Dear drivers of the Madison area,

While I can appreciate the urge for safe driving, there is safe and there is ridiculous. There seems to be quite a contingent of you who feel the need to apply the brakes every 30 seconds. Now, the brakes are a very vital and useful item. They are particularly helpful when:

*Approaching a yellow/red light.

*Coming up on a obsticle such as a stopped car, pedestrian, or wall.

*Making a sharpish turn.

However, for events such as going downhill or finding yourself 5 miles over the limit, you'll find it amazing how much one can slow down when one simply removes one's foot from the accelerator. It's a wonder of physics--something called "friction". You see, while objects in motion tend to stay in motion, the road is not perfectly smooth. Neither are your tires.

Try it sometime. Next time you are on a broad stretch of road, with no obstructions before you and you realize that you would like to be going just a wee bit less fast, take your foot off of the gas a bit but keep it off the damn brakes. Seriously. The people behind you will thank you for it. I know I will.