Covid highway

[01xj]

Has the highway around you turned into a fucking race track? I was coming home today through Hartford. Went through the city at normal traffic speed and then hit 91 North still within city limits. I'm doing 80 and moving into the middle lane as needed but still passing people. 80 is usually my go to speed. I'm usually passing most people but clicking cruise off sheds some speed quickly enough that I don't look like an asshole or stand out. I have no idea if that's true but its what goes through my head and I've been just fine doing that so far.

I moved right today to let some cars through in the left lane. Fuckin people are cruising over 90mph. I don't mean dumbass kids in modified cars racing their hoopties. I mean like suburban real estate agents and regular every day people are just absolutely hauling ass out there. I got passed by a line of cars probably 10-15 in length all doing well over 90, just all cruising in the left lane. No one real tailgating or pushing to pass, just cars with some distance between them all flying. I guess there's really no point to this at all. I just thought it was kinda crazy. Made me look like an altar boy and people usually tell me I have a heavy foot.

[MattR302]

A wise man once said: everyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and everyone driving faster than you is a maniac.

[01xj]

A wise man once said: everyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and everyone driving faster than you is a maniac.

That's the American way.

I'm not pointing fingers or anything because I'm not entirely guilt free. It's just crazy how little traffic there is at certain times and man are people taking advantage of it.

[nhbubba]

A year ago at this time I had a 90 mi/day habit, mostly interslab including NH 101, I-95 and I-495.
Now I haven't set wheel on a divided highway since summer. EzPass must think I died or something.

I've heard stories about the new rules of the road. But have no experience.

75 used to be my target, where I locked the cruise in. I'd beat that to hustle past a crowd. But it was where I wanted to be.
Cannot imagine holding 90 all day. That just seems fast.

[Gixxer]

A year ago at this time I had a 90 mi/day habit, mostly interslab including NH 101, I-95 and I-495.
Now I haven't set wheel on a divided highway since summer. EzPass must think I died or something.

I've heard stories about the new rules of the road. But have no experience.

75 used to be my target, where I locked the cruise in. I'd beat that to hustle past a crowd. But it was where I wanted to be.
Cannot imagine holding 90 all day. That just seems fast.

After years and years on 93 going north from Boston to NH, 95 is an amazing breath of fresh air. Doing 80 in the second lane being passed by staties in the left lane. And that’s pre-covid.

But then I found an awesome way home, Byfield? Maybe exit 55ish?

Weaving through backroads, at one point down a dirt road through a marsh, to plaistow NH.

[csmutty]

A year ago at this time I had a 90 mi/day habit, mostly interslab including NH 101, I-95 and I-495.
Now I haven't set wheel on a divided highway since summer. EzPass must think I died or something.

I've heard stories about the new rules of the road. But have no experience.

75 used to be my target, where I locked the cruise in. I'd beat that to hustle past a crowd. But it was where I wanted to be.
Cannot imagine holding 90 all day. That just seems fast.

I am not an avid highway traveler but have been to NH and back a few times lately. 80 is all I want to do in the Fiesta without feeling bad for the poor 1.6L.

[JettaJayGLS]

Having driven across the country twice. I've found that 80 is the "right" speed limit for me. That is the point at which I'm happy to just sit there. In the van, I usually set cruise at 75, and sometimes didn't bump up to 80 even when the speed limit increased. The 70 MPH speed limit north of Concord is pretty reasonable too, I feel okay setting cruise at 79 and feel I won't get pulled over or can talk myself out of it.

Having also driven on the Autobahn, I feel in my prime at 100-110 when everyone else is doing it (or at least expecting it). Any faster than that and I tense up.

[gixxer72]

Speeds have crept up here too. 65 in 45’s everywhere. The I10 is a free-for-all. 80 heading into Phoenix is all I want (drivers here are awful) but people are routinely going much faster. Heading west to LA the sky is the limit.

Someone got busted for 156 just east of the city last week. Ouch.

[obsolete]

After years and years on 93 going north from Boston to NH, 95 is an amazing breath of fresh air. Doing 80 in the second lane being passed by staties in the left lane. And that’s pre-covid.

But then I found an awesome way home, Byfield? Maybe exit 55ish?

Weaving through backroads, at one point down a dirt road through a marsh, to plaistow NH.

Great area for back roads. I cycle a lot in the area and used to motorbike them a bit as well. Just remember if you're in that area (Merrimac, West Newbury, Groveland, Boxford, Byfield, Georgetown etc.) and not in Haverhill the cops have little to nothing to do.

[01xj]

Speeds have crept up here too. 65 in 45’s everywhere. The I10 is a free-for-all. 80 heading into Phoenix is all I want (drivers here are awful) but people are routinely going much faster. Heading west to LA the sky is the limit.

Someone got busted for 156 just east of the city last week. Ouch.

There's a 20 minute video on youtube where the guy who set the cannonball run record this year describes how they did it. He says they averaged 125 for most states.

[MattR302]

I was just thinking the other day... remember ~10 months ago when the whole pandemic started, the whole discussion on all motorcycle online forums/groups was whether it was the morally right idea to ride your motorcycle: “If you crash, you’re taking emergency workers away from Covid patients.” That attitude didn’t even last until summer, when motorcycles started selling like hotcakes.

Even after the guys broke the cannonball run record last year, one of the previous record holders were quoted saying, “that’s not a good idea, what if they crashed into a truck transporting ventilators and people die”... as if that’s worse than the possibility of crashing into a bus full of schoolchildren.

I haven’t really been driving too much, but I’ve heard from a bunch of people that they have experienced the same craziness on the roads.

[e30addict]

My experience is that having multiple lanes of traffic moving between 80-90 is commonplace at times now. Cruising at 80 in the middle lane of 93S before 6am between NH and Boston will get you passed on both sides frequently.

95N after the 128 split to the NH border in the afternoon it's common to see multiple cars cruising at 90 and still having outliers pass them.

95 after the 128 split heading towards Providence has cruising speeds were 80+ is the norm as well.

More concerning to me is the uptick in the number of unbelievably brain dead drivers out there who think it's ok to just stop in the middle of the road etc...