Just a couple of observations:

The new speed limits out here in California have proven to be
a mixed blessing; while its nice to be able to go faster, yada yada
yada, it has significantly eroded my margin of comfort on
the freeways.  I live in the right lane, but occassionally I
could slideover a lane or two as the need arose, because I had
the 15mph reserve to do so.  Now I have to use that 15mph 
"reserve" just to keep up!  I hear they're renaming the right
hand lane the "Thom" lane...  Anyone else having similar problems?

In addition, I don't think the news of the higher limits has filtered 
down to all drivers yet, even though the new signs are up and the news 
stations run a story on it just about every night.  This seems
to be most prevalent with the, shall we say, "older generation"
of driver's, the ones who still think you're lungs will collapse
at speeds above 50mph (people really use to think that!)

Also, is it just me, or has trucker etiquette gone by the wayside?
I always blink the lights to let truckers know I'm letting them
in, but I never get an aknowledgement anymore.  Is this some
new generation of truckers who have lost the old ways?  I 
remember getting ack's even in my 911. (and no, DTR was not set...)

Thom - Wide awake on a Monday Morn'!!!
--
> Old programmers never die; they just branch to a new address.
Thom Fitzpatrick 
'56 Sunroof Kombi
'54 RHD 23-Window Deluxe
tfab@netcom.com - ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/tf/tfab/index.html
thom@calweb.com - http://www.calweb.com/~thom