Another question on Speeding and Sin

[KingAlfred]

If recklessness is a sin, then I definitely consider speeding to be sinful. It’s dangerous, unjustifiably consumptive of our ‘liquid gold’ (gasoline, of course), and therefore disrespectful toward human life. Speeding where I live is a chronic problem. I’ve lived all over the world, and find myself utterly disgusted with the speeding in this south Texas city. If you’re not stomping on the gas-peddle down here, you’re ‘holding up traffic’, even if you’re only driving to your mailbox down the street.

 

[Caesar517]

If recklessness is a sin, then I definitely consider speeding to be sinful.

Only if speeding is reckless. I don’t think all speeding is reckless.

It’s dangerous, unjustifiably consumptive of our ‘liquid gold’ (gasoline, of course), and therefore disrespectful toward human life.

It is “unjustifiably consumptive” to use extra gasoline? If I use gasoline to start a bonfire behind my house, it that “unjustifiably consumptive”? As long as it’s mine, I think I an justify using it as I wish.

Using gasoline isn’t disrespectful toward human life; driving recklessly is disrespectful toward human life. Your sentence suggests that both contribute to it.

I think we desperately need to raise highway speed limits by at least 10 MPH.

 

[whatevergirl]

If recklessness is a sin, then I definitely consider speeding to be sinful. It’s dangerous, unjustifiably consumptive of our ‘liquid gold’ (gasoline, of course), and therefore disrespectful toward human life. Speeding where I live is a chronic problem. I’ve lived all over the world, and find myself utterly disgusted with the speeding in this south Texas city. If you’re not stomping on the gas-peddle down here, you’re ‘holding up traffic’, even if you’re only driving to your mailbox down the street.

I humbly agree that speeding is reckless. I’m talking 15 + miles over the limit. I wouldn’t judge it as sinful, but I would say that for many people here in Florida, there is this sense of entitlement…to speed and cut in front of me…in a long traffic line or something…going onto the shoulder in some cases. Yeah, speeding at rates like that–is dangerous, and I’m not going to uncomfortably put my family at risk, who is in the car with me often times, by speeding at rates of 75-85 mph, out of fear of not keeping up with traffic!

Ok…off my soapbox now.:tiphat:

 

[nsm]

Today I was on Storrow Drive again and tried to keep it to within +5mph of the speed limit (which as a refresher is 40mph for most of the stretch and then closer to the city 30mph) . People were really tailgaiting - i don’t think a medium sized Fed ex box could have fit between the cars behind me and my back bumper. However, at 10AM it was easier to get over because there weren’t as many cars. Still, a very scary experience. I know I said that I think that the average is about 55mph. Nope, it is definitely more like 60/65mph.

I held my ground this time, but there were some heartpounding moments when I had to merge to another lane with the occasional mario andretti to let people pass. That is what Storrow Drive feels like, a race track where one MUST break the law in order to preserve life and limb. What is the solution to the national speeding problem!!!

 

[whatevergirl]

Today I was on Storrow Drive again and tried to keep it to within +5mph of the speed limit (which as a refresher is 40mph for most of the stretch and then closer to the city 30mph) . People were really tailgaiting - i don’t think a medium sized Fed ex box could have fit between the cars behind me and my back bumper. However, at 10AM it was easier to get over because there weren’t as many cars. Still, a very scary experience. I know I said that I think that the average is about 55mph. Nope, it is definitely more like 60/65mph.

I held my ground this time, but there were some heartpounding moments when I had to merge to another lane with the occasional mario andretti to let people pass. That is what Storrow Drive feels like, a race track where one MUST break the law in order to preserve life and limb. What is the solution to the national speeding problem!!!

Maybe call your local police station and see what solutions they have? Seriously…there is a dangerous intersection (aren’t they all in florida?) near my home. While I live in a quiet residential area, people blow through stop signs…and finally, people complained and a cop sits there every day now…far back where you have to really look to see him, but he sees the stop sign, and has pulled many people over. So–that is what it takes…the police should be sitting on that road…it’s not fair for drivers to have to be intimidated like that!

Speed limits are part of the laws. If we could speed however fast we wanted…then we wouldn’t see people being pulled over left and right, if they are speeding. People don’t steal, why? Because it’s a law…even if you steal a pencil eraser from your local Walmart, you can be arrested. So, why do we make exceptions for speeding? Like if someone is speeding, it’s somehow funny…or taken lightly. I have sped in my life…and received a steep ticket, and from then on, I hover around 5 to 8 miles over the limit. I mean, it’s hard to keep looking down to be EXACTLY at the limit, but I’m talking more 15+ over. There’s no reason. I can see if you received bad news and are speeding to get to a hospital or something…but, Florida is filled with people who are just plain old RECKLESS.

 

[KennethD]

I do not know where you all live, but here in Houston, many times if you aren’t going 20 miles over the speed limit you’re being a danger to everyone else on the road by not keeping up. Speed limits, unlike other laws, are really more like suggestions and when in doubt it is always better to stay at the speed of everyone around you because going too slow can put everyone’s lives in danger.

 

[whatevergirl]

I do not know where you all live, but here in Houston, many times if you aren’t going 20 miles over the speed limit you’re being a danger to everyone else on the road by not keeping up. Speed limits, unlike other laws, are really more like suggestions and when in doubt it is always better to stay at the speed of everyone around you because going too slow can put everyone’s lives in danger.

Speed limits are suggestions? So, if I want to speed through a school area, when the flashing light is blinking, for me to slow down to 15 mph, I can choose to do so? If there are kids on bikes in a neighborhood, and the residential speed limit is say 25 mph, I can go 50…because it’s just a suggestion? Speed limits are in place to help people be safe. I live in an area where people speed everywhere…and I try to go no more over 5-7 miles over the limit–and I’m in less danger than if I sped up to ‘keep up’ with everyone else. But, that’s just my 2 cents.

 

[KingAlfred]

In Texas, the speed-demon’s rationale goes something like this:

“If the speed limit is 70, that means I can always get away with 80. If everyone is doing 80, that’s the *de facto *speed limit, which means if I’m in a hurry, or feel especially bold, I can probably get away with 90, most of the time on the highway. If I can get away with 90 most of the time, whenever I’m especially hurried, I might be able to pull off *100.” *

So…there I am, trying to conserve fuel by restricting myself to 60, in the right lane, watching the world *zip past me *as though I’m standing still. When much of that traffic consists of *massive pickup trucks *with gigantic tires, driven by *ONE *person, churning up the highway, throwing rocks and other debris hither and yawn, I wonder how high the price of oil would have to climb to finally force people to slow down and behave sensibly.

 

[geezerbob]

When Jesus said to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, he wasn’t just talking about paying taxes, but also about obedience to just laws enacted by the Roman senate. Keeping that thought first, the rationalizations about why it is okay to speed kind of fall flat. To respond to the question posed in the OP, if you cannot determine that speed limits are inherently unjust, then, yes, violating them is a sin.

 

[nsm]

Thank you so much for the reply. I definitely think that the law is just, but I was just afraid to follow it because doing so could constitute a danger to my life and to others because of the extremely reckless speed the other cars are going. I’m not trying to rationalize, but if the authorities in Beacon Hill (that’s where the MA state senate meets and I suppose for the municipality of Boston as well) are going to set a speed limit at a certain amount and then offer NO protection against speed offenders (this is not wholly their fault…someone was not thinking ahead when they made Storrow Drive so narrow it doesn’t have a shoulder and only has a few pull-off places that a police car could wait, and even if they did nab one speeder, it would take an inordinate amount of time to get back to their original scoop spot because of the construction of the drive) they what should a law abiding person on their way to confession do?

 

[Caesar517]

When much of that traffic consists of *massive pickup trucks *with gigantic tires, driven by *ONE *person…

What’s wrong with heavy duty pickup trucks?

I wonder how high the price of oil would have to climb to finally force people to slow down and behave sensibly.

The U.S. has been cutting back on gasoline usage, but I don’t think that gasoline prices are going to slow people down. You’re talking about a trade-off between time and a small amount of fuel efficiency. I think time is more valuable for most people.

 

[Caesar517]

Thank you so much for the reply. I definitely think that the law is just, but I was just afraid to follow it because doing so could constitute a danger to my life and to others because of the extremely reckless speed the other cars are going. I’m not trying to rationalize, but if the authorities in Beacon Hill … are going to set a speed limit at a certain amount and then offer NO protection against speed offenders (this is not wholly their fault…someone was not thinking ahead when they made Storrow Drive so narrow it doesn’t have a shoulder and only has a few pull-off places that a police car could wait, and even if they did nab one speeder, it would take an inordinate amount of time to get back to their original scoop spot because of the construction of the drive) they what should a law abiding person on their way to confession do?

I underlined the key parts. If the local government doesn’t seem to care if people break that law, don’t put anyone’s life in danger to follow it yourself. That speed limit is a legamoron. I’ll repost a link to Jimmy Akin’s article concerning legamorons.