Earth Log Entry #21: Speed Kills
Sonny and Dale sat on the couch, watching old UFC fights.
Dale pointed to the TV. “Ooooh, Griffin/Bonnar. You’re gonna love this one, Sonny!”
Sonny took a sip of his ice water. “This sport is barbaric. Primal. Real. I approve.”
Just then Chad walked in and dropped his briefcase. “They got me.”
Sonny sat up, concerned. “Who got you, Chad?”
Chad started taking off his shoes. “They got me for going 9 over on Maple Street.”
Dale took a sip of his beer. “Got him on a little fundraiser.”
Sonny set his water on the table. “You were going over the posted vehicular speed limit?”
Chad reached into his briefcase and pulled out the ticket. “Everyone does.”
Chad handed the ticket to Sonny. He went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of chocolate milk.
Sonny studied the ticket for a while. “You were going 44 MPH in a 35 MPH zone? Chad, that’s well above the upper limit.”
Chad took a sip of his chocolate milk. “Everybody goes over the speed limit.”
Dale shrugged. “Yeah. But if it’s the end of the month, or the cop’s having a bad day, you’re toast.”
Sonny handed the ticket back to Chad. “Why is it a limit then? Why not a suggestion?”
Chad shrugged. “Because then nobody could technically get in trouble.”
Dale put his feet on the coffee table. “They got my cousin going 104 on 35 in a Miata. Took his license and everything.”
Sonny put his hand on his chin. “A speed limit means the number is the upper limit. There must also be a lower limit. Traveling beyond established operational parameters appears unsafe.”
Chad shrugged. “I guess people interpret it differently.”
Dale chuckled. “Tell that to the judge.”
Chad peered over at him. “Why are your feet on the coffee table?”
Dale ignored him. “My uncle’s got one of those radar detector things.”
Sonny froze. “Humans build machines to detect law enforcement?”
Chad sighed. “…Basically.”
Sonny slowly nodded. “So the objective is to travel as fast as possible without attracting enforcement attention.”
Dale pointed at Sonny. “Now you’re getting it.”
Sonny stared blankly ahead for a moment. “The roads are governed by vibes.”
Sonny took out his Earth Log device and started typing.
Humans set a limit on speed for vehicular transportation. Most humans do not adhere to this limit. They instead attempt to determine the maximum socially acceptable velocity before law enforcement intervention occurs.