Could You Try Not To Speed?

That is the very question I was asked today by a complete stranger. I was leaving the house with Ryleigh in the back seat. A car was in front of me, and I was just driving along. (going the speed limit!) It irks my nerves to no end when I see people zooming down the main road here by our house. Not only does this road go straight through housing, but it is also a school zone. Taylor walks or rides his bike to school on a daily basis so it makes me mad to see people speeding. I think that people should really slow down and pay attention. Its dangerous to other drivers, but most of all its dangerous to our kids. There are crossing guards on the main road, but that doesn't stop people from speeding. After all, they are just that, crossing guards. They aren't posted on the corner of the street holding speed guns. lol. But some of those kids don't pay attention and they don't wait for the crossing guard. They just run out into the crosswalk without looking, or they just zoom across on their bikes. I always tell Taylor to stop and look both ways, even if there is a crossing guard. He also has to walk his bike across the street. Its much safer that way. Anyhow, so my point here is that I deliberately keep a watchful eye on my speedometer on a daily basis when I am driving on and off of base. There were days when I would speed off base, going 80 in a 65. I've never had a speeding ticket. But one day, as I was speeding, I thought to myself ,'Why am I in such a hurry?' There was no reason. I just felt rushed. I always feel rushed. I don't know why, so about 6 months or so ago, I decided that I would no longer allow myself to feel rushed. I will go the speed limit and that is that. If people don't like a law-abiding citizen then go around. I especially make it a point to not speed on the base. The last thing I want or need is to have my driving privileges revoked on base. So, there I was driving along to Austyn's school. I pull into the parking lot and find a space. The car that was in front of me is no longer in front. They are now behind me. As I get out of the car with Ryleigh on my hip, this woman rolls her window down and says to me, "Ma'am, do you think you could try not to speed through there?" I'm sure I looked like she had just asked me if she could take Ryleigh for the day. I was in shock. Really? A complete stranger asking me not to speed. I admired her sense of responsibility and courage. I would not have the courage to follow a stranger and ask them to not speed. However, I was also mad. I was NOT speeding! I looked down at the speedometer several times and was actually going 24 miles an hour. So, I said to her, well, thank you for your concern, but I know what the speed limit is, and I make it a point to follow it. I have a son that walks down that road every single day to get to and from school. So, believe in me when I say that I know the importance of obeying the speed limit. She continued on to say that just yesterday someone was pulled over for speeding, and that just now, I zipped passed her. I really felt like telling her that if she hadn't been so involved in texting on her cell phone on that road, she might have realized that she actually was going far below the speed limit. I understand her concern and I agree with her that speeding is a problem. I was just shocked that she said something to me . . . when I wasn't doing anything wrong! I think about those kids and their safety. I guess she could only think of speeding as being dangerous and didn't really correlate her texting as dangerous. Some people.