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Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 05, 2019 1:29 pm
by Guinevere
Parallel parking has never been a problem for me. I live and work and drive in cities, it’s a necessary skill. I don’t think these things compare to a seatbelt at all - seems to me that’s way overstating their importance. But I suppose time will tell.

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 05, 2019 2:04 pm
by Crackpot
What use is a seatbelt on your average drive? It is completely useless until is isn’t. These things all have their purpose they serve I find it incredibly handy to be able to pull in to my garage as close as possible to the wall without hitting any of the other crap piled up in there so my door doesn’t get dinged by my overzealous son exiting my wife’s car.

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 05, 2019 2:09 pm
by Crackpot
And I live in Michigan where unless you live in an area that exited before the advent of the automobile you don’t wed to know how to parallel park.

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 05, 2019 2:55 pm
by ex-khobar Andy
I had a loaner Corolla for a week which had a backup camera. It engaged automatically when you were in R and there is a screen where the radio usually is. I found it distracting; but I have no doubt that there are some kids alive today who have not been backed over by Grandpa in the driveway because of it. I approve of this technology.

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 05, 2019 4:12 pm
by Bicycle Bill
Crackpot wrote:What use is a seatbelt on your average drive? It is completely useless until is isn’t. These things all have their purpose they serve I find it incredibly handy to be able to pull in to my garage as close as possible to the wall without hitting any of the other crap piled up in there so my door doesn’t get dinged by my overzealous son exiting my wife’s car.
I like the way you asked the question in the first sentence and then answered it yourself in the second.  And as for the dings in the door, maybe you need to train your son to be a little more careful when exiting the other vehicle, although I would think that would be just plain common sense on his part.
But what do I know?  I wasn't born and raised in the "me-me-me-it's-all-about-me" era.
Image
-"BB"-

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 6:40 am
by MajGenl.Meade
When the electricity fails (three times in the past two weeks thus far - though not due to Eskom load-shedding) a perfectly acceptable cup of instant coffee can be made using the very hot water from the kitchen tap.

The advantage is that next day, the cold remnant tastes exactly the way that it would if I'd used a kettle of boiling water the day before. Best not to have put milk in it though.

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 5:59 pm
by Crackpot
So has prince Andrew dropped far enough in the line of succession that he could get caught soliciting a prostitution in trifalgar square and it won’t cause a scandal?

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 6:43 pm
by Long Run
I find it incredibly handy to be able to pull in to my garage as close as possible to the wall without hitting any of the other crap piled up in there
Low tech solution:

Image

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 7:08 pm
by Crackpot
How does that work for lateral positioning and with an ever shifting amount of clutter?

Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 7:39 pm
by RayThom
Crackpot wrote:How does that work for lateral positioning and with an ever shifting amount of clutter?
Tennis anyone?


Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 7:55 pm
by BoSoxGal
Crackpot wrote:How does that work for lateral positioning and with an ever shifting amount of clutter?
Time for a visit from Marie Kondo! :mrgreen:

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 10:59 pm
by Econoline
Guinevere wrote:My Jeep transmission crapped out on me in late February, so I chose to sell it and get something else. I was mostly looking at 2016 models just off lease. Too much distracting crap for me, but I was happy to find something I loved that had just what I wanted and not what I didn’t want.
Just out of curiosity (and because I'm in the early stages of shopping for a new used vehicle myself), what did you decide to buy?

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 12:56 am
by wesw
I m curious too.

and if it doesn t work out, I have a good suggestion for the next one....

a well restored 1990 era Cherokee Laredo....

4.0 litre

4 door

hunka hunka solid vehicle ....

I can t afford to own a restored one, probably at least 5 grand, but my old crap one is pretty great.

1500 six or so years ago and still chugging.

3 inch lift is perfect, with good tires....

perfect for MA winters.

if you can afford 7500 you can get a really nice one that will likely last ten yrs with out excessive repairs.

keep the front end good, which is cheap, because the "death wobble" is no joke.....

just a thought.....

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 1:12 am
by Joe Guy
Econoline wrote:[
Just out of curiosity (and because I'm in the early stages of shopping for a new used vehicle myself), what did you decide to buy?
If I were looking for a jeep type vehicle, I'd look at the RAV4 or Subaru Forester. They are among the most reliable and useful 'compact' SUV's out there - unless you want to pay for a Lexus.

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 5:28 am
by Guinevere
I went back to my roots and got a very gently used BMW X1.

I love it.

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 1:12 pm
by Burning Petard
How does that work for lateral positioning and with an ever shifting amount of clutter?

Two problems: a) ever shifting. Only solution for this is personal knowledge and skill. Learn where your vehicle is relative to the outside environment. This is the skill exhibited by driving next to another car, close enough that side mirrors or front/rear body parts ALMOST click but no contact is made. Very useful in moving around in parking garages will lots of other cars that are not centered between the lines. If you master this, you can tell how close your car is to other things without consciously evaluating it, an extension of knowing where different parts of your body are. Sort of like reaching over with one hand to scratch your elbow on the other side without thinking about it. When I acquired my latest car this required deliberate, careful attention. Sitting in my preferred driving position, I can see no parts of the vehicle beyond the side mirrors and the windshield frame. For a while I taped long plastic vertical rods to stick up above the front corners of the body.

b) lateral positioning. Simplest is a more complex adaption of the tennis ball on a string. Enlist the help of another human being to direct your actual placement of the car in the garage your desired distance from the (fixed, or predictable) walls and clutter. With their assistance hang TWO balls on strings, some distance from teacher other, located so that as you sit in the car behind the steering wheel, the two balls are in a straight line with each other and your dominant eyeball. This is a temporary hack until the skill above is mastered.

snailgate

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 1:18 pm
by Crackpot
Or I could use my cameras

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 12, 2019 6:34 pm
by Lord Jim
This is ridiculous...

I can't get the silly theme song from the Progressive Insurance 70s sitcom spoof commercial Maid For Us out of my head...

:arg

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 12, 2019 10:59 pm
by Crackpot
You really have a bizarre relationship with Progressive ads don’t you?

Re: Home for Random Thoughts

Posted: Sun May 12, 2019 11:38 pm
by wesw
now I want a 280sl...

frank perdue had a bunch of silver Mercedes-es ;)

he would put his paper on the steering wheel and zoom away....

I think that he killed a couple of people..., at least one around here....

not murder, just reckless driving....

he was the fastest walker I ever saw, and I emulated that.....

anyway, I can t afford the parts for an old Mercedes, so I ll have to stick to jeeps and fords....

what year is your BMW?