Thoreau’s essay on Civil Disobedience has prodded generations of dissidents to societal action. But how about “Civil Obedience” as a radical concept?
Nose around the ‘net and you’ll find plenty of stories of people pulled over by police for “driving too slowly” when what they were really doing was exercising their legal prerogative to save gas and lower stress by observing posted speed limits. Police quoted actually say they are “suspicious” of drivers who obey the speed laws.
So here’s an incendiary idea.
A dozen or more DTL Members gather in a major metro area at an appointed time. Each brings a car; a few double up so they can drive in carpool lanes.
En masse they enter a local freeway and spread out into a bunched convoy covering all lanes. Once in place, they slow down to the posted speed limit and stay there.
All the traffic behind them naturally slows down too; a gap opens in front of them as “normal” drivers speed away from the pack.
The large number of blockaders insures that road ragers “trapped” behind the convoy don’t take it out on any one member. The blockading convoy circles a beltway or local freeway route for as long as members are willing and available.
This is citizen enforcement of the law, and in a major metro area on a busy day could result in slowing down tens of thousands of drivers to the posted limits, resulting in savings of thousands of gallons of gas.
Ideally, local news is notified of the event and news chopper footage of the convoy gets on the evening broadcasts. Members give interviews on the event. We might also wish to seek legal advice, then notify local police or highway patrol about the blocking convoy ahead of time – daring them to cite us for obeying the law.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change the World.
Showing posts with label Gas mileage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gas mileage. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
SLOW DOWN - FIGHT TERRORISM
No one really questions the linkage between America’s addiction to oil and gas, our dependent relationship on the Saudis and OPEC, and the seething resentment directed at the United States by Islamic fundamentalists.
A cogent report on this subject can be found at: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/356986.aspx
Another one – a book review - is at: http://www.radicalislam.org/content/your-gas-money-financing-islamic-terrorism
It is amusing that the same conclusion comes from both ends of the journalistic spectrum!
In simplest terms, turning off the faucet of U.S. dollars flowing to OPEC dictatorships that sponsor terrorism would put a serious crimp in the resources of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
It is baffling that the basically conservative pro-American mindset that is most devoted to fighting terrorism and supporting our military, largely coincides with the hands-off, let-me-drive-at-any-speed-I-please mentality of the most outspoken critics of national speed limits.
Why don’t the same people who boycotted French fries see the patriotic logic of driving under existing speed limits?
Consider the irony of drivers who sport “Support Our Troops” stickers on their gas-guzzling RAM and F-150 pickups.
If pressed, many of these Americans would proudly call themselves “law and order” people. Yet they daily flout the posted speed limit – the one law that could help them fight their most hated enemies right where it counts: in the wallet.
If politically conservative Americans really understood that by driving 55, they could put a significant dent in the economies of OPEC dictatorships who sponsor terrorism – would they do it?
Or would their civil right to waste resource and ignore the law trump their hatred of Osama Bin Laden?
A cogent report on this subject can be found at: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/356986.aspx
Another one – a book review - is at: http://www.radicalislam.org/content/your-gas-money-financing-islamic-terrorism
It is amusing that the same conclusion comes from both ends of the journalistic spectrum!
In simplest terms, turning off the faucet of U.S. dollars flowing to OPEC dictatorships that sponsor terrorism would put a serious crimp in the resources of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
It is baffling that the basically conservative pro-American mindset that is most devoted to fighting terrorism and supporting our military, largely coincides with the hands-off, let-me-drive-at-any-speed-I-please mentality of the most outspoken critics of national speed limits.
Why don’t the same people who boycotted French fries see the patriotic logic of driving under existing speed limits?
Consider the irony of drivers who sport “Support Our Troops” stickers on their gas-guzzling RAM and F-150 pickups.
If pressed, many of these Americans would proudly call themselves “law and order” people. Yet they daily flout the posted speed limit – the one law that could help them fight their most hated enemies right where it counts: in the wallet.
If politically conservative Americans really understood that by driving 55, they could put a significant dent in the economies of OPEC dictatorships who sponsor terrorism – would they do it?
Or would their civil right to waste resource and ignore the law trump their hatred of Osama Bin Laden?
Monday, February 1, 2010
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT? SOME SAMPLE MATH.
DOES DRIVING THE LIMITS REALLY SAVE DOLLARS, NOT JUST PENNIES?
Let’s suppose you live in California and drive a 25 mile roundtrip to/from work each day. 50 weeks a year, five days a week. That’s 6250 miles a year, just commuting.
Let’s guess you drive 20 of those miles on the freeway – that’s 5000 freeway miles. The posted speed limit is 55 in some spots, 65 in others, but like everyone else you routinely drive 70.
The average car/truck on the American road gets 17 MPG. That means your freeway driving uses 294 gallons of gas annually. At $3/gallon (sometimes more, sometimes less), that’s $882.
What happens if you set your cruise control at 60 mph?
If you study the links below, you’ll learn that a 10 mph drop in your average speed will result in a 4 MPG savings. That’s almost 25%! You’ll save about 73 gallons, or $220 per year just on your commuting. Since the average driver puts 12,000 miles per year on his/her car, we can double that number to 150 gallons/year or nearly $500/year in savings. Per driver/car. If you’re a two-car family, you’re now saving 300 gallons/$1000 every year.
That’s two or three car payments – or more. Or a flatscreen TV. Or a vacation at the beach!
By the way, this formula applies even if you drive a hybrid or high-mileage compact. If you are a hard-core speeder, you’ll save more – MUCH more. If you drive a pickup or SUV, you’ll be the biggest winner, percentage wise.
Forget a National Speed Limit. Keep your SUV! Just slow down.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change the World.
Let’s suppose you live in California and drive a 25 mile roundtrip to/from work each day. 50 weeks a year, five days a week. That’s 6250 miles a year, just commuting.
Let’s guess you drive 20 of those miles on the freeway – that’s 5000 freeway miles. The posted speed limit is 55 in some spots, 65 in others, but like everyone else you routinely drive 70.
The average car/truck on the American road gets 17 MPG. That means your freeway driving uses 294 gallons of gas annually. At $3/gallon (sometimes more, sometimes less), that’s $882.
What happens if you set your cruise control at 60 mph?
If you study the links below, you’ll learn that a 10 mph drop in your average speed will result in a 4 MPG savings. That’s almost 25%! You’ll save about 73 gallons, or $220 per year just on your commuting. Since the average driver puts 12,000 miles per year on his/her car, we can double that number to 150 gallons/year or nearly $500/year in savings. Per driver/car. If you’re a two-car family, you’re now saving 300 gallons/$1000 every year.
That’s two or three car payments – or more. Or a flatscreen TV. Or a vacation at the beach!
By the way, this formula applies even if you drive a hybrid or high-mileage compact. If you are a hard-core speeder, you’ll save more – MUCH more. If you drive a pickup or SUV, you’ll be the biggest winner, percentage wise.
Forget a National Speed Limit. Keep your SUV! Just slow down.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change the World.
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