# Unlimited Speed Limits in Nevada?



## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

I have a brother in-law that is one of those "World Renown Experts on Everything" types (man how freaking tedious is that personality type?). So we are talking cars and driving fast and he claims there are roads in Nevada and Montana with no speed limit.

I say Bull Sh#$ as it would be common pop culture knowledge if it was true. He claims to have driven these mythical Unlimited Speed Limit roads.

I wish this blow hard was right but I doubt it. Maybe 90 mph...but unlimited...not in this country, not ever.

So what's the real skinny? I hope it's true, but it's simply too good to be true.


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

75, looks like: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_United_States


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## Eviil30 (Aug 19, 2006)

i heard the same thing a long time ago, never knew if it was true or not, what i heard though was that there was no enforced speed limit as long as it wasn't rush hour traffic, and you were within reason of an adequate speed, whatever that means, i always took it as 150 would not be cool, but 100 or so would be ok. but i still never found out if it was true, assumed urban legend


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

*Per Wiki...Montana*

Excerpt from Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_United_States

Montana
For a brief period (December 1995 - June 1999) Montana had no rural highway speed limit. However, even so a law prohibiting reckless driving, applicable to extreme speeds but less stringent than the previous "reasonable and prudent" standard, still applied.

In the years before 1974's 55 mph National Maximum Speed Limit and for three years after its 1995 repeal, Montana had a non-numeric "reasonable and prudent" speed limit during the daytime on most rural roads. Montana Code Annotated (MCA) Section 61-8-303 said "A person . . . shall drive the vehicle . . . at a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation . . . so as not to unduly or unreasonably endanger the life, limb, property, or other rights of a person entitled to the use of the street or highway."

Typical speed limit sign that one would see at the Montana state line from December 1995 to June 1999.Montana law also specified a few numeric limits: a night speed limit, usually 55 or 65 mph (90-100 km/h), depending on road type; 25 mph (40 km/h) in urban districts and 35 mph (60 km/h) in construction zones.

The phrase "reasonable and prudent" is found in the language of most state speed laws. This allows prosecution under non-ideal conditions such as rain or snow when the posted speed limit would be imprudently fast.

On March 10, 1996 [13], a Montana Patrolman issued a speed ticket to a driver traveling at 85 mph (140 km/h) on a stretch of State Highway 200. The 50 year-old male driver (Rudy Stanko) was operating a 1996 Camaro with less than 10,000 miles (16,000 km) on the odometer. Although the officer gave no opinion as to what would have been a reasonable speed, the driver was convicted. The driver appealed all the way to the Montana Supreme Court. The Court reversed the conviction in case No. 97-486 on December 23, 1998; it held that a law requiring drivers to drive at a non-numerical "reasonable and proper" speed "is so vague that it violates the Due Process Clause ... of the Montana Constitution".

Due to this reversal, Montana scrambled to vote in a numerical limit as it technically had no speed limit whatsoever in the meantime. In June 1999, a new Montana speed limit law went into effect. The law's practical effect was to require posted limits on all roads and disallow any speed limit higher than 75 mph (120 km/h).

Montana law still contains a section that says "a person shall operate a vehicle in a careful and prudent manner and at a reduced rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of traffic, visibility, weather, and roadway conditions." However, this is a standard clause that appears in other state traffic codes and has the practical effect of requiring a speed lower than the posted limit where a lower speed is necessary to maintain a reasonable and prudent road manner.


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

WalterMiddy said:


> So what's the real skinny? I hope it's true, but it's simply too good to be true.


Yes it is true! I was on one of these roads last night in my M/Roadster. I was averaging 150 mph but kept having to stop every 1 or 2 miles to pick up one of the gorgeous girls hitchhiking in bikinis and drop off the one from before. It's a wonderful stretch full of wild twists and curves without a single road blemish in site. There were cops everywhere but all they did was clap and give us the :thumbup: as we flashed by, quite refreshing! There was a gas station every 200 miles and 94 octane was $.50/gallon so it worked out fine. When I reached the end of this magical road I WOKE UP and looked outside to see if there was any SNOW on the ground!:bawling:


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## Penforhire (Dec 17, 2005)

There are road events with no limits. The Silver State Classic is run in Nevada (http://www.silverstateclassic.com) . From their FAQ --

"I heard you will not be able to event if you get a speeding ticket on Highway 318 within 90 days of the event."

"That's true. It is part of Nevada's requirements for the permit and the highway patrol will notify the event officials. Also, remember we are guests in town, so save the squealing tires for the starting line."


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## AzNMpower32 (Oct 23, 2005)

> Yes it is true! I was on one of these roads last night in my M/Roadster. I was averaging 150 mph but kept having to stop every 1 or 2 miles to pick up one of the gorgeous girls hitchhiking in bikinis and drop off the one from before. It's a wonderful stretch full of wild twists and curves without a single road blemish in site. There were cops everywhere but all they did was clap and give us the as we flashed by, quite refreshing! There was a gas station every 200 miles and 94 octane was $.50/gallon so it worked out fine. When I reached the end of this magical road I WOKE UP and looked outside to see if there was any SNOW on the ground!


Actually seeing as how you're not gonna get anything more than 15mpg if not lower at those speeds, I think you might run out of gas before 200mi. How about gas stations every 5 miles?


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

AzNMpower32 said:


> Actually seeing as how you're not gonna get anything more than 15mpg if not lower at those speeds, I think you might run out of gas before 200mi. How about gas stations every 5 miles?


Yes but in MY dream this puppy gets GREAT gas mileage!


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

SSIMON said:


> Yes it is true! I was on one of these roads last night in my M/Roadster. I was averaging 150 mph but kept having to stop every 1 or 2 miles to pick up one of the gorgeous girls hitchhiking in bikinis and drop off the one from before. It's a wonderful stretch full of wild twists and curves without a single road blemish in site. There were cops everywhere but all they did was clap and give us the :thumbup: as we flashed by, quite refreshing! There was a gas station every 200 miles and 94 octane was $.50/gallon so it worked out fine. When I reached the end of this magical road I WOKE UP and looked outside to see if there was any SNOW on the ground!:bawling:


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: HILLARIOUS :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

Penforhire said:


> There are road events with no limits. The Silver State Classic is run in Nevada (http://www.silverstateclassic.com) . From their FAQ --
> 
> "I heard you will not be able to event if you get a speeding ticket on Highway 318 within 90 days of the event."
> 
> "That's true. It is part of Nevada's requirements for the permit and the highway patrol will notify the event officials. Also, remember we are guests in town, so save the squealing tires for the starting line."


Very cool rally. Thanks for the link. Problably the closest thing to SSIMON's dream. I'm deffinately doing this rally. :thumbup:


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

WalterMiddy said:


> :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: HILLARIOUS :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


When you get that 335 sedan you'll be having the same dream! That's an awesome engine in that car! (I test drove the 335 coupe and it was a monster!) Post some pics when you get her :thumbup:. Up here in Canada the roads are monitored so closely I have to be careful when backing out of the driveway.:rofl:


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

SSIMON said:


> When you get that 335 sedan you'll be having the same dream! That's an awesome engine in that car! (I test drove the 335 coupe and it was a monster!) Post some pics when you get her :thumbup:. Up here in Canada the roads are monitored so closely I have to be careful when backing out of the driveway.:rofl:


Didn't know Canada was so tight - easy money catching speeders. Driving my 330i is an experience at two extreams. Sheer pleasure and exilliartion carving up the road and that constant nagging anxiety that you are going to get busted at the next turn. I wish I did European Delivery for not other reason than to go on the Autobaun.


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## wag-zhp (Apr 8, 2004)

WalterMiddy said:


> :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: HILLARIOUS :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


+1


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## Captngeetch (Oct 22, 2006)

75 on the interstate


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

75 on the interstate isn't bad.


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

WalterMiddy said:


> Didn't know Canada was so tight - easy money catching speeders. Driving my 330i is an experience at two extreams. Sheer pleasure and exilliartion carving up the road and that constant nagging anxiety that you are going to get busted at the next turn. I wish I did European Delivery for not other reason than to go on the Autobaun.


Actually it's not that tight. I just have the exact same problem you do, sheer pleasure mixed with nagging anxiety (and not just from the gf). It's going to be even tougher for you when you get the 335. Just when I'm starting to have fun I have to slow down or risk getting pinched! No fun:thumbdwn:. Add to all this the dreaded BMW disease. I'm sure you've heard of it. When the 335 comes in you'll want to open her up all the time but you won't be able to and it will become an unrelenting obsession! I wish you luck.


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## lorenzeandmark (Dec 20, 2006)

When I was first stationed in Fort Knox, KY we decided to take a shortcut rather than to go up over and back down on the highway... well about 300m down the road that we took there was a sign that clearly read "END SPEED ZONE". But it wasn't so clear and I figured it was open to some sort if interpretation. After pulling over and a quick call to Kentucky's Finest, I had learned that the sign was clearly printed but that some of the turns had speed limits posted ranging from 75 to 85. As I enjoyed the road for the first time I kept it at a conservative 75 so that I may learn some of the landscape. There were no houses within 100m of the road and none to be found near the turns... I wonder why? But that is the ONLY road I have seen that sign posted on.


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## henkelphoto (Nov 16, 2006)

Hi Guys!

Way back in 1969 when I was a high school student in Las Vegas, there were roads and highways that had no speed limits. The actual phrase was "speeds safe and prudent" I believe. A cop could pull you over for "unsafe and imprudent" speeds on these roads if he thought you were going too fast for your car or traffic. Other than that, you could go however fast you wanted. One time coming back from California, I was doing 130 in an Audi (1970 100LS) when I passed a cop doing about 95. No problem. 

That all changed when the first OPEC oil embargo occured. I believe in 1973 (or 1974) Nevada passed a law stating that the top speed on the all highways could be only 70 (I think it was tied to federal highway funding). Sometime in the 90s they raised it to 75 and that's where it stands today. The roads that the above rally is run on normally have the 75 speed limit and the limits are only dumped when they are running the rallys and the roads are closed to normal traffic. 

Jerry


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

Double Entry - This post has been removed.


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

SSIMON said:


> Yes it is true! I was on one of these roads last night in my M/Roadster. I was averaging 150 mph but kept having to stop every 1 or 2 miles to pick up one of the gorgeous girls hitchhiking in bikinis and drop off the one from before. It's a wonderful stretch full of wild twists and curves without a single road blemish in site. There were cops everywhere but all they did was clap and give us the :thumbup: as we flashed by, quite refreshing! There was a gas station every 200 miles and 94 octane was $.50/gallon so it worked out fine. When I reached the end of this magical road I WOKE UP and looked outside to see if there was any SNOW on the ground!:bawling:





Penforhire said:


> There are road events with no limits. The Silver State Classic is run in Nevada (http://www.silverstateclassic.com) . From their FAQ --
> 
> "I heard you will not be able to event if you get a speeding ticket on Highway 318 within 90 days of the event."
> 
> "That's true. It is part of Nevada's requirements for the permit and the highway patrol will notify the event officials. Also, remember we are guests in town, so save the squealing tires for the starting line."


Regarding the Silver State Classic Run:
I just looked into it - what an incredible event. THIS REALLY IS SSIMON's DREAM come true.

Twice a year they close down a 90 mile stretch of Hwy 318 in Nevada. Anyone with a race ready car (to varring technical degrees Dependant on the class of car you are racing and the speed you wish to qualify for. Your first time out you can only go in the class of your choice between 95 and 110 dialed in average speed. If you chose to dial in an average speed of 110 mph, that means you are given a "Technical Speed" of 140 mph maximum. 140 mph on a State Highway LEGALLY, where the cops block the intersections and on-ramps and do indeed waive and cheer you on as you pass.

Your second time out you can qualify for any class your car can qualify in up to a true NO LIMIT SPEED class. The record is about 207 mph AVERAGED over 90 miles of rural Nevada Highway meaning he was likely hitting straight aways as high as 220+.

The caveat is that your car has to have race ready equipment relative to the speed class you are dialing in. At a minimum, in the classes 110 and lower, you must have a 5 point seat belt system or better (mounted to the chassis); a mounted race rated fire extinguisher, a race helmet (full face recommended), V or better rated tires in good condition, and well as racing rated gear and gloves. In the unlimited classes you basically have to have a true race car with roll cages and fire suppression systems.

But if your car qualifies to pass the inspection for the class you wish to race in, any bum off the street can enter that submits the $500 + fee which has to be worth every penny.

Maybe when I run the car into the ground and it's close to it's time to retire her. No way I'm modify a $50K car fresh off the boat.

Anyone here ever run it as a driver or navigator?


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## Bammered (Dec 27, 2006)

I generally find Canadian drivers to cruise much faster than Americans. And the roads up there are far less regulated by cops! Regularly travel the 400 and dont see a single cop, that would never happen on a road as busy as that in the USA. I know because i Live in NJ half the year and toronto/barrie the other half. Heck you wanna go fast hit the 407 ETR at anything past 1030pm and its devoid of both cops and other drivers!


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## AzNMpower32 (Oct 23, 2005)

Who needs a unlimited road? I know plenty of places where there's no cops and no cars right here in MD, with plenty of room to exercise top speed!


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

Bammered said:


> I generally find Canadian drivers to cruise much faster than Americans. And the roads up there are far less regulated by cops! Regularly travel the 400 and dont see a single cop, that would never happen on a road as busy as that in the USA. I know because i Live in NJ half the year and toronto/barrie the other half. Heck you wanna go fast hit the 407 ETR at anything past 1030pm and its devoid of both cops and other drivers!


You are right on all counts! On the 401 east towards the airport I get passed all the time doing 140kph! Unfortunately my main stretch is QEW Toronto to Hamilton and people get pulled over all the time not to mention the constant traffic.


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

:bang: (SPEED LIMITS) :violent:


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

Bammered said:


> I generally find Canadian drivers to cruise much faster than Americans. And the roads up there are far less regulated by cops! Regularly travel the 400 and dont see a single cop, that would never happen on a road as busy as that in the USA. I know because i Live in NJ half the year and toronto/barrie the other half. Heck you wanna go fast hit the 407 ETR at anything past 1030pm and its devoid of both cops and other drivers!


Your comparing the traffic in the middle-of-nowhere to NJ? Why not compare traffic at 8am between LA and eastern Montana? Driving around Toronto a few weeks ago, I found the average rate of traffic less than the Chicago suburbs. I did 75mph in 55mph the other day (because I wasn't in a hurry) in the right lane and was passed by almost everyone.



lorenzeandmark said:


> When I was first stationed in Fort Knox, KY we decided to take a shortcut rather than to go up over and back down on the highway... well about 300m down the road that we took there was a sign that clearly read "END SPEED ZONE". But it wasn't so clear and I figured it was open to some sort if interpretation. After pulling over and a quick call to Kentucky's Finest, I had learned that the sign was clearly printed but that some of the turns had speed limits posted ranging from 75 to 85. As I enjoyed the road for the first time I kept it at a conservative 75 so that I may learn some of the landscape. There were no houses within 100m of the road and none to be found near the turns... I wonder why? But that is the ONLY road I have seen that sign posted on.


:bs: How old are you? "END SPEED ZONE" signs are common pretty much everywhere in this country, and they clearly mean end of the current reduced speed.


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## mtbscott (Jul 16, 2003)

I think the 80mph speed limit in West Texas is currently the highest in the US. I make the trip out that way usually twice a year to bike races and it is very desolate with miles of straight highway between sparsely populated towns. The biggest danger is deer, especially at night. There are highway patrols but not too many.


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## Bammered (Dec 27, 2006)

Dont commment on something that you clearly lack information on. Because you drove there a few weeks ago and didnt expeirence traffic doesnt mean that it doesnt exist. And since when is toronto in the middle of nowhere? You lose all credibility by making a statement like that. FYI the 400 north from toronto is one of the busiest highways in all of canada. And the traffic in toronto is horrendous, i would know since i live in NJ and frequent NYC and can say that it is every bit as bad.


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

Bammered said:


> Dont commment on something that you clearly lack information on. Because you drove there a few weeks ago and didnt expeirence traffic doesnt mean that it doesnt exist. And since when is toronto in the middle of nowhere? You lose all credibility by making a statement like that. FYI the 400 north from toronto is one of the busiest highways in all of canada. And the traffic in toronto is horrendous, i would know since i live in NJ and frequent NYC and can say that it is every bit as bad.


Once again you're bang on! Obviously he has no clue what he is talking about. Simple math should solve it. Chicago population approx. 2.8million, Toronto population approx. 4.6million. Sounds like a busy place given that it's in the middle of nowhere. 
Nuff said!


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## picus (Jun 2, 2006)

I lived in San Francisco for 8 years, LA for 18 months. Traffic in Toronto is consistently worse than both by a fair margin. In LA we had some worse "parking lot style" jams, but in Toronto the slow downs are just never-ending. Unless Chicago is the center of all traffic in the universe, I have a hard time believing it's worse than here. Maybe as bad, but worse... that'd be a feat.

FWIW, I don't know that it's that there are more people on Toronto roads, so much as the highways we have absolutely suck. In the Bay Area there are 8-10 major highways, and at least two ways to get anywhere. In Toronto if you're downtown and want to go North you have to travel to the DVP or 427 or trudge through town 10 miles up Bathurst, a two lane 50km/h road. Hell, if you want to go east or west it's the 401 or nothing. The 404/401/DVP interchange is a traffic designers nightmare. The kind of uniquely weird thing about Toronto is that in the "GTA" you will have significant traffic through what is esentially a 100kmx50km area (which is a huge swatch of land), from Brock Road on the 401 East in Pickering all the way to Trafalger in Oakville, a distance of *75 kilometers*. I get stressed just thinking about it.


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## Penforhire (Dec 17, 2005)

LA has wrath-of-God traffic. No way is Toronto worse.


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## picus (Jun 2, 2006)

Penforhire said:


> LA has wrath-of-God traffic. No way is Toronto worse.


It depends on what you think is worse; long parking lot type delays, or consistent never ending slow downs for 70 kilometers. Both are pretty sucky. Amazingly I found people in California actually, get ready for this, drive better than people here in Toronto. Too many accidents here, which contributes to the never ending slow downs.


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## JG (Mar 5, 2005)

SSIMON said:


> You are right on all counts! On the 401 east towards the airport I get passed all the time doing 140kph! Unfortunately my main stretch is QEW Toronto to Hamilton and people get pulled over all the time not to mention the constant traffic.


Q.E.W and 401 generally are slow due to volume from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. However the 407 from Mavis Road west to Appleby line in Burlington sees many cars doing 140-160km per hour. Pretty standard speed actually - rush hour or not. You can't drive this route regardless of time of day without someone blowing by you when you are doing 120 km/hr.

There are police occasionally - but only at 3 locations, and regular users know where they are. The rest is wide open with nowhere for speed traps to be hidden.


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## JG (Mar 5, 2005)

Penforhire said:


> LA has wrath-of-God traffic. No way is Toronto worse.


Wrath of God maybe not - busy - yes.............

Santa Monica Freeway is child's play compared to the 401 corridor in rush hour. :angel:

Having driven them both - Santa Monica is relatively tame but similar to be fair.

Add winter into the mix and there is no comparison.

quote from Wikepedia............

"The 401 is widely considered to be North America's busiest highway, with an estimated Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of over 425,000 in 2004, near the interchange with Highway 400. Due to its triple use as the main trade, commuting and recreational corridor in Ontario, the AADT rises to well beyond the 500,000 level on some days. The highway has 12-20 lanes through Pickering to Mississauga and this is thought to be the world's longest continuous stretch of highway having 12 or more lanes."

NJ approach to the GW Bridge may be close in AADT numbers.

The Kennedy (I-90) in Chicago has a max AADT of 315,000 for comparison purposes.


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

OK, we have transgressed from a discussion on Unlimited Speeds to advanced technical arguments about who has the worst Bumper to Bumper traffic......somebody shoot me.:banghead:


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

WalterMiddy said:


> OK, we have transgressed from a discussion on Unlimited Speeds to advanced technical arguments about who has the worst Bumper to Bumper traffic......somebody shoot me.:banghead:


Well said, now let's get back to my dream where the word traffic doesn't exist! :drive:
What's the ETA on your 335? How well are you sleeping? :rofl:


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## Richard in NC (Oct 23, 2005)

A friend who moved to Charlotte from Toronto blames their traffic problem on speed cameras. Anybody going over the limit gets a ticket in the mail. Is that correct? This would slow the traffic significantly compared to a free flow of traffic where possible. Speed cameras were tried in Charlotte but fortunately discontinued.


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## picus (Jun 2, 2006)

AFAIK there are no speed cameras except on the 407, which is an electronic toll road.


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## e60lover (Dec 28, 2005)

I always drive 80 or 85 in my bimmers....Everyone else does and driving slower is almost a safety hazdard. I like the idea of Electronic signs over the road as on the autobahn that changes the speed limit based on traffic, weather conditions, and time of the day.


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## WalterMiddy (Dec 1, 2006)

SSIMON said:


> What's the ETA on your 335? How well are you sleeping? :rofl:


I am completely obessed with anticipation. I check the Owner's Circle Order Status like twenty times a day. It's been Awaiting Transport for two weeks now. I expect it will sail sometime next week. I suppose I won't see her until some time mid to late February. My wife has the 330i - she is making me take the Tahoe that I have to drive for 70 to 100 miles a day. The Tahoe doesn' corner and accelerate as good as the Bimmer - go figure. I want my car!!!:bawling:

I better go check the status now......(damn! Still awaiting transport)


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## Double-S (Nov 30, 2006)

WalterMiddy said:


> I am completely obessed with anticipation. I check the Owner's Circle Order Status like twenty times a day. It's been Awaiting Transport for two weeks now. I expect it will sail sometime next week. I suppose I won't see her until some time mid to late February. My wife has the 330i - she is making me take the Tahoe that I have to drive for 70 to 100 miles a day. The Tahoe doesn' corner and accelerate as good as the Bimmer - go figure. I want my car!!!:bawling:
> 
> I better go check the status now......(damn! Still awaiting transport)


Once you get her you will develop the dreaded BMW disease! Check out my thread 'Am I Crazy' in the Z-Series Forum, it applies to 335's also.:rofl:


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