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A Meditation on the Speed Limit
Status: Civil Disobedience Prank
In order to demonstrate the stupidity of the 55 mph speed limit, four Atlanta students pulled a dangerous stunt: they all drove exactly 55 mph on the highway, in a line, thereby blocking the flow of traffic and creating an enormous traffic jam. Check out the video of it. I realize the students thought they were doing something clever, but as I watched the video I found myself getting more and more angry at them. It was like experiencing road rage while sitting behind a computer. I kept imagining the people in the blocked traffic who probably had to get to work, or wanted to get home, and who were instead being held up by these idiots and their road block.Anyway, their argument — that their experiment proves the absurdity of the 55 mph law — is flawed. It didn't prove that at all. All it proved is that if you form a rolling blockade, it's going to create a traffic jam. It would have had the same effect at 65 mph. Plus, it's definitely against the law to form a blockade like they did. Only the police are allowed to do that. So they weren't actually obeying the law.
I realize that pranks are supposed to be obnoxious and annoy some people. But delaying innocent commuters, and creating a situation in which people could easily have gotten hurt as anger escalated, just doesn't seem quite right to me. Though this is probably the angry driver inside of me feeling that way. (One more thing: at the beginning of the video they misspell the word obedience.)
Update: Some quick googling, and I found the section of Georgia law (code 40-6-40, section D) that applies to what they did:
No two vehicles shall impede the normal flow of traffic by traveling side by side at the same time while in adjacent lanes, provided that this Code section shall not be construed to prevent vehicles traveling side by side in adjacent lanes because of congested traffic conditions.
So it was illegal, and they made a video of themselves doing it. Not too smart.
Update 2: David Spear, a spokesman for the Atlanta Police Department, has been quoted as saying that what the students did was legal:
David Spear, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said if the students weren't blocking emergency vehicles and were going the speed limit, "they didn't do a thing wrong." Spear added that the speed limit was lowered to 55 because it saves lives. "In Atlanta, the actual effect of it is we expect the people going 75 to move over so the people going 95 can have the right of way," he said.
So I guess I was wrong. Though I'm still having a hard time understanding how it can be legal, when the code referenced above seems to state that it's not legal.
Posted By: Alex | Date: Wed Mar 01, 2006 | Permalink |
Total Comments: 139
Category: Law/Police/Crime
Category: Law/Police/Crime
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 3 of 7 pages < 1 2 3 4 5 > Last »
Simple logic dictates that this bunch of jack-asses also had to break the law to set this blockade up in the first place. There is no way anybody is going to convince me that these dick wads didn't speed to set this thing up, as at some point the three vehicles not in the slow lane had to travel faster to pass for the set up. In other words, the guy in the far left lane was speeding the fastest.
Throw the book at these idiots...
Posted by Christopher in Joplin, Missouri in Joplin, Mo on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 04:28 AM
Throw the book at these idiots...
Thank God I don't live in America, that's all I can say.
Has anyone considered what would have happened if this thing wasn't planned and four cars just happened to all be travelling at the speed limit in four lanes? Would you say they were breaking the law? They weren't deliberately setting out to impede traffic, but it may have happened.
And I think it's quiet ridiculous that you people think 55 miles an hour to be slow. Thats almost 90kms an hour. 75 miles an hour is 120 kms an hour. In most states in Australia, 110km/hour is the maximum speed allowed on any road, even when crossing the Nullabor and that's a bloody long way.
I think you people need to just slow down a bit and enjoy life before it slips away from you.
Posted by Nettie in Perth, Western Australia on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 06:36 AM
Has anyone considered what would have happened if this thing wasn't planned and four cars just happened to all be travelling at the speed limit in four lanes? Would you say they were breaking the law? They weren't deliberately setting out to impede traffic, but it may have happened.
And I think it's quiet ridiculous that you people think 55 miles an hour to be slow. Thats almost 90kms an hour. 75 miles an hour is 120 kms an hour. In most states in Australia, 110km/hour is the maximum speed allowed on any road, even when crossing the Nullabor and that's a bloody long way.
I think you people need to just slow down a bit and enjoy life before it slips away from you.
I'll just sit back and now and wait for the comments telling the Aussie hick to keep her nose out of it 
Posted by Nettie in Perth, Western Australia on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 06:45 AM
Well said Nettie, well, I kinda wish you did live in the states but thats not relevant
In my opinion, public roadways are not the place for any sort of demonstration. If one of the people who had gotten fristrated and passed on the shoulder had suddenly encountered a broken down vehicle or worse yet, a person walking down the shoulder this incident would have turned into a tragedy rather than the ridiculous and moronic "demonstration" it was.
Posted by Chuck in Rhode Island on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 06:48 AM
In my opinion, public roadways are not the place for any sort of demonstration. If one of the people who had gotten fristrated and passed on the shoulder had suddenly encountered a broken down vehicle or worse yet, a person walking down the shoulder this incident would have turned into a tragedy rather than the ridiculous and moronic "demonstration" it was.
The true crimes are the abhorrent production values of that video, and the obnoxious, self-absorbed sense of importance.
Posted by mark on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 06:56 AM
I wish I believed that all you guys getting het up about the potential slowing of emergency vehicles were really angered by that... my gut feeling though is that it's more what Alex has the decency to admit when he says "this is probably the angry driver inside of me feeling that way."
I f***ing hate the way that drivers - unlike people in almost any other context - seem to believe they have a god-given right to break the law.
Posted by outeast on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:20 AM
I f***ing hate the way that drivers - unlike people in almost any other context - seem to believe they have a god-given right to break the law.
Even if they were following the letter of the law (which they probably weren't), these four kids still went out and intentionally disrupted traffic and inconvenienced many people, and it would have taken very little to have turned the whole stunt into a tragedy. There are other, better ways that they could have made their point.
Posted by Accipiter in the Northern Hemisphere, unless They have lied. on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:28 AM
The thing that most of you seem to be ignoring is that they caused a traffic jam. Regardless of speed limit, they initiated a prank that impeded the normal flow of traffic as per the law.
Besides, I don't think they ended up proving anything other than their own stupidity.
Posted by AqueousBoy on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:28 AM
Besides, I don't think they ended up proving anything other than their own stupidity.
I'd also like to add that the video sucked as an example of filmmaking.
Posted by AqueousBoy on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:31 AM
That Aussie hick needs to get a life!! hehe, someone had to say it. 
Posted by Jack Assorta on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:37 AM
Be smart people -- this law, at it's core, is designed to prevent people from causing a jam by impeding the normal flow of traffic. The normal flow of traffic allows people to exceed the speed limit, legal or not. This law has be violated in spirit and in a premeditated fashion.
Obviously, you can find a wording error in any law. Let's say locale has a 'no weapons' rule, worded in a traditional fashion. You have a 6" lead pipe in your pocket. You are not breaking the law. However, when you close your fist around it and attack someone, you're employing it is a weapon, and you are breaking that law. By using the speed limit to intentionally create a blockade, you violate the clear purpose of the law. They may not be smart enough to recognize it, but that's no excuse.
No judge in his right mind would side with these students if this was in court -- it would create the opportunity for hundreds of people to do the same thing, create dangerous situations, and do it with impunity. Remember, the letter of the law isn't their whole life -- they are political animals too.
Technically right, morally right, irrelevant. The system would punish them if the opportunity presented itself and YOU ALL KNOW WHY, so quit arguing semantics.
-T
Posted by The smart one on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:37 AM
Obviously, you can find a wording error in any law. Let's say locale has a 'no weapons' rule, worded in a traditional fashion. You have a 6" lead pipe in your pocket. You are not breaking the law. However, when you close your fist around it and attack someone, you're employing it is a weapon, and you are breaking that law. By using the speed limit to intentionally create a blockade, you violate the clear purpose of the law. They may not be smart enough to recognize it, but that's no excuse.
No judge in his right mind would side with these students if this was in court -- it would create the opportunity for hundreds of people to do the same thing, create dangerous situations, and do it with impunity. Remember, the letter of the law isn't their whole life -- they are political animals too.
Technically right, morally right, irrelevant. The system would punish them if the opportunity presented itself and YOU ALL KNOW WHY, so quit arguing semantics.
-T
I think that you have helped them demonstrate the absurdity of the current laws, Alex. Your legal cite shows that it is illegal to not break the law. And that is absurd.
Posted by Terry Austin in Surf City USA on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 08:16 AM
This seems very like what happens when a single police cruiser drives along in normal traffic. Suddenly everyone is a model citizen and has no reason to speed around the cop.
Posted by buba on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 08:20 AM
This is not civil disobedience. If they broke the law, they did it unintentionally. THerefore it was simply a pointed prank. Calling this CD really brings down actual CD.
Posted by T. Cri, on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 01:56 PM
SO what do they want? Drive 100 mphs or more? Then let them go drive for NASCAR see how damn good they are. Fast driving=accidents. No ifs, ands or buts.
Posted by Darren on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 02:16 PM
This has been done before. I remember 10 or 15 years ago a group of MPH activists pulled the same stunt in Michigan along I-696 or I-96. But, I can't find any references to back this up.
Posted by WeirdKid in MonkeyWorld #33 on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 09:39 PM
So driving 55mph is illegal now? I'm with the students here, but then again I live in Los Angeles so going 55mph would be a godsend. How can you be blocking traffic if no one can legally travel faster than you? The "side-by-side" is just a technicality saying you have to allow other people to violate the law and as such the students would be guilty.
I think the Georgia laws shows the hypocracy in the 55mph laws, viz. it was a law implemented by the FEDERAL government. Wait, the Feds can't make a law like that can they? True, but they promised to withhold Federal Highway Trust funds from states that did not implement a 55mph limit. Georgia is in the position a lot of states are - they need to have a 55mph limit law on the books but they'd prefer not to. Note the use of "normal flow of traffic" and "normal speed of traffic"
Posted by Saint Cad on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 11:44 PM
I think the Georgia laws shows the hypocracy in the 55mph laws, viz. it was a law implemented by the FEDERAL government. Wait, the Feds can't make a law like that can they? True, but they promised to withhold Federal Highway Trust funds from states that did not implement a 55mph limit. Georgia is in the position a lot of states are - they need to have a 55mph limit law on the books but they'd prefer not to. Note the use of "normal flow of traffic" and "normal speed of traffic"
A few years ago I did the math -- it's not rational to speed (as a private person) unless you're going long distances, because it doesn't gain you anything.
If you're on a highway which is 55 mph, yet you travel it at 65 mph, you'll get to your destination around 10 minutes sooner, If You Travel For An Hour. If you're on a trip of 4 or more hours, the time adds up to a noticeable amount.
If your time on the highway at 65 is only 10 minutes, you'll get to your destination perhaps a minute earlier, but with a lot more stress and chance of accident as you dodge around other cars.
It's stupid to speed on local trips.
Posted by cvirtue on Fri Mar 03, 2006 at 01:29 AM
If you're on a highway which is 55 mph, yet you travel it at 65 mph, you'll get to your destination around 10 minutes sooner, If You Travel For An Hour. If you're on a trip of 4 or more hours, the time adds up to a noticeable amount.
If your time on the highway at 65 is only 10 minutes, you'll get to your destination perhaps a minute earlier, but with a lot more stress and chance of accident as you dodge around other cars.
It's stupid to speed on local trips.
"How can you be blocking traffic if no one can legally travel faster than you? The "side-by-side" is just a technicality saying you have to allow other people to violate the law and as such the students would be guilty."
Sorry, but this is textbook BS. I may have missed it if anyone mentioned it before, but no one had to violate the law to pass them. No one could legally travel faster than them, but one or more of them could certainly travel slower. They were in violation of side-by-side, as all one of them had to do was slow to 53mph. Of course, with the situataion they created, it'd be a bull rush to get through that lane. Anyone remember a Who concert in 1981?
Posted by Mickyfinn on Fri Mar 03, 2006 at 06:27 AM
Sorry, but this is textbook BS. I may have missed it if anyone mentioned it before, but no one had to violate the law to pass them. No one could legally travel faster than them, but one or more of them could certainly travel slower. They were in violation of side-by-side, as all one of them had to do was slow to 53mph. Of course, with the situataion they created, it'd be a bull rush to get through that lane. Anyone remember a Who concert in 1981?
Apparently, the Georgia Department of Transportation does not think the kids did anything wrong. David Spear, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said if the students weren't blocking emergency vehicles and were going the speed limit, "they didn't do a thing wrong."
Here's a link to the story:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/stories/0303metfilm.html
Posted by Jimmy in Atlanta on Fri Mar 03, 2006 at 06:59 AM
Here's a link to the story:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/stories/0303metfilm.html
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