In Texas, we have 35mph in residential areas, 20mph when the kids are going to/coming out of school. 45 or 55 mph in divided highways around residential areas, 65 on state highways and 70mph on interstates (IH-35 and the like).

Don't for forget - Click it or ticket.

The Germans are the ones who came up with the idea of using a helicopter for medevac from highway accidents. With the number of highspeed crashes that happen on the autobahn, they needed it.

Many of the original American medevac choppers (including the first US one at Shocktrauma in MD were Messerschmitts, which have a jet-assist.

I think it was the mushrooms.:D

And here I thought I was the only one who had that idea! Although I was thinking more for speed-trap detection...

Heck, I'm ready for complete auto-control of some kind. I hate driving... it's wasted time as far as I'm concerned that could be better spent reading or sleeping.

I find driving to be highly enjoyable under the right circumstances... driving my Camaro SS up a windy canyon on a warm summer night with the T-Tops off and a little Dean Martin in the CD player... good stuff. Especially with some good company and conversation under the stars.

I actually love driving, sometimes I do it just for the sake of doing it. But that would not be my only oddity. I think I have one other. Oddity, I mean.

Search and destroy.:eek:

I would love an efficient, highspeed rail right down the Mississippi. Mpls to Chicago, St Louis, swing through TX to New Orleans. I would buy a frequent bar car pass.

That was my previous rant/idea on my site. See www link below.
Basically it was the idea that the airlines could purchase and run bullet/HST commuter trains. They look like wingless airliners already.

Unless Southwest is running them, I don't think I'd trust the airlines running trains.

I'm hoping that having the 'wingless plane' on a track going one way would be easy enough for them to grasp, but hey, I've been wrong before.

Can you say HEAD ON.:rolleyes:

Rail is a fairly effective way to transport goods and people between major cities in this exceptionally large country, however, rail don't make no money. Amtrak only exists because of government subsidies. They've been running at a loss from the day they started, which, IIRC, resulted from the bankruptcy of Penn Central.

I'm with you Pastrami; I love driving. Especially if I'm by myself and don't have to worry about whether anyone else likes whatever music I'm listening too or whether it's too hot or cold or windy. Just me and the road with the windows down, the sunroof open, and the music up.

OK, maybe my dog can come too.

As opposed to the airlines and the auto industry! :cool:

Don't get me wrong, Amtrak needs to clean up its act and get rid of some useless routes. But let's not pretend that competing modes of transportation are self-sufficient. The ultimate government subsidy to the auto industry and everybody who owns a car is all the taxpayer money that's used for road construction and maintenance.

Here's an example of what's wrong with Amtrak. Let's say I want to visit the in-laws in Chicago. Philadelphia to Chicago roundtrip is $210 for Amtrak, $230 to fly. But that plane trip takes about 2 1/4 hours, while the Amtrak ride will take 18 1/2 hours to get there! "But Steve," you say, "that's not fair. You can go hop on the train tomorrow and pay $210. That air fare is a 21-day advance purchase." OK, fine, if I leave for Chicago tomorrow and return Monday, the same dates I picked for my train trip, I can do it for $506. That's more competitive in Amtrak's favor, but I suspect the majority of the people who are in a position where they absolutely have to buy a ticket now to leave tomorrow will choose to spend more money rather than deal with a 37-hour round trip.