The government in their infinate wisdom mandated the 55 mph speed limit on all freeways and main thoroughfares in the middle/late 70s.......this because the Arabs started squeezing the oil supply so gas and diesel were in supposedly short supply ......After a bit of "How we going to fix this?" "WE" declared to get gas and diesel it would be on odd and even days with odd and even last digit of your plate.....worked out fairly well compared to the chaos before ....... This is what happened because of all of this........My family and I were traveling from Inglewood Ca to Alameda Ca after having Thanksgiving with her family we hit the "Y" where the 5 and the 95 split,took the 5, it was a 2 lane hwy and at that time wasn't used as much as it is today so you could make some time.....After getting back on the 5 after getting something to eat/drink and being warned there was a person in a late model Cadillac who was being the 55 mph monitor by traveling in the left lane with his speed control set on 55 and it happened there was a gentleman driving a panel van who was also driving 55 RIGHT ALONG SIDE THE Cadillac.......Now I could see as I approached there was a problem......But I thought I could get by.....WRONG!!! The person in the Caddie was an OLD crusty guy wearing a big ole cowboy hat chit chatting with his wife as they cruised 55.....on Interstate 5......I don't think the 55 speed limit had been in effect for maybe a couple of weeks.....Sooo thinking this guy would have some drivers courtesy I pulled up behind him......nothing.....no acknowledgement....nothing.....honked my horn.....flashed my lights......nothing.....now I'm emotionally involved......been going on for at least 10 + miles......going to go around this guy by going into the grass center divider but the wife is beating on me not to......He's just putting along at 55 chit chatting......could shoot a cannon off in front of him and NEVER,ever,ever hit anything......the guy in the panel van is not w/o blame as he stayed right with the Caddie......not letting me pass on the right......OK, ALRIGHT we'll just see about this.....after another 5 or so miles of putting up with this (THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO ME, NOT ME!!!) The panel van made a mistake.....he allowed the Caddie to pull ahead of him just a little bit......I cut him OFF, yes I did.....you'd have thought there was a catastrophic accident......tires squealing horn honking....all kinds of noise.....got by him.....as I went by the Caddie on the right I swerved in front of the Caddie and cut him off.....he slammed on his brakes, swerved to the left w/horn blaring fist shaking.....there was NO ONE in front of me for miles when I went into the left lane......after this we had a very nice ride home.......One problem though......every once in a while it crosses my mind......My name is Bruce Hansen......Senior Citizen.....And I don't suffer fools
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