Can the country pursue a common goal?

[BlueStreak]

Finn is right.

But, I hope I never see the day, because BOTH of my vehicles are gas guzzling V8 hotrods and I'm a leadfooted idiot. I see 55mph as I zip past it on my way to 70........75.........80, er whatever.

Dave

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Finn is right.

But, I hope I never see the day, because BOTH of my vehicles are gas guzzling V8 hotrods and I'm a leadfooted idiot. I see 55mph as I zip past it on my way to 70........75.........80, er whatever.

Dave

You could trade 'em in on turbo-charged 2.3 liter 4 bangers which might run circles around them (in the twisties, anyway). BTW, in all my years in Germany, I never met a gearhead who lusted for Detroit muscle. Never. Ever.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by finnbow

NFW (coming from an erstwhile Porsche owner and Autobahn driver). Building energy-inefficient boats and then demanding that they be driven 55 mph to compensate for poor energy efficiency is friggin' ridiculous IMHO. If 55 mph is good, why not 45 or 35?

Our roads are just to congested and busy in most areas of the country to safely allow for higher speeds. IMHO
If we had roads dedicated to higher speed travel I would not be as resolute. I have had cars that at 80 easily handled roads better than others at 55 so I understand your point but we don't have separate roads for these cars. Your run of the mill Toyota and trucks lose allot of safety over 55.
Anyway I just feel this form of transportation is best suited to a 55 mph speed limit.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by finnbow

You could trade 'em in on turbo-charged 2.3 liter 4 bangers which might run circles around them (in the twisties, anyway). BTW, in all my years in Germany, I never met a gearhead who lusted for Detroit muscle. Never. Ever.

And I have never lusted for anything else but Detroit Muscle...............Never. Ever.

Dave

[d-ray657]

Another approach is increased emphasis on mass transit, but again that would be interfering with the freedom people have to jump in their car whenever the urge hits them, and to not have to operate according to someone else's schedule. It would again call for sacrifice, the will for which appears to be severely lacking in today's society.

Regards,

D-Ray

[finnbow]

Back the OP's common goal question. The only times this country has coalesced around a common goal is when a significant majority perceived an existential threat - WWII after Pearl Harbor, the race to the moon after Sputnik, the invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11 (and not Iraq, as many didn't buy into the existential nature of the threat, at least post-invasion).

Rightly or wrongly, increasing fleet mileage isn't seen as the answer to an existential crisis.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Another approach is increased emphasis on mass transit, but again that would be interfering with the freedom people have to jump in their car whenever the urge hits them, and to not have to operate according to someone else's schedule. It would again call for sacrifice, the will for which appears to be severely lacking in today's society.

Regards,

D-Ray

A look at the major highways during rush hour in DC is quite revealing. Upwards of 80% of cars have one person in them, even though carpoolers are frequently provided free parking in the city by their employers and single riders pay up to $200 a month. It's the whole "freedom thing" at work here methinks.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by noonereal

Our roads are just to congested and busy in most areas of the country to safely allow for higher speeds. IMHO
If we had roads dedicated to higher speed travel I would not be as resolute. I have had cars that at 80 easily handled roads better than others at 55 so I understand your point but we don't have separate roads for these cars. Your run of the mill Toyota and trucks lose allot of safety over 55.
Anyway I just feel this form of transportation is best suited to a 55 mph speed limit.

While what you say is certainly true in NYC or DC (or any other big city), these areas mostly have 55 mph in the built-up areas anyway. Hell, even Germany has fairly low speed limits in its built-up areas. OTOH, 55 mph in New Mexico or Montana would be painfully slow.

[BlueStreak]

And my comment on the OP is as follows;

With the current mentality? Only if the common goal is to destroy ourselves bickering over things that don't really matter.

Dave

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Another approach is increased emphasis on mass transit, but again that would be interfering with the freedom people have to jump in their car whenever the urge hits them, and to not have to operate according to someone else's schedule. It would again call for sacrifice, the will for which appears to be severely lacking in today's society.

Regards,

D-Ray

Not until we realize that we subsidise airlines with airports, trucking companies with highway and tell the railroads to get stuffed. You can't pay me to fly, but I'll go Amtrak any day. Rail passengers are a different breed than airline passengers.