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Get the seed cap or grey wig, lead foot’s slowing down |
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 Slow
drivers used to drive me nuts. I’ve never been a really lead foot. In
fact, I’ve only received three speeding tickets in the nearly 40 years
I’ve had my driver’s license. And the last time I got “pinched” was
nearly 20 years ago…knock on wood.
Like most folks, the older I get, the less desire I have to drive fast.
For the past 10 years I always owned vehicles with cruise control and
I’ve been setting the cruise just a few miles over the posted speed
limits on the highways. On the two-lane roads, it was 58 mph. On the
four-lane freeways, it was 68 mph, and on the interstates, 73 mph. At
those speeds about a third of the cars passed me, I’d pass about
a third of the cars on the road, and the other third moved along at
about the same speeds as I did.
My commute from Canton to Caledonia and back each day is 50 miles…give
or take a mile or two. With my SUV, that meant a little less than three
gallons of gas per day. With the driving required to cover stories,
running to Eitzen, Brownsville, Hokah, or Spring Grove, I used about 20
gallons a week. When the price of gas was $2.50 per gallon, that was
tolerable. But now with gas eclipsing the $3.50 mark, and some analysts
predicting $4 per gallon before the Fourh of July, I’ve made some
adjustments in my driving habits.
Instead of setting the cruise at 58 mph between “Boomer” and Caledonia,
I’ve been setting it at 52 mph. As I stated earlier, slow drivers used
to drive me nuts. If I’d get behind anyone motoring along at less than
55 mph, my blood pressure would rise, I’d tailgate the vehicle and pass
at the first chance. And as I passed the slow moving vehicle impeding
my progress, I’d usually take a look at who was behind the wheel.
Usually it was a little gray-haired lady, or an old duffer sporting a
seed cap. I’d swear under my breath, reset the cruise at just under 60
mph, and continue on.
I don’t consider myself an “old duffer,” and I usually don’t wear a
seed cap, but in an effort to save a few bucks, I’ve adopted their
driving habits. And you know something…I’ve noticed an increase in my
mpg.
My 2000 Jimmy gets 20 to 22 mpg if I keep it under 60 mph, and don’t
have to kick it down too may times to pass the slower moving vehicles.
But now, cutting my speed by seven to eight mph, I’ve increased my
mileage by at least three mpg, which at $3.59 per gallon, is saving me
about $7 per week, which translates out to over $350 per year.
So even though I’m spending over 60 cents per gallon more for a gallon
of gas now than I did this past winter, it’s only costing my about $2
more per week. I does take me about five more minutes to drive to and
from work each day, but a $7 per week savings seems like a workable
compromise to me.
So when gas gets up to $4 per gallon this summer, as some of the
experts predict (boy I sure hope they’re wrong!!!) will I drop my
commuting speed down to 45 mpg???? I don’t know about that. I’ve
noticed quite a few looks of exasperation from motorists as they’ve
been passing me now. If I dropped down to 45 mph, I’d either have to
don a pair of old big over-alls and a seed cap, or a shawl and a grey
wig!!!
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