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I'm bringing this up about a year too late.

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    Posted: 03 Dec 2008 at 7:15pm
I harp on this subject on these boards, but this is about the only place I have to do so (I'm a stereotyped Internet user, the kind who knows of almost no other way to give out opinions). I can never help dividing up drivers into neat little categories, mainly the common courtesy kind, that uses cars as a way to get from Point A to Point B, and the cars are EVERYTHING, "I own the road" kind. Especially where I live, where any other kind of getting around is treated as something just plain abnormal. That's dreary old news in my case, but there's one thing I've wanted to say for ages now, and that's that, when it comes to the "nice guy" kind of driver, I feel bad about all the high gas prices, but when it comes to that other kind, I often think it's just plain hilarious. Because when it comes to that kind vs. the oil companies, I do not see any good guys at all. In fact, you'd just about have to be a saint not to gouge people like that (just being less awful than an oil exec wouldn't cut it). So when it comes to them, I don't really care if they ever go down. If only it were that simple, and only one kind had to pay that much.
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If you're going to bring that up, don't do it on the carpet.  Nathan just had this place cleaned....  Big%20smile
 
But, I know what you mean about the drivers.  Conventional wisdom says that if gas prices get too high, then alternatives and creative thinking will increase, but I am not sure I buy that entirely.  We already went through a big gas crunch in the 70s, and overall gas mileage didn't decrease for squat.  
 
Gas prices hurt everybody.  And your "nice guy A to B' drivers are just as culpable for consuming gas as anyone else. 
 
I am inclined to believe what Gregg Easterbrook, who writes Tuesday Morning QB for ESPN.com, says in that one of the biggest things we hurt ourselves with is our obsession with massive horsepower.  Your average sedan today has more hp than the famously wasteful muscle cars of the 1970s, and we just don't need or even come close to tapping into it just toodling around in the minivan getting groceries.
 
If we had required a mere 1% mpg/year overall increase in engine efficiency in 1973.....
 
 
"Oh, bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote musicman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Dec 2008 at 6:59am
Originally posted by Skerlnik Skerlnik wrote:

 
 And your "nice guy A to B' drivers are just as culpable for consuming gas as anyone else. 
 
 
 
 
 
For some reason that statement strikes me as illogical.
 
True, the nice guys going a-b are using gas as well as others use gas.  In that sense they are both equal.
 
To say that non a-b drivers that are driving around aimlessly using gas for no good purpose are only as responsible for wasting gas as a-b drivers just sounds false to me.
 
 
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shebazz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 9:23am
I always wonder where the hell everyone's going in such a damn hurry. What's so important? Especially in my small town; you can get anywhere in about five minutes, yet some feel the need to go 50-60 in a 25 (a little disconcerting when I'm riding my bike on a road with no shoulder). But, much less annoying dealing with a town of less than 9,000 than the city of almost a million I moved here from.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hootman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 12:55pm
Don't you love it when some jerk whips around you in heavy traffic, proceeds to do the same thing to a few other cars, only to be right next to you at the stop light?

I turn and try to give him my biggest grin. Big%20smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 3:34pm
Yeah, Hoot---that is definitely satisfying.  But I sometimes wonder if people who drive like that are really trying to get to their destination faster than the rest of us.  Sometimes, I think it's just their attempt to dominate the road.
 
When I spot such people in my rearview mirror, I always try to box them in.  I speed up to the car in the next lane, and more or less, drive right alongside---forcing the weaving speeder to drive in a normal manner while stuck behind us.  This prevents the speeding weaver from continuing on in his silly endeavor.  Plus, it's fun to look in the rearview and see his petulant little teenage facial expression.  It's usually a teenager.  Usually driving a tricked-out CRX.  Usually wearing a baseball cap cocked slightly to the side. 
 
They're also likely to be poised behind the steering wheel in the latest cool manner.  Where I live, it used to be seated way back and low.  Over the past few years, it seems to be leaned forward into the steering wheel with the left forearm draped over the wheel.
 
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PaWolf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 3:45pm

I'm not quite the same, Thor - but I really love f'n with them, too!

I usually start by repeatedly *testing* my brake lights (just a tap/tap/tap) while very gradually slowing down and leaning more to the center line, so it is as hard as it can be - to pass me. Granted - it is a great way to create 'Road Rage' issues.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 3:59pm
Us old folks sure do like to live on the edge, don't we, Pa?  LOL
 
I have a great driving record, but I do enjoy playing games on the road occasionally.  I don't start them, though.  Still...who better to do so than someone who's been driving nearly spotlessly for 36 years?  I know what I can do...and when and where I can do it.  To me, it's just fun.
 
Judge People's Court Marilyn Milian the hottest judge on television would probably call this game "Quien es mas macho?".  LOL
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hootman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 4:27pm
A former brother-in-law drove a big fn buick years ago.  One day he was driving along on a snow covered country road when a VW Beetle sped right around him.  Not only did it startle him, but the bug almost clipped his car.

Anyway, a few miles later, the bug was stopped at a traffic light.  My brother-in-law calmly pulled up behind the bug and "shoved" it into a snow bank.  As he went around, he smiled to the young kid driver.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 4:53pm
LOL
That's why God created big f'n Buicks!
 
 
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The only times I intentionally piss people off is if they are sitting in the left lane not passing anybody. Our state law says "Keep right, Pass left." If you are sitting in the left lane too long, it will set me off. When I get around you, watch out!
 
Same goes for those people who like to pull a quick left in front of oncoming straight traffic as soon as the light turns green. When I think they are going to pull this one (and you can usually tell when they will), I will one up them by cutting them off, then driving slowly enough so that there is a nice line of cars going past them, meaning they are stuck in the middle of the intersection like a dumbass.
 
 
As for letting people in front of me, here is my rule:
-If you are driving American, I will almost always let you in.
-If you are driving jap, Tough!
-If you are driving European, I will probably let you in, depends on my mood.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote musicman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Dec 2008 at 2:00am
Originally posted by Skippy Skippy wrote:

The only times I intentionally piss people off is if they are sitting in the left lane not passing anybody. Our state law says "Keep right, Pass left." If you are sitting in the left lane too long, it will set me off. When I get around you, watch out!
 
Same goes for those people who like to pull a quick left in front of oncoming straight traffic as soon as the light turns green. When I think they are going to pull this one (and you can usually tell when they will), I will one up them by cutting them off, then driving slowly enough so that there is a nice line of cars going past them, meaning they are stuck in the middle of the intersection like a dumbass.
 
 
As for letting people in front of me, here is my rule:
-If you are driving American, I will almost always let you in.
-If you are driving jap, Tough!
-If you are driving European, I will probably let you in, depends on my mood.
 
Hey Skip, maybe you want to throw a couple of bucks at your favorite American car companies.  I hear they are looking for some money because they make junk and no one wants to buy it.
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2008 at 12:35am

No one? Then why do I have 3 of them?

 

As for them being junk, your image of them, like too many others, is still stuck in 1985. The quality gap has officially closed. The real issue is the leftover 1985 image that people still have stuck in their heads. Quality on many models has EXCEEDED the imports.

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That must be why they're begging for money from the taxpayers.
 
 
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C'mon, man!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shebazz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2008 at 4:39am
Originally posted by Thor Thor wrote:

Usually wearing a baseball cap cocked slightly to the side. 

What's with the slightly sideways hat, anyway? It's not comfortable when worn that way, you damn youngins! What are you trying to prove, that you just don't care about anything? That you're a rebel against traditional hat values?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2008 at 5:08am
Originally posted by Jimbo Jimbo wrote:

That must be why they're begging for money from the taxpayers.
 
 
 
No, not really. Their well paid retirees are the biggest problem, along with a greedy union.
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There's only one thing worse than not having unions...and that's having unions.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2008 at 3:02pm
Originally posted by Irishman Irishman wrote:

There's only one thing worse than not having unions...and that's having unions.
 
Same with onions.
 
Onions are good, but if they're too powerful, they can destroy the dish.  The only exception would be a dish that's centered around onions.  And the only one I can think of is batter-fried onion rings.  So maybe the UAW needs to be fried in batter.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tiz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2008 at 7:38pm
Originally posted by Skippy Skippy wrote:

 
Same goes for those people who like to pull a quick left in front of oncoming straight traffic as soon as the light turns green. When I think they are going to pull this one (and you can usually tell when they will), I will one up them by cutting them off, then driving slowly enough so that there is a nice line of cars going past them, meaning they are stuck in the middle of the intersection like a dumbass.
 
 
As for letting people in front of me, here is my rule:
-If you are driving American, I will almost always let you in.
-If you are driving jap, Tough!
-If you are driving European, I will probably let you in, depends on my mood.
 
You have serious issues, Skip.Wacko  You need a "I brake for American cars only" bumpersticker.
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Unions are a two-edged sword. With them, they over reach & demand too much. Without them, big corporations would run roughshod over their employees & take advantage of them in every way they could get away with.
 
I used to work for Piper Aircraft Corp. many years ago. The UAW tried to get voted into that company every year. They never did succeed because Piper took pretty good care of it's employees, offering good pay & benefits compared to any other local industries. But had it not been for the constant threat of the union getting a foothold in their plant, they likely wouldn't have been so generous. So in this case it was just the possibility of a union taking over that forced them to be a bit more generous than they otherwise might have.
 
...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
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C'mon, man!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote musicman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2008 at 9:41pm
Originally posted by Skippy Skippy wrote:

No one? Then why do I have 3 of them?

 

As for them being junk, your image of them, like too many others, is still stuck in 1985. The quality gap has officially closed. The real issue is the leftover 1985 image that people still have stuck in their heads. Quality on many models has EXCEEDED the imports.

 
Not quite.  My image is stuck from  when I had a 1988 Chevy Celebrity that the water pump pulley fell off.
 
I had a 1992 Dodge Caravan that had so many problems with it my company made me trade it for a 1994 Dodge Caravan.
 
My image is from when I had the 1994 Dodge Caravan that the tie rod fell off while I was driving through a rotary (traffic circle to you). 
 
Then less than a year later the tranny broke down on a crowded expressway.  With just over 100,000 miles on it.  Cost me $2,600 to fix.  The mechanic showed me the tranny with one of the main gears cracked in half.
 
Lets just talk about the greedy American union auto workers that want so much money to assemble a vehicle that the company scrimps on quality so that they can make ends meet.
 
I'm glad you some how have had vehicles that run.  Don't know how much you've thrown into them to keep them alive.
 
The point still stands.  Why do they need a bail out?  Partly because of their rep, partly because they lose money on every vehicle they sell due to greedy auto unions.
 
Why should I give my taxes to bail out a company that pays their workers 3 times the average salary to their emplyees?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2008 at 12:20am
Originally posted by musicman musicman wrote:

Originally posted by Skippy Skippy wrote:

No one? Then why do I have 3 of them?

 

As for them being junk, your image of them, like too many others, is still stuck in 1985. The quality gap has officially closed. The real issue is the leftover 1985 image that people still have stuck in their heads. Quality on many models has EXCEEDED the imports.

 
Not quite.  My image is stuck from  when I had a 1988 Chevy Celebrity that the water pump pulley fell off.
 
I had a 1992 Dodge Caravan that had so many problems with it my company made me trade it for a 1994 Dodge Caravan.
 
My image is from when I had the 1994 Dodge Caravan that the tie rod fell off while I was driving through a rotary (traffic circle to you). 
 
Then less than a year later the tranny broke down on a crowded expressway.  With just over 100,000 miles on it.  Cost me $2,600 to fix.  The mechanic showed me the tranny with one of the main gears cracked in half.
 
 
 
The 1994 model year, is closer to 1985 than 2009, hence my point. A lot of improvements have taken place since then.
 
Lets just talk about the greedy American union auto workers that want so much money to assemble a vehicle that the company scrimps on quality so that they can make ends meet.
 
I'm glad you some how have had vehicles that run.  Don't know how much you've thrown into them to keep them alive.
 
 
Not very much at all. The Mustang needed a clutch about 3 years ago, but at 140k that can be expected. And soon before that a new radiator. The Malibu (49k) needed nothing in the 4 years that I had it, and the Neon (90k) needed nothing in 7 years that can be attributed to reliability (just body work from my wife driving into a ditch in 2002).
 
The point still stands.  Why do they need a bail out?  Partly because of their rep, partly because they lose money on every vehicle they sell due to greedy auto unions.
 
Why should I give my taxes to bail out a company that pays their workers 3 times the average salary to their emplyees?
 
How much tax money has been given to foreign automakers to build plants in their states, when they can easily afford it on their own? The figure I heard was 8 Billion.  Also throw in that the Japanese have their healthcare and retirement paid for by the government, and that alone puts us at a disadvantage. All that technology that developed the prius, where did that come from? Yep, their government!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2008 at 12:23am
Originally posted by Tiz Tiz wrote:

Originally posted by Skippy Skippy wrote:

 
Same goes for those people who like to pull a quick left in front of oncoming straight traffic as soon as the light turns green. When I think they are going to pull this one (and you can usually tell when they will), I will one up them by cutting them off, then driving slowly enough so that there is a nice line of cars going past them, meaning they are stuck in the middle of the intersection like a dumbass.
 
 
As for letting people in front of me, here is my rule:
-If you are driving American, I will almost always let you in.
-If you are driving jap, Tough!
-If you are driving European, I will probably let you in, depends on my mood.
 
You have serious issues, Skip.Wacko  You need a "I brake for American cars only" bumpersticker.
 
Everybody has issues, this one is mine.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2008 at 12:33am
Originally posted by Jimbo Jimbo wrote:

Unions are a two-edged sword. With them, they over reach & demand too much. Without them, big corporations would run roughshod over their employees & take advantage of them in every way they could get away with.
 
I used to work for Piper Aircraft Corp. many years ago. The UAW tried to get voted into that company every year. They never did succeed because Piper took pretty good care of it's employees, offering good pay & benefits compared to any other local industries. But had it not been for the constant threat of the union getting a foothold in their plant, they likely wouldn't have been so generous. So in this case it was just the possibility of a union taking over that forced them to be a bit more generous than they otherwise might have.
 
 
 
Market forces have rendered unions obsolete in many sectors, especially retail. There is kind of a reverse "Law of supply and demand" where people have a wider range of job options that if their pay sucks, they can easily go somewhere else. If a company wants to keep good employees, they know that they are going to have to pay for them. Otherwise, they will wind up paying more to continuously hire and train new employees, and getting stuck with unproductive bums.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tiz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2008 at 1:09am
I really have no beef with American quality. I'm just not biased against Japanese made vehicles.
But if American made cars are equal in quality to "jap-crap", aren't american cars still crap? Just askin'?
Toyota, Honda, etc. employ american workers. Just don't understand the beef against them.
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