# How to answer "Do you know how fast you were going?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 27, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472 "2011-12-27T00:58:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 75

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**Author:** ![SeaCanary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SeaCanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaCanary)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/75 "2011-12-27T21:36:16Z")

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How about:  
“Do you know how fast you were going?”  
“Please tell me, officer.” in as polite a manner as possible.

> [@Critical\_Mass](#):
>
> > [@Lukeinva](#):
> >
> > Nowadays you can technically be speeding when you are just keeping up with traffic. Go 55 and you will get run down.
> 
> In my world, one is factually speeding when one exceeds the speed limit regardless of mitigating factors.

Here’s what I said in [another thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12673336#post12673336) long ago that addresses the issue of mitigating factors vs. factually speeding (For the record, I live in the DC area if that makes any difference.):

> [@"Get outa my way" or Why I am more important than you](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-outa-my-way-or-why-i-am-more-important-than-you/546280/58):
>
> There are 2 things, though, that really make me want to duck and cover:[ol]  
> [li]I’m driving 5 mph over the speed limit in the right lane, look in my rear view mirror and see a tractor trailer rig barreling towards me fast enough to slap-shot me into the next county. I’ve tried staying put and the bastard comes up on my bumper and sits there. Given sufficient time he will pass, but I gotta tell ya I feel one helluva lot happier moving one lane to the left and getting out of his way.[/li][li]Traveling south out of DC and driving on I-95 south through Virginia, I’m once again in the right lane driving 5 mph over the limit. (The last time I looked the posted limit was 65 mph.) The problem is everyone else – and I do mean everyone in every lane – is driving between 10 and 15 mph over the limit. I am a fripping HAZARD driving at 70 mph. The only thing I can think of is find an alternate route.[/li][/ol]  
> I guess there’s no getting around either of these. It’s just the way things work.

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