Posted by
Dave on Monday, July 31, 2006 4:49:12 PM
I just returned from a weeklong vacation up in Maryland and Delaware. Since I was a boy, my family has been renting a cottage in Bethany Beach, DE for a week in the summer (I know, amazing given the lack of sweet tea). It’s a nice place to vacation. It’s quiet around Bethany Beach, but head north and you’ve got Rehobeth Beach and a fantastic boardwalk, head south and you’ve got the endless strip of Ocean City, MD. Needless to say I didn’t want to come back (except to get sweet tea).
I didn’t have a lot of time to get online, and the time I did was spent checking in on the office. I did have a little time to think, more than that, I had an amazing realization that I’d like to share.
There’s a strip of road in Bethany Beach that separates the houses on the bay side with the houses on the ocean side. It’s a four-lane highway with a median and block after block of pedestrian crossings. What’s unique about this stretch of highway though is that all drivers exhibit a phenomenal behavior. They all drive 35 mph. Of course, the speed limit posted is 35 mph, but where on earth have you ever driven where people obey the speed limit?
I’ve known about this odd little stretch of road for a while, but I’m always amazed to see that the phenomenon continues. It’s weird, but if you hang around long enough, you can find out why people obey the speed limit here. Several times throughout the day and night, if you pay really good attention, you can actually see police cars giving tickets to those who speed. You’ll also notice that people are given fair warning – the speed limit signs have big orange additions that read “Strictly Enforced” (which I guess re-emphasizes the fact that if you don’t see any special notices, then a speed limit sign only serves as a suggestion).
But sure enough, people obey the speed limit. . . amazing!
I wonder if anyone has ever thought about enforcing other laws.
Ya'll come back now, ya hear!