18 thoughts on “Turboschlock does at least 120mph”

    1. Maybe if there wasn’t, there’d be a lot more accidents.

      I suspect the God Who Watches Over Damfools is really busy.

      1. I doubt that, considering that even allowing for stupidity and intoxication most people have a rather highly evolved sense of self preservation. If there in addition actually was divine protection available there wouldn’t be much in the way of accidents left.

        I prefer to believe in the excellent engineering of Volkswagen and the finely tuned neurochemistry of the creator of Schlock. =)

  2. Howard realized there were two Gods –
    One of them much bigger than the other,
    Loving his Turboschlock
    And having all the damfools.

    Doesn’t have quite the same ring … what’s that revolving sound?

  3. Are you eager to have the highway patrol put your plates on the watch list? It’s nice that you got there intact and all; but perhaps there was one too many details here about how.

  4. For what it’s worth, most of the time I didn’t go that much faster than the posted limits – usually I just moved with the flow of the left-lane traffic. There was this patch of empty road, though, where I could see about 5 miles, and figured I’d try opening it up.

    The highway patrol is welcome to watch out for me, but ticketing someone for 5 to 9 mph over the limit isn’t something they’re likely to go out of their way for. I’ve had my fun, and have no desire to go that fast again.

    –Howard

    1. Personally, I’m all in favor of the old Montana speed limit system — “Reasonable and prudent during daylight hours, 75mph after dark.” Or was it 85? I still remember driving most of the way across Montana at about 100mph in 1983, right up to the summit of the Continental Divide.
      (I was sticking more or less to the speed limit for the first hour or so after hitting Montana, up until the Sheriff blew past me doing about 90, calmly sipping his morning coffee. At that point, I said “Heck with it,” let him get a half-mile or so ahead, and tromped on it.)

    2. You are indeed fortunate not to have Sheriff GATSO watching you…here in the UK the speedcam gets you at greater than 1mph over….and since the law and local borough share the fines they don’t hold back.

      1. I’ve read about this system in El Reg… I gather it’s not very popular amongst the general populace.

        Makes me twitchy just thinking about it.

      2. Not only that, but you know that are supposed to post notices warning there are speed cams ahead ? [otherwise it’s entrapment or something].

        Well, our local force has worked out a new dodge. They have a three day grace period between putting up a camera, and when they have to put up a sign apparently.

        So now they’re using mobile cameras, which they can hide someplace, catch a few motorists, and then move before the three day limit.

        Hidden, secret, mobile speed cameras.

        Needless to say, this one is being contested, but the local judges have a record of siding with the police, so it could set a precident.

        1. Um… notice the key phrase… “here in the UK“. Different legal system, different laws. Also, a noticeable difference in the level of civil rights. (Before anyone objects too loudly to my comments, I’ve lived there. I speak from experience, with both sets of circumstances.) In any case, knowing something of the Traffic Office, I can well believe it – and that the courts are quite ready to support it. As I recall, the Traffic Office tended to be rather draconian… which at least led to a lower incidence of regretable drivers, I’m willing to grant.

    1. Smooth. As. Silk.

      It was smooth. Little additional road noise, and the engine wasn’t making any of those groaning noises you sometimes hear when you push an engine harder than it was built to be pushed.

      I could have climbed up to 130, or maybe even 135 if I hadn’t run out of road. I was about a mile behind the vehicle in front of me when I took my foot of the gas and *coasted* to within 200 feet. Had I pushed any harder, I would have had to end my little run with BRAKES, and I’m not sure I want to try applying brakes at 120… much less 140.

      These germans, they build things for the autobahn. My Saturn, by comparison, got taken up to 105 one fine day, and it complained the whole time. I stopped at 105 because I could tell the car didn’t really HAVE 108 in it.

      I had the Saturn for 10 years, and took it out fast just the one time. It seems that’s my pattern for cars. I just need to go really fast ONCE. Heaven help me if I get anything really built for speed, though.

      –Howard

      1. Re: Smooth. As. Silk.

        Yes, the Germans do make rather good cars, don’t they? Beat the heck out of a cheap local car, often… and often beat the cheap but reliable Japanese cars too.

        And I think the phrase for what you were feeling is this:

        “I feel the need…”
        “…the need for speed!“

      2. Re: Smooth. As. Silk.

        Hm. One of these days, I might have to find myself out west on a desolate stretch of road…I haven’t had my car above 90 (and that was just to keep up with Michigan traffic on I-94!), and, like you, have this urge to do it once, at least in most cars.

      3. Re: Smooth. As. Silk.

        hehe

        As someone who’s done the speed thing in the UK (and been caught)I say well done, it’s always fun (once) to find out what your car will acutally do. (My personal favourite was passing a Mercedes that was doing 110Mph.. and I was in a diesel powered Skoda!)

        However, i’ve Slowed down now.. and feel jsut as happy for it…

        my advice would be
        NEVER drive faster than your angels can fly…

        🙂

  6. Eeew.

    I have never hit three digits in a land vehicle. 90mph I hit once, and have no intention of approaching again. Human beings do not comprehend those speeds on land, they don’t have the reflexes for it, and their perceptions are flat-out wrong most of the time when it comes to what’s “safe”. I’ll go with the flow of traffic, but even then it’s sometimes uncomfortable because all these clowns are trucking along at 75MPH with virtually no stopping distance at all. (in moderately bad conditions, it could take you about *600 feet* to stop when going at 60mph; often people going at 65 aren’t allowing much more than a living room’s worth of space, when they SHOULD be leaving two football field’s worth of space)

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