 to fill the tank of his Chevy Surburban. Frankley, I was shocked! How could he consider dropping $100 into his gas tank. Cliff commented, “as I approached $85 I kept thinking the pump was going to click off any moment … $90… $95…, finally; $97.35 later my tank was full,” he said. I asked him if the high price of gasoline was going to slow him down? You see, Cliff is an active traveler and sportsman. He enjoys traveling around the state of Oklahoma, fishing, spending the weekends at his lake retreat, and boating. His answer; a resounding “No!”  “I will find a way to fill my all of my gas tanks,” he said.

I am not an Economist. In fact, I can remember in high school disliking the whole subject. However, I do remember a concept regarding the Law of Supply and Demand.  The Demand Side goes something like this: As the price goes up, demand comes down and vice versa. As demand goes up, price comes down. It seems like if something is cheap in price then people want to buy it. Now, of course, there are other factors that may effect this, but I think, the law could be true. The Supply Side says that the higher something’s price is, the more it will be supplied. Now I am sure people (oil companies) want to charge the highest price possible for the least amount of production possible. As prices increase, so do the expectations for profits. As people (oil companies) expect more profits from a product, they naturally produce more of that product. They produce this high-priced product rather than a low-priced one.

It seems to me that the price of fuel these days is not curving anyones appetite to use less. There seems to be just as many cars on the road today compared to when fuel was around $1. Does anyone remember those days? Anyway, my faith in Demand Side economics has been severly shaken. However, I am becoming a big believer in Supply Side economics because the oil companies are enjoying record profits all at the expense of you and me. You see, we act like drug addicts, and the oil companies are the suppliers, we’ll do anything to get one more fill at our favorite filling station. Maybe will trade Oil for Food. Think about it.

Oklahoma, interested in what your favorite filling station is charging you for gas today? Remember to check out our gas price link on the right sidebar. Good Luck.

So, until next time…Stay Great Oklahoma!

Pixel Queen

661 comments April 10th, 2006

Jim Traber: The Ultimate Voice in Oklahoma

Hey, I have to admit, I am a big Jim Traber fan, a.k.a - “The Ultimate”. You can catch Jim and the rest of the Dominate Duo Monday through Friday at 2 PM on 104.9 FM, The Sports Animal, Oklahoma City, or on the Internet at http://www.thesportsanimal.com . The reason I like Traber is because I think he is a realist. He doesn’t inflate the truth.

For example, Traber is a hugh Steelers fan, he’ll admit when the Steelers are having an off year. He has no problem in saying that because he is a realist. He does not think with his heart. It is nice to have someone in sports radio who doesn’t get emotional, but speaks the truth.

In addition, I have never heard Traber speak biasely towards OU Football, OSU Basketball, the Steelers, and so on. If he believes (based on his research) OU has a shot in winning the National Championship in Football then he’ll say it. If he thinks the Steelers are going to win on Sunday and they don’t, he’ll admit he was wrong. He has no problem in doing that.

Besides being a realist, Traber can speak with authority about big time college sports or professional baseball because he used to play football/baseball for Oklahoma State University and baseball for the Baltimore Orioles. If he has too, he can talk about playing Japanese baseball because he played in Japan as well. I don’t have a “man crush” on Traber, or anything like that. It’s just refreshing for Oklahoma to have a “real” voice over the radio waves.

If you find you can’t get enough of Traber on the radio you can also read about him and follow all of the rants and raves of his listeners. He has a website/forum at http://www.jimtraber.com/ . Now, Jim can get a little loud on the radio, but really, as he admits, “I’m just a loud talker”. So, If you are listening to Jim over the radio, be sure to lower the volume on your speakers.

Hey, I’m just trying to be a realist.

Soonerred 84 - Pixel Queen’s Husband

342 comments March 30th, 2006