Alright, who's fucking bright idea was it to raise Maine's highway speed limit to 70mph? Probably some genius(s) working at DOT or more likely State Reps looking to make a name for themselves. Why wasn't 65mph fast enough along the vast majority of Maine's highways?
I drove home tonight along I-95 between Augusta and Pittsfield northbound and it felt like there were twice as many cars on the rode as usual. Why? Because all of the fraidy-cats who used to drive a little over 65 are now driving a little over 70, just like the more aggressive of us. So now we're all driving the same speed...no separation. Plus, those same newly-speedy folks are the same ones who never had any speed control in the first place. They never bothered me much because I was going at least 5mph faster than them and would get away from them. Not anymore. I could drive nearly anywhere in Maine on the highway with my cruise set to 72 and never have to touch the brakes, going faster than 3/4 of the cars on the road and the other 1/4 going around my speed or faster.
Add on top of this that the aforementioned geniuses decided that 70mph is a whole, whopping 5mph too fast for the megacities that are Augusta and Waterville. So all these speed demons who passed me while I was going 72 I passed again, still going 72, going through Waterville because they slowed down to 65. It was a big accordion out there today.
To make matters worse, the State Troopers were out. So now we're all wondering if the mystical safe zone of 5-7mph over the speed limit still holds true now that the speed is posted at 70. There was one Trooper in the cut-out where you often see them near Sidney and the new-speedies slowed down to 65 (THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT IS 70, YOU IDIOTS!) but then when they saw another just a half mile up the road having pulled over someone, down to 60mph they went! Good grief, I almost came undone.
As I said, I've always managed to be left alone going 72 anywhere in Maine that was posted 65 and very rarely saw anyone else get pulled over unless they were approaching 80 or faster. So what was wrong with that? Why can't you leave well enough alone? The same people who could fuck up the proverbial wet dream.
