# High Speed Driver's License



## DGS49 (Mar 10, 2015)

As I drove the thousand-plus miles from my vacation in southern Florida to home in Pennsylvania I pondered how much gooder it would be if I could only drive my car a bit faster.  I mean, think about it.  My car can easily go over 100mph; the tires can easily handle it; I am a skilled and experienced driver with a spotless driving record...why can't I drive faster? 

Here is what I propose:

Create a multi-state super-driver's license that authorizes daytime speeds up to 100mph on interstate highways.  To get this license, one would need,


Proof of enhanced insurance (say, $1,000,000 CSL liability),
Minimum 25 years old; maximum 70,
An enhanced safety inspection for your car,
pass a written and on-road driver's test,
minimum two years clean driving record.
If any of those goes away (any moving violation, traffic accident, new car, etc), the license is either revoked or temporarily suspended pending a new inspection, or whatever.  A high-speed accident where the Super Driver is at fault, would result in a permanent revocation of the Super license.

Special "Road Rules" would be published for high-speed driving.  Some kind of an obvious sign would be necessary to alert police that this car is being driven by a Super Driver (maybe a green light on the rear deck or something).  Fraudulent representation of a super license would be a serious violation - on top of any speeding violation that results in being pulled over.

Of course, a STATE would have to take the initiative to create these licenses and other states would have to voluntarily sign on (just like with E-Z Pass).  Insurance companies would adjust their rates for Super Drivers, and might want to be notified in advance of interstate driving plans, but it would be a quantifiable risk involving higher rates.  Fair to everyone.

One could argue that the higher-speed cars would be a danger to everyone else on the road, but anyone who has driven on the Autostrada or Autobahn knows that it is a manageable problem.  In fact, it forces other drivers to stay alert.  Besides, if you have a Super license, you are going to be very protective of it, and confine your high-speed driving to places where it is relatively safe.

Why not?


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## PratchettFan (Mar 10, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> As I drove the thousand-plus miles from my vacation in southern Florida to home in Pennsylvania I pondered how much gooder it would be if I could only drive my car a bit faster.  I mean, think about it.  My car can easily go over 100mph; the tires can easily handle it; I am a skilled and experienced driver with a spotless driving record...why can't I drive faster?
> 
> Here is what I propose:
> 
> ...


 
There are three factors in the safe operating speed.  The vehicle, the driver and the road.  Very few interstates in this country are built to safely operate any vehicle more than 10% above the posted speed limit.  In order to meet this idea, we would have to have new roads built that would handle the speed.  We hardly repair the roads, let alone build a whole new system.


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## Moonglow (Mar 10, 2015)

it would the be the gooderist thing in the  USA...


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## Tom Sweetnam (Mar 10, 2015)

If you wanted to get back to Pennsylvania in a hurry, there's an alternative to driving like a maniac on our public highways. It's called a "passenger jet."


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## Pogo (Mar 10, 2015)

Why in the world would you want to do that to your car?

I can't understand this mentality of driving as if it's the most horrible act in the world that one can't wait to end.  I never drive for speed, ever.  I drive for efficiency.  And I hear the nimrods pushing their rides to do things like pass me going uphill, and I hear their engine screaming with the stress.  Then I get to my destination after say 750 miles and I find I'm not even tired because I haven't put the same stress on death-gripping my steering wheel and putting all my efforts into slaloming around people like me.

Then they're at the mechanic wondering why their engine is so worn out after 80,000 miles -- and blaming the car.

That shit will kill you.  Get off the highway, shunpike, and take time to smell the damn flowers.  There's a lot more to life than trying to see how soon you can get out of the car.  You'll be a lot richer for it, and you'll have something more significant to remember than the fact that this time you got there 13 minutes sooner.


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## Pogo (Mar 10, 2015)

PratchettFan said:


> DGS49 said:
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> > As I drove the thousand-plus miles from my vacation in southern Florida to home in Pennsylvania I pondered how much gooder it would be if I could only drive my car a bit faster.  I mean, think about it.  My car can easily go over 100mph; the tires can easily handle it; I am a skilled and experienced driver with a spotless driving record...why can't I drive faster?
> ...




You'd need something else that would probably be more of a challenge -- a nation of drivers who understand what "passing lane" means.  As it is now I think you have to go to Europe for that.


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## DGS49 (Mar 10, 2015)

I drove (rather than flew) because I wanted to bring a lot of clothing and equipment (mainly bicycles and golf equipment).  It was a two week vacation.  For one week, I definitely would have flown.

I disagree about the roads.  Some states are not so good about maintaining them, but for the most part I saw nothing that would be a danger at high speed.  Besides, most of the imperfections are in the right-hand lane (mainly caused by trucks).  The passing lanes are in considerably better shape.

And mentioning driving in Europe again, having someone come up behind you at 100+ mph is an experience that will wake you up in a hurry.  One quickly learns to avoid the passing lane, except when passing.  Germany is where things are most dangerous, in my opinion.  Tractors are subject to a national limit of 100kph, so you often have cars going 110mph coming up on tractors going 61mph.  Scared the shit out of me (not driving at the time).  God help you if one tractor is passing another.


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## PratchettFan (Mar 10, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> I drove (rather than flew) because I wanted to bring a lot of clothing and equipment (mainly bicycles and golf equipment).  It was a two week vacation.  For one week, I definitely would have flown.
> 
> I disagree about the roads.  Some states are not so good about maintaining them, but for the most part I saw nothing that would be a danger at high speed.  Besides, most of the imperfections are in the right-hand lane (mainly caused by trucks).  The passing lanes are in considerably better shape.
> 
> And mentioning driving in Europe again, having someone come up behind you at 100+ mph is an experience that will wake you up in a hurry.  One quickly learns to avoid the passing lane, except when passing.  Germany is where things are most dangerous, in my opinion.  Tractors are subject to a national limit of 100kph, so you often have cars going 110mph coming up on tractors going 61mph.  Scared the shit out of me (not driving at the time).  God help you if one tractor is passing another.


 
It isn't about maintenance.  It is about how the roadway is designed.


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## Mr. H. (Mar 10, 2015)

Moonglow said:


> it would the be the gooderist thing in the  USA...


That's "more gooderist". Lean English, who don't ya.


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## Manonthestreet (Mar 10, 2015)

Pogo said:


> Why in the world would you want to do that to your car?
> 
> I can't understand this mentality of driving as if it's the most horrible act in the world that one can't wait to end.  I never drive for speed, ever.  I drive for efficiency.  And I hear the nimrods pushing their rides to do things like pass me going uphill, and I hear their engine screaming with the stress.  Then I get to my destination after say 750 miles and I find I'm not even tired because I haven't put the same stress on death-gripping my steering wheel and putting all my efforts into slaloming around people like me.
> 
> ...


What kind of crap do you drive.......


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## Pogo (Mar 10, 2015)

Manonthestreet said:


> Pogo said:
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Crap that still drives, that's what.

Last car I sold, and I hated to do it, had well over 400,000 miles on it and was still giving me a regular 40 mpg.  It was getting old and doing stuff like the wipers would turn on at random, lights burning out, etc.  I understand it's still on the road at age 22, no doubt over a half million.  It was a Saturn, TwinCam.


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## HenryBHough (Mar 10, 2015)

In the lexicon of Algore's First Universal Church of Global Warming driving at that speed would warrant execution without trial.  As they see it polluting their air in that fashion equates to attempted genocide!


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## Manonthestreet (Mar 10, 2015)

I gu


Pogo said:


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Guess I'd be whiteknuckling on dry pavement in that too. If its not a pleasure get off the road and take the bus.  I always try to travel as fast as possible on the long haul, fall in behind the leader stay far enough back to slow it he gets hit and cruise.  Never had a prob.


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## Pogo (Mar 10, 2015)

Manonthestreet said:


> I gu
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But what's the _point_?


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## Manonthestreet (Mar 10, 2015)

Whats the point?????? Well cant thank you enough for your time ....next


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## dblack (Mar 10, 2015)

Why would anyone want to get back to Pennsylvania in a hurry?


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## Pogo (Mar 10, 2015)

Manonthestreet said:


> Whats the point?????? Well cant thank you enough for your time ....next



Exactly my point.  Thanks.


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## Pogo (Mar 10, 2015)

dblack said:


> Why would anyone want to get back to Pennsylvania in a hurry?



Uh, he said he was coming from Florida.  That's reason enough to go _anywhere _in a hurry.


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## Delta4Embassy (Mar 11, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> As I drove the thousand-plus miles from my vacation in southern Florida to home in Pennsylvania I pondered how much gooder it would be if I could only drive my car a bit faster.  I mean, think about it.  My car can easily go over 100mph; the tires can easily handle it; I am a skilled and experienced driver with a spotless driving record...why can't I drive faster?
> 
> Here is what I propose:
> 
> ...



Having driven California to Florida once upon a time, I worked out how increases in speed effect time to travel. Basicly a doubling of your speed is required to cut your travel time in half. 60mph is 1 mile/minute. But to go 1 mile in 30 seconds you'd have to go 120mph. So if for the sake of illustration you could go 1000 miles nonstop at any velocity:

1000 miles trip at 60mph = 17 hours (rounding up)
                          120mph= 8.5 hours

So you're only gaining 8.5 hours over the entire journey even doubling your speed. And since a more realistic time includes stopping to refuel, eat, maybe once to sleep, stretch your legs, over the couple days say the halving of your time spent actually driving isn't going to be very significant. Especially since the higher speed means more stops for fuel burning it less efficiently.

Go the speed limit and enjoy the journey, not the arrival at the destination.


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## DGS49 (Mar 11, 2015)

Many modern cars have rather extreme overdrive ratios in top gear.  With enhanced aerodynamics I think that wear & tear and efficiency penalty would be tolerable.


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## DGS49 (Mar 11, 2015)

I do drive the speed limit.  Haven't had a speeding ticket in ages (5 years or so).

The greatest benefit of the higher speeds would be daytrips, inter-city.  Factoring in wait times and airport bullshit, Pittsburgh to Philly or DC would be as quick in a car as it is in a plane.


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> I do drive the speed limit.  Haven't had a speeding ticket in ages (5 years or so).
> 
> The greatest benefit of the higher speeds would be daytrips, inter-city.  Factoring in wait times and airport bullshit, Pittsburgh to Philly or DC would be as quick in a car as it is in a plane.



That's true, roughly 300 miles.  That's about my distance to Nashville - when a client wants to fly me there I tell 'em, just pay me what you would have paid the airline, and I'll drive.  That way my trip is more than paid for (and I pocket the difference) plus I have the flexibility on the other end.  And I get there in the same amount of time anyway.  Win-win.

Air travellers sometimes forget that there's a lot more to the trip than the plane ride itself.  I'll always drive if it's possible.


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> Many modern cars have rather extreme overdrive ratios in top gear.  With enhanced aerodynamics I think that wear & tear and efficiency penalty would be tolerable.



Aerodynamics can't be "enhanced" beyond the laws of physics.  There's a point of diminishing and reversing returns, once you factor in how much more fuel you're using -- even aside from the wear and tear, mileage plummets at speeds much over what turns out to be a freeway speed (or slightly less).  So I set my goal in terms of not hours and minutes but in mpg.  What time I get there is -- whatever time I get there.

The other benefit is that aggressive driving requires constant push not only from the engine but from the driver's psyche.  You literally wear yourself out.  Something like a long distance runner who jumps out to the lead but then finds he's getting exhausted and can't keep up the pace.  For me long distance driving is zen meditation.  It's where I do my best pondering and creative thinking.  And when I get to the other end it's mildly disappointing that it's over, but I'm not worn out physically from death-gripping my steering wheel and craning my neck to see how to pass the next object simply because it's there.  At some stage one has to realize that's not the point, and it costs way too much in terms of stress.


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 11, 2015)

Too many idiots on the road to raise the speed limits.


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 11, 2015)

Pogo said:


> Why in the world would you want to do that to your car?
> 
> I can't understand this mentality of driving as if it's the most horrible act in the world that one can't wait to end.  I never drive for speed, ever.  I drive for efficiency.  And I hear the nimrods pushing their rides to do things like pass me going uphill, and I hear their engine screaming with the stress.  Then I get to my destination after say 750 miles and I find I'm not even tired because I haven't put the same stress on death-gripping my steering wheel and putting all my efforts into slaloming around people like me.
> 
> ...



Won't hurt a car in the slightest.  Cops and cabbies drive like that...and 300,000+ miles on their vehicles are NORMAL.  A modern car will run 90-100MPH all day without breaking a sweat. (Hell, my Magnum would switch to 4-cylinder mode even at that speed.)


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

Jarlaxle said:


> Pogo said:
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Cops and cabbies have full-time mechanics replacing and renewing everything too.
And police cars are specifically built for that shit.


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 11, 2015)

Pogo said:


> DGS49 said:
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> > Many modern cars have rather extreme overdrive ratios in top gear.  With enhanced aerodynamics I think that wear & tear and efficiency penalty would be tolerable.
> ...



Incorrect.  Many modern cars have double (or even TRIPLE) overdrives.  They get better mileage at a higher speed than you'd expect.  My wife's friend has a Z28...and high gear is worthless below 65MPH.  (In high gear, 70MPH is <2000RPM.)  Heck, I drove a 40,000lb highway coach...it got the same mileage (calculated to 0.1MPG) at 55 and 65MPH.  It had an Allison B600 transmission, and wasn't in 6th gear until 62MPH.



> The other benefit is that aggressive driving requires constant push not only from the engine but from the driver's psyche.  You literally wear yourself out.  Something like a long distance runner who jumps out to the lead but then finds he's getting exhausted and can't keep up the pace.  For me long distance driving is zen meditation.  It's where I do my best pondering and creative thinking.  And when I get to the other end it's mildly disappointing that it's over, but I'm not worn out physically from death-gripping my steering wheel and craning my neck to see how to pass the next object simply because it's there.  At some stage one has to realize that's not the point, and it costs way too much in terms of stress.



No, not really.  75MPH or faster on a lightly-traveled highway is not stressful at all.


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## westwall (Mar 11, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> As I drove the thousand-plus miles from my vacation in southern Florida to home in Pennsylvania I pondered how much gooder it would be if I could only drive my car a bit faster.  I mean, think about it.  My car can easily go over 100mph; the tires can easily handle it; I am a skilled and experienced driver with a spotless driving record...why can't I drive faster?
> 
> Here is what I propose:
> 
> ...









I have no problem with the basic idea but at those speeds you need additional skills that you don't learn through experience.  Successful graduation from a racing school would be an essential element of a scheme such as this.


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 11, 2015)

Pogo said:


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No.  I did a run from Boston to Albany & back...4 people in the car (a Lincoln Town Car Executive), trunk packed with gear, I ran between 80 and 85 most of the way...never missed a beat, even though it was ~95 degrees.  When I left the car had just turned 580,000 miles...engine never apart, even had the original alternator and A/C compressor.  It was retired about 2 years later...the internally-untouched engine ran perfectly with 640,000 miles.  Again: this was and is NORMAL.


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## westwall (Mar 11, 2015)

PratchettFan said:


> DGS49 said:
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> > As I drove the thousand-plus miles from my vacation in southern Florida to home in Pennsylvania I pondered how much gooder it would be if I could only drive my car a bit faster.  I mean, think about it.  My car can easily go over 100mph; the tires can easily handle it; I am a skilled and experienced driver with a spotless driving record...why can't I drive faster?
> ...







Interstates can handle speeds of over 150 mph pretty easily when maintained properly.  There are very few cars that can handle that though.  There are even fewer people who can operate at those speeds.
Most people have never been over 100 mph in their lives.  My wife had never been that fast till she met me.  I have a car that can easily do 200 mph on any decent roadway but I rarely get to go that fast due to other vehicles.

When traveling at those speeds the other drivers simply don't know how to react to your approach and pass.  When I am on Hwy 50 between Fallon and Austin, at around 6 in the morning is the only time I can push it to that speed because there is simply no one there.


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

Jarlaxle said:


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It ain't the drive train --- it's the _wind resistance_.


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

Jarlaxle said:


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Boston to Albany is almost a commute.
My trips are usually around 750 miles at a time.  That's what I mean by long distance -- the point where you're nearing the limits of _human_ endurance.


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## westwall (Mar 11, 2015)

Pogo said:


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Most cars that are built for long distance travel at high speeds (BMW's, Merc's etc.) have very good aero designed into the cars.  They get good mileage even at high speed because they are built to do it.


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

westwall said:


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Sure, and it's improved over the years, I get that.  But the laws of physics haven't changed; at a certain point you're putting more energy proportionally into fighting wind resistance than you were at a lower speed.  So you many get "good" mileage but "good" compared to what?  What you would have gotten ten years ago?  It's still less _efficient _at say, 90 than at 60.  That doesn't change.

I loved the way my old Saturn was designed, aerodynamically efficient.  And light too (fiberglas).  But I could easily see a difference between say 65 and 75.


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## westwall (Mar 11, 2015)

Pogo said:


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That only happens at speeds over 100 in the new cars.  My Gt40 really doesn't care until I hit 160 mph (it's an exceptionally slippery car), then my mileage starts to drop pretty quickly, but it's a near 60 year old car!  The AMG's do lose mileage very fast though.  At 200 you get about 30 minutes between fill ups, so yes, you get to go super fast...but you have to refuel every 100 miles!


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 11, 2015)

what AMG are you driving @ 200 MPH?

Oh and Pogo, what you're saying doesn't necessarily hold true with modern cars which have automatic cylinder deactivation, electrically controlled aerodynamic aids, and super over drive transmissions.

It is generally true that the faster you travel the more power and thus the more fuel you need to overcome wind resistance, but when the car can electronically adjust itself to lower its coefficient of drag at speed, as well as briefly and intermittently shut down half of it' cylinders , those will combat the laws of physics then you add in a super high geared 8 speed auto transmissions and such.

I mean 22 MPG out of a 700+ HP car is phenomenal


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:


> what AMG are you driving @ 200 MPH?
> 
> Oh and Pogo, what you're saying doesn't necessarily hold true with modern cars which have automatic cylinder deactivation, electrically controlled aerodynamic aids, and super over drive transmissions.
> 
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Maybe, but (a) that's about 600 hp than necessary, and (b) if my car ever returned 22mpg I'd have to have it towed to the mechanic to find the fuel leak.


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## westwall (Mar 11, 2015)

Pogo said:


> SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:
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Who says?  Just because you like to mosey along doesn't mean others do.  Why do you feel you have the right to dictate what other people like?


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## Pogo (Mar 11, 2015)

westwall said:


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 Beats me, you tell me.  Might wanna start with figuring out where I ""dictated what other people like".


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## westwall (Mar 12, 2015)

Pogo said:


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"600 hp more than it needs", seems pretty opinionated to me.  I like to drive fast.  I am very safe when I do it.  I also have no problem with those who like to mosey along so long as they don't gate keep ( a common problem in California, not so much here in Nevada) because they think I shouldn't be allowed to drive as fast as I like so long as I'm safe doing it.


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## Pogo (Mar 12, 2015)

westwall said:


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The simple fact is 700 hp -- which is what the poster's example stated -- *is* numerically about exactly 600 more than my ride needs (or has) to move at highway speeds.  That's simple science.  Any more would be wasted -- the proverbial "more than a handful".

You drive however you want.  I don't post about how you drive.  I wouldn't know anything about that.  I post about my own experiences.  They're quite sufficient.

Weird post.  Paranoia strikes deep.  

Back to STTAB's post -- I fail to see how having an 8-speed (or 2-speed or 123 speed) transmission is relevant to wind resistance in top gear.  At that point you're no longer shifting.  And for that matter, drag coefficient is dependent on surface area; I don't think you're going to change that d/c in motion unless you've got either an active body shop running alongside you or some kind of shape shifting technology.


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 12, 2015)

Pogo said:


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Here you go Pogo

BBC - Autos - Active aerodynamics a slippery obsession


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## DGS49 (Mar 12, 2015)

(1) Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of velocity, so the drag is 4x as much at 120 as at 60.  Gas mileage DECREASES as your speed increases over the optimum (40-50mph in most cars), regardless of gearing or anything else.  High speed driving will reduce fuel economy.  Period.

(2)  The permission to drive up to 100mph with my Hyper-License is just that: permission.  You could drive at 80, 60, 99, or 75, depending on road conditions, terrain, traffic, or your own comfort level.  In most cases, the car itself will tell you when it's "happy" by noise, vibration, etc.  Most good Euro cars are quite comfortable at 80-90mph and will go faster easily as you might like.

(3)  Remember that this mode of driving has been normal FOR YEARS in Europe, and the problems associated with high-speed drivers on the same road as people going 100kph have been minimal - nowhere near as striking as people driving while intoxicated.  This is not some new, untested concept.  It simply hasn't been tried in the U.S.


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 12, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> (1) Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of velocity, so the drag is 4x as much at 120 as at 60.  Gas mileage DECREASES as your speed increases over the optimum (40-50mph in most cars), regardless of gearing or anything else.  High speed driving will reduce fuel economy.  Period.
> 
> (2)  The permission to drive up to 100mph with my Hyper-License is just that: permission.  You could drive at 80, 60, 99, or 75, depending on road conditions, terrain, traffic, or your own comfort level.  In most cases, the car itself will tell you when it's "happy" by noise, vibration, etc.  Most good Euro cars are quite comfortable at 80-90mph and will go faster easily as you might like.
> 
> (3)  Remember that this mode of driving has been normal FOR YEARS in Europe, and the problems associated with high-speed drivers on the same road as people going 100kph have been minimal - nowhere near as striking as people driving while intoxicated.  This is not some new, untested concept.  It simply hasn't been tried in the U.S.



Again though, the problem is the average American moron.

Have you driven on the Autobahn? I have, over there, people don't hog the left lane refusing to get over the way they do here, as an example. There would be LOT more accidents here.


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## westwall (Mar 12, 2015)

SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:


> DGS49 said:
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> > (1) Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of velocity, so the drag is 4x as much at 120 as at 60.  Gas mileage DECREASES as your speed increases over the optimum (40-50mph in most cars), regardless of gearing or anything else.  High speed driving will reduce fuel economy.  Period.
> ...







The rules of the road are far different in Germany than here too.   If you are going too slow, and a car hits you from behind, YOU ARE AT FAULT!


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 12, 2015)

Pogo said:


> Boston to Albany is almost a commute.
> My trips are usually around 750 miles at a time.  That's what I mean by long distance -- the point where you're nearing the limits of _human_ endurance.



What in the world are you babbling about now?  750 miles is hardly the "limits of human endurance".


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 12, 2015)

Pogo said:


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Then you are deliberately missing the point.  It's simple: the double and triple-overdrive transmissions mean the engine can run more efficiently.

Active aero is nothing new.  Porsche and Land Rover have used it for decades.  Even some Ram pickups now use it.


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## westwall (Mar 12, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> (1) Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of velocity, so the drag is 4x as much at 120 as at 60.  Gas mileage DECREASES as your speed increases over the optimum (40-50mph in most cars), regardless of gearing or anything else.  High speed driving will reduce fuel economy.  Period.
> 
> (2)  The permission to drive up to 100mph with my Hyper-License is just that: permission.  You could drive at 80, 60, 99, or 75, depending on road conditions, terrain, traffic, or your own comfort level.  In most cases, the car itself will tell you when it's "happy" by noise, vibration, etc.  Most good Euro cars are quite comfortable at 80-90mph and will go faster easily as you might like.
> 
> (3)  Remember that this mode of driving has been normal FOR YEARS in Europe, and the problems associated with high-speed drivers on the same road as people going 100kph have been minimal - nowhere near as striking as people driving while intoxicated.  This is not some new, untested concept.  It simply hasn't been tried in the U.S.







Yes, it does.  However reducing the cars drag coefficient likewise reduces the aerodynamic drag, thus allowing you to drive faster with little to no reduction in mileage.  This is all dependent on rolling friction and other factors, but a small DC results in better mileage and faster speeds as well.


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## Pogo (Mar 12, 2015)

Jarlaxle said:


> Pogo said:
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It is in one diurnal period.  Close to it anyway -- I've done a thousand and I can't recommend it. 
But Boston to Albany -- that's barely a warmup.


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 12, 2015)

What in the WORLD are you babbling about?  Seriously...are you baked?  I can clear 1000 miles in a day easily if I have to.  I did Carlisle to St. Cloud, FL in a day a few years ago.


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## Pogo (Mar 12, 2015)

Jarlaxle said:


> What in the WORLD are you babbling about?  Seriously...are you baked?  I can clear 1000 miles in a day easily if I have to.  I did Carlisle to St. Cloud, FL in a day a few years ago.



Then you're a lunatic.
Already knew that though.

So you're telling me you can "'clear' (but not 'drive') 1000 miles in a day easily" --- yet you don't think you can make a simple half-mile trail hike?


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 12, 2015)

With 2 bad knees, a bad back, and a bad hip...no, not easily, and not without risk of injury.

Have to say...I loved the 70MPH speed limits after Virginia!


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## Pogo (Mar 12, 2015)

Jarlaxle said:


> With 2 bad knees, a bad back, and a bad hip...no, not easily, and not without risk of injury.
> 
> Have to say...I loved the 70MPH speed limits after Virginia!



Speed limits north of VA are kinda primitive, but VA will give you 70.

I tell ya what, if you let me know when you're coming and I'm home at the time I'll meet you there and help you up. 

It's only 20 miles away for me, I can make that trip in....... oh..... two hours?


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## westwall (Mar 12, 2015)

Pogo said:


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Furthest in a single day is 1883.  Normal long drive distance is 800 to 1000 depending on weather and road conditions.


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## ChrisL (Mar 13, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> As I drove the thousand-plus miles from my vacation in southern Florida to home in Pennsylvania I pondered how much gooder it would be if I could only drive my car a bit faster.  I mean, think about it.  My car can easily go over 100mph; the tires can easily handle it; I am a skilled and experienced driver with a spotless driving record...why can't I drive faster?
> 
> Here is what I propose:
> 
> ...



Because every douchebag thinks they're great drivers.


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## ChrisL (Mar 13, 2015)

Pogo said:


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The Autobahn?  I've read that it is must more difficult to obtain a drivers license in Germany.  Therefore, you have fewer and better drivers on the road.  Now, here in America, we give out drivers licenses to 16 year old kids and foreigners who can't drive to save their lives!


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 13, 2015)

westwall said:


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yep, over here you can be doing 70 MPH in the left lane and some dolt could pull into the left lane ahead of you and do 40 mph and if you hit him, it's YOUR fault.

And you on the interstates and such there are signs posted slower traffic MUST keep right, but I have NEVER heard of anyone being ticketed for such.


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 13, 2015)

jarlaxle, you are full of shit. you don't make 1000 mile trips in one day on a regular basis.

When I was younger some buddies and I drove from Springfield, MO to Las Vegas in one day. That's 1400 miles. It took an entire day, as in we left at like 3 am and arrived at like 2 am the next day, we took shifts driving and averaged 80 mph with several breaks in between.

at 100 mph it would take you 10 hours to travel 1000 miles , with no stops. Virtually impossible for one person to do.


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## Pogo (Mar 13, 2015)

SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:


> jarlaxle, you are full of shit. you don't make 1000 mile trips in one day on a regular basis.
> 
> When I was younger some buddies and I drove from Springfield, MO to Las Vegas in one day. That's 1400 miles. It took an entire day, as in we left at like 3 am and arrived at like 2 am the next day, we took shifts driving and averaged 80 mph with several breaks in between.
> 
> at 100 mph it would take you 10 hours to travel 1000 miles , with no stops. Virtually impossible for one person to do.



I think we devolved into "I have a bigger dick" posts a while back.  Westwall's absurdity in post 54 for example, would have to *average *over 78mph even if one allowed all 24 hours.

I'm starting to figure out that Westwall must have a very dry sense of humor.  But it's hard to pick up on a message board.

Oh by the way just to contribute, the furthest I ever did in once day was Tierra del Fuego to Lapland.  I took the Behring Straight Bridge before they tore it down.  It was something like eleventy thousand miles.  I did it in 20 minutes, but to be fair that doesn't include time zone changes.


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## westwall (Mar 13, 2015)

Pogo said:


> SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:
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> > jarlaxle, you are full of shit. you don't make 1000 mile trips in one day on a regular basis.
> ...







I averaged 85 mph taking only time to refuel and I stopped and ate one time.  The drive was from Santa Barbara to Kansas City via 101 to I 40 to Hwy 54 in Tucumcari to I 35 in Wichita to I 70 to the Linda Hall library where I had a delivery to make.  I did it in a 1972 Plymouth Fury II.   The fact that I did it in my youth certainly helped.  The fact that you have never seemed to do anything extreme in your life just says you live life slowly and carefully.  I didn't when I was younger.  I am now starting to slow down due to age, but I still drive fast, and fly faster!


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## westwall (Mar 13, 2015)

SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:


> jarlaxle, you are full of shit. you don't make 1000 mile trips in one day on a regular basis.
> 
> When I was younger some buddies and I drove from Springfield, MO to Las Vegas in one day. That's 1400 miles. It took an entire day, as in we left at like 3 am and arrived at like 2 am the next day, we took shifts driving and averaged 80 mph with several breaks in between.
> 
> at 100 mph it would take you 10 hours to travel 1000 miles , with no stops. Virtually impossible for one person to do.






Some people do.  I used to love long drives.  Now I find them boring.  I do them when necessary,but the wife limits me to around 600 miles at a stretch when she's along.  Shit I drive 400 miles to visit my dentist!


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## ChrisL (Mar 13, 2015)

westwall said:


> SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:
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> > jarlaxle, you are full of shit. you don't make 1000 mile trips in one day on a regular basis.
> ...



Around here, such driving is pretty much impossible.  The northeast coast is way too congested and the roads are not set up for speed.  It would be extremely dangerous to drive that fast on the roadways and highways around here.  They just aren't any really long straight roads designed well for speeding.


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## Papageorgio (Mar 13, 2015)

100 mph, waste of fuel, so the government will not go for it. The odds of traffic accidents with slower vehicles will increase. 

I don't see it happening.


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## westwall (Mar 13, 2015)

ChrisL said:


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Yep.  Out here, on the other hand it is quite easy.  Highway 50 is accurately billed as the "Loneliest Road" in the USA and other than the occasional NHP to look out for you can go as fast as you are capable of.  As you can see below, lots of straight lines!


















LONELIEST ROAD US-50



LONELIEST ROAD US-50


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## ChrisL (Mar 13, 2015)

westwall said:


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And this is what driving is like here in Massachusetts.  Lol.


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## DGS49 (Mar 13, 2015)

(a) Yes I have driven on the high speed roads of Europe, mainly in Germany and Italy.  The passing protocol is, first you put on your left turn signal to indicate to the person ahead that you want to pass.  then you flash your high beams.  I never got past that because every driver in front of me moved over when prompted.  I was never delayed significantly because someone in front of me refused to clear the lane.

(2)  For most people, they crap out at 10-12 hours of driving, even with the occasional pee/gas break.  I can do 12+  but I hate it and I never do.  But everyone is different and I know people who have driven around the clock occasionally for a one-time necessity.  There is an interesting Youtube video on long-distance motorcycling and the guy has added a 5 gallon aux tank to his FJR (in addition to a main tank of 6 gallons).  That fukker is putting in some long days.

(iii) The reason why this idea will have a hard time going forward is there is NO POLITICAL UPSIDE for a politician to sponsor it.  In that respect it's like legalizing recreational marijuana.  Nobody will vote for you because of the fact that you sponsored the bill, but some people will definitely vote against you if you sponsor the bill.  That is the biggest hurdle for legalizing marijuana.

D.  One of the perverse things in life is that when you suggest doing anything differently there is a large crowd of people who will claim (and believe?) that the change will cause the end of the world.  Even if you can show them that what you are proposing goes on in other places without any problem.  High speed drivers?  They've been doing it that way with no significant problems in Europe for decades.  Yet still people will insist that, "it couldn't work here."

I live in the Peoples' Republic of Pennsylvania, where the State controls all sales of liquor and wine, and restricts sales of beer (other than in bars & restaurants) to licensed beer distributors.  When you tell people that this is fucking stupid and should change (the State should get out of the booze business), they tell you that if we do that, there will  be drunkards lying in every gutter in the state within a week.  They are unimpressed by the fact that 48 of the 50 states have liquor sold by private merchants.

Dumb fucks.


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## Pogo (Mar 13, 2015)

westwall said:


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Sure ya did.  Drove 1900 miles _averaging _85 -- to return a library book. 

Gotta admit -- no, I've never done that.  I just pay the fine.


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## Pogo (Mar 13, 2015)

DGS49 said:


> (a) Yes I have driven on the high speed roads of Europe, mainly in Germany and Italy.  The passing protocol is, first you put on your left turn signal to indicate to the person ahead that you want to pass.  then you flash your high beams.  I never got past that because every driver in front of me moved over when prompted.  I was never delayed significantly because someone in front of me refused to clear the lane.
> 
> (2)  For most people, they crap out at 10-12 hours of driving, even with the occasional pee/gas break.  I can do 12+  but I hate it and I never do.  But everyone is different and I know people who have driven around the clock occasionally for a one-time necessity.  There is an interesting Youtube video on long-distance motorcycling and the guy has added a 5 gallon aux tank to his FJR (in addition to a main tank of 6 gallons).  That fukker is putting in some long days.



My NC-to-NOLA trip usually ends up around 14 hours (I think, I don't really keep track since it's irrelevant) -- it could be well shorter if I (a) took the most direct route (but that would take me through Atlanta, and that's simply not gonna happen -- drivers there are infuckingsane), (b) drove as if I hated driving and couldn't wait to get it over with (i.e. fast, as if permanently trapped in Atlanta) and (c) didn't stop for a nice leisurely meal break along the way. And at the other end I still feel alert -- happy to have arrived but not worn out from doing it.  That's the whole point -- pushing much beyond that, and/or pushing one's speed to make as much distance as possible takes a lot more energy -- not just from the car but from the driver -- and is every bit as irresponsible as the driver who insists he should be given his keys because "I'm not too drunk to drive, really".

A co-worker tried to make it to NOLA from Delaware.  Somewhere in Alabama he fell asleep at the wheel, completely wrecked the van and permanently fucked up both himself and his wife, who will never walk normally again.  They're lucky to be alive at all.  Even luckier are the motorists who didn't happen to be driving near them when they fell asleep.

Longest trip I ever drove IRL was 3600 miles -- northern New England to SoCal by way of Ontario.  But I took six days, and every one of them brought myriad magic moments -- experiences which I actually _remember_ and can relate in detail to this day.  Because there's a lot more to the experience than minimizing numbers on a clock.


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## westwall (Mar 13, 2015)

Pogo said:


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Nope.  Not a book.  It was a geologic report for the State of Missouri.  I drove that speed because i felt like it.  I understand that high speeds frighten you.  No problem.  Don't drive that fast.  High speeds, on the other hand, I find enjoyable.  It's just a question of skill and desire.


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## Pogo (Mar 13, 2015)

westwall said:


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Uh -- no, they don't "frighten" me.  I understand your little mind may only function on that level but it's a wee bit more complex.  It's like -- drinking.

I figure I can't analyze an experience I never had so I tried it.  Just to see what it was like, what the attraction was.  I've driven waaay faster than that.  And I've tried drinking.  Note these were not at the same time 

And in both cases at the end I could only think -- that's _*it*_??  This is what some people seek on purpose?  

They left me flat.  Seeing no productive point in either one, I left 'em behind.


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 13, 2015)

Pogo said:


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you don't drive as fast as Westwall, so logically youre not as much of a man as westwall.


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## Pogo (Mar 13, 2015)

SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:


> Pogo said:
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Some of us are easily amused by the superficial.  Others seek deeper meaning.
In other words I have a bigger Peter Principle.


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## ChrisL (Mar 14, 2015)

Pogo said:


> SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:
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So then, Pogo, what does it mean when a woman speeds?


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## SmarterThanTheAverageBear (Mar 14, 2015)

ChrisL said:


> Pogo said:
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well of course it means she's compensating for not having a penis at all.


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## westwall (Mar 14, 2015)

Pogo said:


> westwall said:
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Driving fast in a straight line isn't interesting.  That I will grant you.  Driving fast on a twisting mountain road though...that's an altogether entirely different experience.


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## westwall (Mar 14, 2015)

ChrisL said:


> Pogo said:
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It means she's exciting and worth chasing!


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## Pogo (Mar 14, 2015)

ChrisL said:


> Pogo said:
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She's trying to catch me.


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## Jarlaxle (Mar 14, 2015)

SmarterThanTheAverageBear said:


> jarlaxle, you are full of shit. you don't make 1000 mile trips in one day on a regular basis.



Never said I did.  I said I could do 1000 miles in a day without a problem.  (And I can.)  Would you like a baseball bat to use on your straw man?



> When I was younger some buddies and I drove from Springfield, MO to Las Vegas in one day. That's 1400 miles. It took an entire day, as in we left at like 3 am and arrived at like 2 am the next day, we took shifts driving and averaged 80 mph with several breaks in between.
> 
> at 100 mph it would take you 10 hours to travel 1000 miles , with no stops. Virtually impossible for one person to do.



I will give you one trillion dollars if you can show where I said I limited drives to ten hours.  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand...*go to it!*


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## ChrisL (Mar 14, 2015)

westwall said:


> Pogo said:
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  I would be screaming and crying probably.  I don't like heights very much, especially in a vehicle.  That is frightening to me.  Have you ever seen this road.  It is supposedly the most dangerous road in the world.  Bet they don't have a big problem with speeding.


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