Slow Down...It's the 5-0

Aside from talking on the elevator, few things annoy me more than people slamming on their brakes every time they see a police vehicle. Today I am driving into work on beautiful I-79, crusing around 72 MPH. Out my rearview mirror, I see a State Trooper driving along in the passing lane, gaining ground. No big deal to me...I pull over into the slower lane to allow him to pass...it's just the right thing to do.

Well, anyway, the guy in the slow lane in front of me apparently saw the police vehicle about that time and decided to slow down a bit. He went from 72 MPH to 70...then to 68...64...62...60. He finally felt comfortable at about 58 MPH. Needless to say, I was not very pleased. Of course I couldn't just whip around him as much as I wanted to because I had a State Trooper now racing towards us since 76 or so is much, much faster than the whopping 58 I am currently traveling. Obviously, as soon as the trooper passed, I went to pass the slow offender only to have him speed back up to 75 or so...basically stranding me in the passing lane beside him. However, I did angrily complete the pass and obviously the trooper never paid any attention as I sped to 78+.

But I digress. I don't understand why this moron in the car in front of me felt it necessary to travel 12 miles per hour below the speed limit because a trooper was going to pass us. If he was going 90 I would understand why he needed to slow down...but going 72 isn't much and I would say "cool" if he just slowed to 70 or even 68. But 58? Come on. Give me a break. Had the trooper wanted to bust him, or I, for going 72, he would have done so. Slowing down to 58 doesn't cancel out the previous disregard for the speed limit. So why slow so much? It doesn't make it better.

Secondly, why speed back up just because the trooper has completed the pass? If you're that nervous, then continue traveling at 70. I don't want to have to speed to pass you but you were cruising at 58 MPH...stay there. Why speed up to 75 now? It was...and is...absolutely ridiculous. Some people...well, most people...should not be allowed to drive. Seriously.