Not quite sure. It was when I was driving a gas-run ambulance in the 80s. We had an emergency transport on a twisty, New England freeway. I ask the crew chief, "How fast you want me to go?" (Translation: How bad off is the patient?). He says, "How fast *can* you go?" [Translation: Pretty bad]
This thing had a top number of 85mph (which is all its diesel replacement could do, unfortunately) and then a space above the mark for about 15mph more. I buried the needle so it didn't come back off the plastic for a good ten-fifteen seconds after I took my foot off the gas. So...a hundred, easy.
Some dick in a Mazda decided to play chicken with me right after I got on the freeway in the middle of all this, me going Code Three, lights and siren. Naturally, the state cops are nowhere to be found when you need one. So, I finally just got in front of him and hogged the road. He even tried to get over in the gravel to pass me, but it didn't work too well. I figured that if he was going to be a moron, better he do it behind me instead of in front of me, slamming on his brakes and crap like that the way he was doing before I blocked him. To an ambulance going Code Three, mind you. With his girlfriend in the front seat. If she had any brains, she broke up with him, afterward.
It was a pretty exciting twenty minutes of my life, I can tell you. Oh, and I broke the speed record on that particular transport route.
When we got to the hospital the probie sitting shotgun was looking a tad pale. The ride was so smooth, though, that the crew chief complained that I was driving slow and could've gone faster (Did I mention they had a bad case going in back?). I'm like, "I don't think that rig can go any faster, man. Sorry."
The fastest I've been recently was a year or two ago, when I happened to do 95 or so in a '95 GT Mustang (Hey, these things happen in a Mustang). Damn, that car didn't even break a sweat. Sadly, the roads are too crowded for Autobahn-style racing and, while the cops are understanding around here, they're not *that* understanding.
Not to mention, this state sure has its numbnuts drivers. Yeah, you're gonna drag-race me in a Mustang with your POS minivan when I'm not even bothering you? Don't think so.
Innsmouth Free Press http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com
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