When Did Kiwanis Avenue Turn Into Talladega Speedway?
There is a younger Sioux Falls driver that thinks I'm Number One!
So the other day I'm minding my own business, motoring north on Kiwanis Avenue. You know Kiwanis, it's one of the major streets in Sioux Falls. Oh, it's not 41st or Minnesota or East 10th, but it's a pretty busy street here in town.
So I'm toolin' down Kiwanis when I notice a car right on my bumper. I mean right on my tail, and when traffic cleared a bit he pulled around me, gave me his finger salute, and tore down the street.
I glanced down at my speedometer and I was doing 35. Now, I know the speed limit on Kiwanis is 30, so yes, I was breaking the law. Speeding. But this new friend of mine thought I was holding up traffic and he wasn't happy. And you know what?
He was right. I was, at five miles over the speed limit, indeed being passed by, quickly and often.
Kiwanis feels like one of those 'open' kind of streets, the one's where before you know it, you're over the limit. I had wondered why the limit was 30 and several years ago, I found out. My friend Rick Knobe and I were hosting a talk show and had one of the Sioux Falls City supervisors on-the-air. I asked him about it, why this avenue called Kiwanis was only 30 MPH.
Because there's no many homes along the street, I was told, and driveways. It might feel 'open', but it's essentially residential. So it's 30.
Oh.
And so, from time to time, as cars are popping by me, I'll look down and find myself doing that 30-35 range. And my word of advice would be:
Hey folks, slow down a bit. It's Kiwanis, not Talladega.
Oh, and by the way, a few years back I discovered that Oxbow Avenue is 25 MPH, not 36. So now (a little too late) I keep it under 25 on Oxbow. Lesson learned.