Speed Demon

This afternoon, Craig and I caravanned down to Lebanon where we met Darrin and Jennifer Simpson, the CES couple in Indianapolis. Craig has sold his old CES car to someone, and Simpsons were helping us get it to its new owner.

Traffic was very heavy on I-65 and soon Craig was pretty far ahead of me. Due to all the trucks, I lost sight of him, but I wasn't worried. I knew where we were going so if we got separated, I would still be okay.

After a while, I pulled out into the passing lane, joining a long line of cars and trucks going around an equally long line of slower cars and trucks. I was going with the flow, which was not much faster than the speed limit. (I am very careful to obey the speed limit due to a promise I made to the Lord in 1978 when we lived in Michigan and hit a raccoon. While I may accelerate to pass, I just as quickly go back to the speed limit.)

The line of vehicles I was passing seemed unending but finally I glimpsed Craig's car ahead as he pulled into the slower lane, having completed passing that long line himself.

I glanced down at my speedometer to check my speed and gasped out loud.

(Care to guess just how fast I was going before I write it?)

To my horror, I was going to fastest I'd ever driven in my life (note, not the fastest I've ever gone, just the fastest I've ever driven.)

I was tootling along at EIGHTY EIGHT miles an hour.

Needless to say I slowed down even though I was in the passing lane. And I pulled into the slow lane as soon as I'd gotten around that last car.

I felt a bit shaky as I resumed my normal cruising speed of seventy.

What surprises me is that, despite my speed, other cars were going much faster or keeping pace in the line. And since I was sandwiched into the passing lane, I'd not checked my speed. I truly had not thought I was going much faster than the posted speed limit of seventy.

(Note to self: not only watch your speed, but talking on the phone while driving in heavy traffic is not a good idea!)