cabman4007

I realize that monday morning quarterbacking is 20/20 and what I did wasnt too bright but last night at 10 pm at the way to the Orl airport on an open highway without traffic I was traveling about 82 mph.

In the background I saw a car approaching with white xeon lights and knew it was some foreign job but the distance was too far to determine the make.

As the car got closer I got one flash of the high beams and knew it was a fellow Porsche driver, in fact a 2003 4S. Well, we waved and I decided to follow him just for fun. We were on I-95 north and the speed limit is 70 and it was clear and beautiful weather, New Yrs Eve night and no cops in sight.

The 4S was moving at well over 100 mph so I followed suit and just kept it at 110, 112 (maybe a tad more) for quite a distance. It was fun but now to think of the consequences really scares me.

I realized today that when I am driving either on a highway or on back roads and another P Car buddies up with me I get this "superman" invincible feeling that I wont get a ticket or into an accident, lose all rational sense and just break all kinds of speeding laws.

Do most of you get this same urge or do you keep it in check? Imagine spending New Years Eve in jail for speeding? Well, knockwood, I didnt but this same scenario happens again and again to me..... That's why I drive a Porsche. Well, I am 53 so maybe they will have mercy on me in court!! lol

Happy Holidays,

Cabman

MarkPcar

Hehehe - couple of thoughts - buy a rce car or become a track day regular to get it out of your system - works well for me. In fact I don't really like going on the mountain cruises with my Pcar buddies because everyone gets too crazy. I always think they should take it to the track.

Did you read the thread earlier this year, I think it was on http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/ about the guy that was driving his turbo from LA to the east and was speeding through Arizona and just got a wild hair and decided to out run the cops? Very funning and scary.

bobporsche996

i think the adrenaline rush of the rapid acceration, the exhaust, the passing of cars upon cars, putting your life in danger and others, knowing that you could die at any second from your driving.... and lose so much, whether financially, physically (limb wise) or otherwise... gives us all, kind of a twisted rush of of dopemine in the brain.. kind of like when you run into someone you are attracted to and lose all rational thought and intelligence in pursuit of the targeted prey...

it's kind of like sex.. you feel great during the act.. and maybe do some things unsafe or that you shouldn't do.. until you finish the act... uhem... only to feel guilty or come to some rationalization of what you did may not have been the best idea... with this person you don't even know..

personally, driving my 996 cab with fabspeed muffler bypass through the tunnels at 150mph with the top down. i really could care less what happens the higher the speed goes... the dopemine in my brain is so high.. the danger is so high... until i finally... finally... can't handle it anymore... eyes wide open, grinning... .. well not that i get that far.. but when i slow down, i feel awesome.. then a few minutes later, i rationalize how stupid it was to put myself and others in such danger... it's very rare i'll do such an activity.. but sometimes, when having a bad night.. that can make things a bit better to take out some built up aggression.. as stupid as it may be..

sex and driving a sports car... two of the best and worst things in the world for the male psyche

cabman4007

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I feel exactly the same way. Something takes over when I'm in the Porsche and it feels good. Afterwards I ponder on how stupid I was but I still do it again the next chance I have. I guess its like any wonderful feeling in life comparable to various sex acts.

150 mph would be pushing it for me. At close to 115 my adrenalin was pumping and I felt great. I dont know what a coke high is but this speed high I have been getting since buying the Porsche has been addicting. I have a stock 996 without extra parts but in 4th and 5th gear at 80 mph,,, its an incredible pull until 115,, lightening to me. I just cannot imagine a 996 turbo from 80 mph to 120 mph. I hear its even more addictive.....

Don

Res Ips

Cabman: just my opinion, here...

That was a pretty idiotic and dangerous thing to do anytime but especially on New Years eve. Hope your sense of guilt stays with you for a very long time especially when you get behind the wheel of your car.

I am always reminded of what I learned in law school. It has remained with me and it applies to almost everything we do in our lives. Its a simple definition of negligence: "Negligence is a failure to exercise that degree of due care which a person of ordinary prudence, (i.e., a reasonable person), would exercise under the same or similar circumstances and from which another suffers damages attributable (causation) to the breech of due care".

Moms, dads and kids, hell, for that matter--entire families have been wiped out on the highways because some yahoo gets a hard-on to go fast and looses it.

If such were to occur and I were prosecuting such a case I would have no problem pointing my finger at the accused (perhaps you) at trial and demanding of the judge to impose the per count maximum sentence for negligent vehicular homicide and go home and sleep like a baby!!

Please man...there's only one place for driving like that and its on a track. Take it there and leave it there and besides its a kick in the butt!!

...A good and safe New Year to you...

Jim

houldsworth1

Jim,

I understand where you are coming from and agree with you on the point about it being a very bad idea to drive too fast on New Years Eve – far too many idiots that have already had one too many before heading out.

However, I have to disagree a little bit beyond that. Your view is that what he did was reckless. I might also venture that you might have the ‘speed kills’ message ringing around in the background somewhere.

My problem is this – on a clear straight highway with no traffic in a modern Porsche in good condition 100mph is hardly reckless – the car is designed to handle speeds nearly double that.

I didn’t grow up in the U.S. but I know a lot of people here who have never exceeded 100mph and honestly believe that to that fast is foolish. However growing up in Europe these speeds were common. I commuted 40 miles each way by motorcycle for 5 years and hardly ever went below 85-90 on the M1 – never had a problem and the cops didn’t even bother to look at us because everyone – Mom, Pop and Grandpa – were all doing the same thing in cars with a top speed probably not much more than 20mph over that.

What is my point? It is not speed that kills – it is inappropriate speed that kills. Someone doing 35mph when everyone else is doing 80mph is an accident waiting to happen.

In this case he said it was a clear highway with good weather so (New Years Eve aside) I think the biggest risk he was taking was in getting arrested.

Barry

cabman4007

As I stated, it was 10 pm, there were hardly any cars on I 95 between Melbourne and the Bee Line. I followed another Porsche at high speeds but I never felt I was driving recklessly. The car was stable and I was in control at 115. So, I don't feel like anyone was indangered and I would fight that in court. If there was traffic and a lot of weaving in and out that would be one thing but there was none of that. A beautiful clear 63 degree night and 2 Porsche's doing over 100.

The track is great. I have done a few DE's but sometimes I feel like just going fast for more than a 1/4 mile. The track doesnt alleviate that need to really get it going for a few miles. Although I like the turns and curves last night was perfect for speeding and a track would not have satisfied that urge.

Of course, I am willing to pay the consequences if I ever get caught knowingly breaking the law.

Cabman

ps,,, I have had a lot of very fast cars and never have gotten a speed ticket ,, going on almost 40 yrs.

mtb968

I hope you knocked on wood when you made that ps,,, statement.

have fun, drive fast and drive safe.

cabman4007

I sure did knockwood. I am very very cautious 99 percent of the time. Once in a while I get into a mood to act a little over the edge but not often.

I dont want my insurance rates going up, I dont want legal fees or court fees and I dont need any trouble but sometimes we forget these things.

Anyway, time to start packing for a 14 day cruise to Central America (Houndras, Panama, Costa Rica) that leaves from Jacksonville tomorrow.

Cabman

ps.. I will be driving my Toyota Tacoma 4X4 (lots of luggage) so no chance of speeding on I-95.

ben in lj

yep, crusing near 100 mph on an open clear highway in a modern porsche is "far" from reckless in and of itself. heck, cruising at 100 mph in my modern F150 is similarly uneventful and boring. 100 mph is most defintely not what it used to be given todays cars. the fact that it was new years eve with drunken idiots galore is a different story. personally i find it reckless to be traveling in a car at any speed on new years eve for that reason.

bobporsche996

one must realize, atleast in the us, the way the legal system is setup, is it doesn't matter how god of a driver you are.. or how in control you are... the guy you were messing around with.. could have been intoxicated.. or even if he wasn't, if he crashed and died.. you could be found responsible for his actions.. even if you kept driving, they would probably end up at your door the next day after scanning the local VIN database for porsches in your color... there aren't that many porsches in smaller towns/cities... which makes it easy to find ya.. (which probably would be the case, as i'm sure you passed atleast one or two witness drivers) and be found guilty of manslaughter, ending you up in the slammer for a few years.. which if you have a family especially, is probably not something you want to risk, let alone the guilty consisence, the civil suits, the legal aspects, the felony on your record, and all that is associated with it.. there's alot of morons out there that can't drive... just because they can afford a porsche, doesn't mean they are any better drivers than grandma in her old caddy deville...

i always have my beliefs on driving at excess speeds..
1) always always be alone in the car and on an open highway... never put anyone else's life in your hands if you choose to engage in such speeds..
2) always do it without anyone egging you on, or with anyone else involved... none of that cat and mouse crap, you see so often, especially with little kids and their rice-mobiles...

if the road is clear, you are alone in your car... then by all means, we're all entitled to a little fun... once in awhile.. i just feel one must use as much rational as you can when you taking on these speeds on US roads.. unfortunately we aren't in europe... so anything over 100mph will land you in jail and lose your license.. and if someone dies because of your 100mph+ escapades.. one will truly land in jail for more than the night... regardless, you'll have a couple years to think about it behind bars... on that note, welcome all foreigners to the great usa

cabman4007

Hey guys,,,

I posted this just for a haha,,, now I am sorry I posted this.

I am 53, worked in a Public Trust position for 30 years and really dont need any lectures.

There was nothing said that I dont know about I just chose to share some honest feelings I had.

Next time I will know better.

Cabman

bobporsche996

cabman,

..don't take it personally (i'm sure i'm speaking for many others here as well) :> lots of readers are also reading this post... i didn't post my message in relation to yours, or to make you come off as a bad person... i simply did for the benefit of the other drivers considering driving at high speeds to consider that aren't knowledgable of the accountability of driving at such speeds... while many are, many are not... and it's always good for everyone to be aware of the situation they are putting themselves into and the risks associated with it...

it's good for them to have a perspective on the situation as well... you just kind of brought up the topic... myself, and many others are simply expressing our feelings on certain actions, that's all.. on that note, enjoy the speeding, just keep it under 180

houldsworth1

Cabman,

Sorry - didn't mean to hi-jack the post either. I think many of us have experienced something akin to what you were talking about. To be honest my car feels so comfortable at those sort of speeds that when I first got it I had to set the gong to stop me from doing it accidentally.

Personally I like fast that involves twisties. Track days are great but what I really enjoy is reading the road while I 'make good progress' - it is an art form in its own right and something that I have spent years practising and teaching. I am not really interseted in pushing the cars limits that often and when I do get the urge an AutoX is usually good enough for me (along with much lower risk of anything nasty happening).

As long as your enjoyment of life is not interfereing with someone elses enjoyment of life then everything is good.

Enjoy the cruise!

Barry

ben in lj

don't worry about it cabman, if 100% of those on this board said they'd never done what you did, 99% of them would be lying.