I’ve been a crazy commuter my whole life.

When I was a tyke, I spent some 75 minutes a day on a bus to get to or from school.  (The school district bused us to a central location, where we all changed buses to reach our final destination.)

I traveled to and from college, as well.  (OK. I was young and going to a commuter school was a smart idea.)

By the time I went to grad school, I drove between New York and Cambridge (MA) a few times a week. (I worked in New York and my grad school was in the Boston area.)  During that time,  I developed an antipathy for Buick drivers.

You see, these folks typically stalked the left lane (of a two lane highway), meandering about – almost at the speed limit.  That made passing folks problematic.  But, Connecticut had no desire to enforce the minimum speed law.  (Now, if you exceeded the speed limit- they’d be on you like white on rice.   Yes, that’s a New York expression- and it is NOT racist.  Look it up!)

About a decade later, I was commuting from Charlottesville (VA) to Long Beach (CA).  And, until I had the opportunity to upgrade the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, that meant I drove to either Dulles or National Airports to catch my flights.    Thankfully, the times I traveled meant I was the only one on the road (with the exception of the occasional State Trooper), so the drive wasn’t problematic.

I was also active in Brock Yates’ (he of Cannonball Run fame, among other speed contests) Coalition to Repeal 55.  Because the 55 mph limit was really imposed by President Tricky Dick (aka Richard Nixon) so that the Cadillac owners of America could keep on trucking, while those of us who bought thrifty vehicles were penalized with lower limits to save the fuel that behemoths burned with impunity.And, y’all know I am a devoted Phanatic.  Which means I make the trip to and from Philly often (at least 20 times a season).   It’s why I stopped waiting for the Commonwealth of Virginia to join EZ-Pass and acquired one from Maryland back in the very early 1990s.  So, I wouldn’t be stuck in traffic trying to pay the plethora of tolls along the route.

But, even so, as one travels in either direction to Philly, there’s  a jerk in the left lane, deliberately holding back traffic.  (I never did understand this ‘good-old-boy’ mentality.)  And, despite doing so right in front of a State Trooper, nothing happens.

Now, I admit that I have a tendency (now, there’s an understatement) to press my pedal to the floor.  (OK.  I did learn how to race cars, and was pretty good at it.) So, I enjoy traveling at speed.  But, still- I travel in the right hand lane most of the time- except to pass (or for those few places some dingbat bureaucrat has imposed a left-hand lane exit!

Which brings up a great new fact about the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Sometime in the past month or so, the authorities have finally decided that these left lane jerks need to be tamed.  After all, it’s the law.

So, now, if you are one of those slow-pokes holding back hordes of traffic, you’ve been warned. You are committing a moving offense and can be awarded points- and  a $ 100 fine.

This is going to be one fast step towards progress. ☺

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