My complaint about the GPS had to do with that ancient bugaboo, formerly prohibited to traffic cops: the time + distance measurement (I know I know - WTF IS 'speed' but the scalar quantity of ds/dt - still, the speedometer is a 'ratemeter' and that seems to be the idea: cop had to pace you; not time you over a road with one entrance + one exit).

Using the GPS for this purpose is the camel's nose.. not, using it to locate a missing car. No objections to that - it's obviously a sane action. The court appears not to have cared about the "time/distance" calculation but - about the kangaroo-court, "punishing speeders" when you aren't in that business.

I'm not sure that "taking proper care of a rental car" implies any authority to limit its speed except in the case (and after the fact) of an issued citation - and even there, the court seems to be saying it is the Only agency to punish. Gets stickier if an accident and you're partly culpable - then it's lawyer territory before it's rental agency territory IMincompetentO.

In any event - I'll bet you that, if some rental co. begins putting speed clauses in contracts (and enforcing) .. their competition will reap a windfall of new business.

Speeding in town is reckless driving - so the guy going fast enough to upend his (low CG too) 'sports' car was guilty of that before he expired. Wonder what his hurry was? terminal impatience over a (brief) lifetime?

Glad you found it comfortable to go with the flow in CA. I tend to think that that 'flow' is in fact - what one best goes with. Dunno how it is to drive in your bailiwick; last time I skirted NY was on I-95 enroute from Boston to Miami. Didn't run into many yahoos then.

What I notice locally that's disturbing, is the increasing number of tailgaters: dumbth. Another sign that HS physics isn't taught or the students are unteachable. Here in wine country, as the City folk head north for kultur - people are often going 55-60 facing each other on a 2-lane. For similar weight cars, a collision is ~~ same as running into a wall at same speed. My imagination is good enough to multiply in my head the carnage if.. such a head-on is accompanied by a tailgater too.

So I leave space, and sometimes gently educate the driver behind.. to do similarly. (It even works about half the time. ;-)

As to motorcyles, and today - I wouldn't Think of commuting on one, despite my lengthy experience and decent reflexes.. Too many people taking out (what I imagine to be) 'cubicle resentment - revenge' and too many &^$&# unstable UAVS. I hear the radio reports.. motorcycle down at __. Maybe the poor bastard had no choice, for $ reasons.

Be very pleased not to need to drive every day, maybe even a little smug is OK :-)


Ashton

PS If ya rent my new wheels, feel free to drive it at any speed of which you are capable (it is capable of more) - long as yer insurable (and insured) :-\ufffd

(I read that the governor cuts off fuel at 134 mph or 7100 rpm; haven't verified this yet)