Why Speed Limits Are Irrelevant

by Dave Seminara on

The world is getting smaller and tasks that used to take hours or days can now be completed in seconds thanks to the Internet. But it still takes what feels like forever and a day to cross Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and other annoyingly large U.S. states with mind-numbingly dull interstates.

The good news is that speed limits have gone up over the years to the point where highway 55-mph zones are becoming more and more rare. The bad news is that there are still plenty of distracted slowpokes clogging up the left lanes, even in high speed limit zones, making interstate travel needlessly stressful and arduous.

Yes, I know that higher speed limits translate into more frequent and severe traffic accidents, but I feel like I’m capable of determining what a safe speed is based upon traffic, weather conditions and the like. The U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, and I’m quite sure we hand out the most speeding tickets too. But I’m not sure all the Big Brother tactics make us any safer.According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 14 states have a maximum speed limit of 75, 19 are at 70, and 14 are at 65. Here’s a look at how it breaks down.

Pedal-to-the-Metal Paradise- 80/85 mph

If you find yourself on I-15 in Utah, or on sections of I-10 and I-20 in West Texas, feel free to go 80 mph. According to IIHS and Reuters, Highway 130, which runs between San Antonio and Austin in Texas, parts of which are still under construction, might have a speed limit of 85 in the newly constructed section. If that happens, it’ll become the fastest posted limit in the Western Hemisphere.

Lands of Enlightenment- 75-mph states

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Fast, But Could be Faster States- 70 mph

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Stuck in the Dark Ages States- 65 mph

Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

According to Allstate’s America’s Best Drivers Report, the best drivers aren’t in states with low speed limits. Of the top ten cities with the safest drivers, five are in states with maximum limits of 75, four are in 70-mph states, and just one city, Eugene, Oregon, is in a 65-mph state. Furthermore, at the bottom of the barrel, all of the cities with the worst drivers – Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Hartford, Newark and Jersey City – are in low speed limit states.

Based on my experience, high speed limits also don’t always translate into faster driving. Take a spin on the BQE in New York or Rt. 128 in Boston when there’s light traffic and then compare the speed people are going versus what you find in places like Montana or rural Maine and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Last summer I spent countless hours driving around Montana and, despite the very high speed limits, could hardly believe how slow many people were driving. And I had the same experience this weekend, in Missouri, where the limit is 70 mph, but many motorists in the left lane were traveling well below the speed limit.

Everyone obviously has a right to travel at the speed they want, within reason. Those who are in no hurry, are trying to obtain better fuel economy, or just feel safer going slow should enjoy their crawl. But I learned in driver’s ed, many moons ago, that the left lane is for passing. So why are there so many oblivious people coasting along, below the limit, in the far left lane?

Some people just aren’t in a rush, but these days, when I pass someone going very slow in the left lane, very often they’ll be on the phone, texting or sending or receiving an email. The first thing you do when you’re distracted is slow down. Just as many states have increased their speed limits over the years, plenty are also trying to legislate against distracted driving.

State legislatures could do away with speed limits all together and impose the death penalty for texting and driving and some would still putter along in the far left lane, impeding traffic and texting away to their hearts’ content. Even though I doubt there’d be much of an impact, I’d like to see a national highway speed limit of 75 mph outside cities and a minimum of 55. And anyone who is caught needlessly impeding the flow of traffic in the far left lane should be forced to strap weights onto the bottom of their shoes.

(Photo via Abbynormy on Flickr)

A Night Aboard ‘Ms. Nancy Boggs’ At Far Rockaway’s Boatel

by Jessica Marati on

It was like stepping onto the set of a horror film. An array of dusty knick-knacks lined the shelves, ranging from empty glass bottles to vintage photographs and eyeless doll heads. Torn pantyhose, some colored red, were strewn up as curtains. In the closet, there was a musty aroma and a pile of something furry.

This would be our home for the evening.

We were onboard “Ms. Nancy Boggs,” a 1967 Drift-R houseboat that had been outfitted as part of the Boatel floating hotel project at Marina 59 in Far Rockaway, Queens, just an hour from downtown New York City. Described as an “interactive art and sound installation,” the Boatel consists of 16 themed houseboats, clustered around a central dock that functions as an outdoor kitchen and common space. “Bad Irene” combines futuristic décor with Bollywood kitsch; “Sweet Annisa” sports a red vinyl interior said to have been designed for West Indian drug lords; and “Americano” was built for a weekend bender with Vanilla Ice, Richard Pryor and Neil Patrick Harris. Personality? This place has plenty.

Our adventure had begun earlier in the day, on the A train from Manhattan. Boatel’s website had advised us to come “adventure-ready,” so our overnight bags were stuffed accordingly: bug spray, sunscreen, sleeping bags, booze and an assortment of costume apparel left over from last year’s trip to Burning Man.

By the time we arrived at Marina 59, the sun had already fallen. A few grizzled sailors manned the entrance to the Boatel, swilling Coors Light on plastic chairs. When we inquired about our night’s accommodations, a fairy-like blonde appeared with directions to our boat and an invitation to return if we wanted sheets.

The dock had seen better days, and its panels groaned under our weight. After unloading our gear onto Nancy and gaping at her oddities with a mix of whimsy, curiosity and fear, we poured ourselves a drink and ventured out to explore our surroundings.

First stop was the convenience store next door, where we were instantly reminded that we weren’t in a nautical Never-Never Land, but rather smack in the middle of one of Queens’ rougher neighborhoods. The cashiers seemed used to drop-in hippies from the Marina, though, and they laughed at our tie-dye and face paint.

Back in the Marina, we dropped by a shipping-container-turned-art-studio, filled with paintings that were colorful but angry, and filled with sexual symbolism. A pillow and yoga mat lay in the corner, as evidence of artistic commitment.

Walking back to the boat, we encountered two goats that seemed perfectly at home in the middle of a parking lot in a dilapidated marina in Queens. This would be an interesting night.

Back on the dock, a lecture was in progress. In addition to houseboat accommodations, Boatel also offers a variety of community programming, including lectures, live music and a “Floating Cinema” featuring screenings of nautical classics like “Treasure Island” and “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.” Two-thirds of the way through, the lecture was interrupted by a theatrical play on a shark attack, complete with splashing kayakers and projected images of sharp teeth.

Post-lecture, we barbequed, drank and relaxed on the pier. Between the softly lapping waves and surreal surroundings, it was easy to escape the pulsating energy of the city we’d left just a few hours earlier. Conversation jumped from topic to esoteric topic, and laughter echoed in the air. No one checked their smartphones. Somewhere between late evening and early morning, we slipped into deep sleeps, aided by Nancy’s gentle rocking.

Morning came, and intense sunlight woke us long before we were ready. As my eyes fluttered open, I took in the surroundings: the glinting glass bottles, the vintage photographs. The light was soft streaming in through the pantyhose. Even the doll heads didn’t look so creepy in the light of day.

Stepping off the boat, we greeted the friends we’d made the previous evening and began to prepare a light breakfast. But soon, the morning calm was interrupted by a band of police inspectors, who stopped at each boat to inquire about the Boatel’s safety practices. Despite my initial reservations the night before, I now felt affectionate toward the Boatel, even a bit defensive of the otherworldly atmosphere the artists and organizers had managed to create. The Boatel is no luxury “I’m On A Boat” experience, but it is certainly something special, and we shared as much with our interrogators. Then, with one last look back at the dock, the goats and Ms. Nancy Boggs, we braced ourselves to reenter the real world.

The Boatel is located at Marina 59 in Far Rockaway, Queens, just off the A subway stop at Beach 60th Street. Rooms are available from Wednesday to Sunday until November 1, with rates starting from $55/night.

Artist Campaigns To Convert Abandoned Detroit Neighborhood Into A Zombie Theme Park

by Jessica Festa on



While Detroit, Michigan, doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to safety and quality of life, Mark Siwak wants to help change that. The artist has made a request on Indiegogo, asking for help with a new idea to turn an abandoned Detroit neighborhood into a usable zombie theme park.

The project, called “Z World Detroit,” will make constructive use of homes and buildings that have been left behind. Because of the rundown atmosphere of these neglected urban areas, the idea wouldn’t even be difficult to pull off. The only other thing really necessary would be some zombie actors. Additionally, it will bring a quirky, new attraction to a city that is often looked down upon by visitors.

“The Z World Detroit initiative is a radical rethinking of urban redevelopment and Detroit’s well-documented blight and de-population,” reads the Indiegogo page. “It turns perceived liabilities into assets that will bring a renewed vitality to a struggling neighborhood.”According to Digital Trends, the way the theme park would work would be like a giant game. Players would run and hide from zombies, try to find food and supplies and try to find other survivors. Each player would wear a certain number of patches, which would get torn off one by one during each zombie encounter. Once all the patches were gone, the player would join the zombie team. Zombies could also be eliminated once their patches were ripped off, and there would be opportunities to collect extra patches during the game.

At this point, Siwak is just trying to collect initial funding for the concept. The goal is to raise $145,000 by August 25, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. Currently, the project has raised $8,106. To donate click here. To learn more about the project, check out the video above.

19-Year-Old Is First To Cross Lake Michigan … By Windsurfing

by Kyle Ellison on

Sure, this happened almost two months ago, but the video footage for it just came out, which makes the overall experience that much more exciting.

In case you aren’t:

1. A Lake Michigan local surfer

or

2. An avid Kai Lenny fan,

there’s a good chance you never heard about the fact that earlier this year, 19-year-old Maui phenom Kai Lenny became the first person to ever successfully windsurf across Lake Michigan.

Before you ho-hum this accomplishment by passing it off as a casual lake crossing, let me drop some statistics on you that might make you reconsider how ridiculously difficult of an accomplishment this was.

On his crossing, Lenny traveled a distance of 56 miles at speeds of up to 25 knots, which for those of you who aren’t nautically inclined is 30 mph. The crossing took him 2 hours and 50 minutes in water temperatures that only hovered in the low 50s. Do you have any idea the stamina required to windsurf for nearly three straight hours over choppy seas while being pelted with frigid sprays of water on your hands, feet and head?

It’s more than you or I have, I can assure you.

Just to put things in perspective one more time, out of curiosity I wanted to see how long it takes the ferries to zip across the waters of Lake Michigan. The result?

SS Badger: 4 hours
Lake Express High Speed Catamaran: 2.5-3 hours
Kai Lenny: 2.8 hours

Despite a failed attempt two years ago to accomplish the same feat, Lenny has, once again, firmly planted his name in the record books where few have dared to venture.

5 Stages Of Travel Interactive Infographic

by Chris Owen on

Saying that nearly 70 percent of all travelers begin planning online, Google has an infographic that details the five stages of travel. It’s a great look at how travelers move from merely dreaming about travel to sharing their travels with others.

Breaking the process down to Dreaming, Planning, Booking, Experiencing and Sharing, this infographic is part of Google’s multi-media research library of case studies, interviews with thought leaders, sound bites from their industry events and more.

Want to know more about why we click what we click and do what we do online when researching travel? Dive deep into insights around how consumers decide on airlines, hotels, car rentals and cruises for their travel needs with a series of Google studies.

Covering topics ranging from “Media Consumption In Israel” to “Travelers Road To Decision 2011,” trend-setting Google studies have interesting facts on a variety of topics.




[Flickr photo by Scurzuzu]