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Automotive News & Views Are gas prices fueling your pain? 
10042 messages, Last post on Jul 12, 2008 at 3:07 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: nippononly (Jun 02, 2008 6:54 pm) Yeah, back in those days I'd usually just leave the car running. I delivered in a fairly safe community that was mainly single family homes with driveways, where I could pull practically right up to the front door. Now for places like townhouses, condos, apartments, or businesses, where the car would be in a parking lot, or where it was more likely someone could just walk by and hop in the car, I would shut it off. The main reason I'd leave the car running though, was to save wear and tear on the starter. Also, I don't think a car really uses THAT much fuel while idling. Plus, until I got the Intrepid, the cars I drove all had carburetors, where you don't really save much fuel, if any, in turning the car off for a minute or two and then having to restart, versus just letting it idle during that time. I delivered pizzas from 1996 to 2001. If I had to go back to doing it, I'd definitely turn the car off every time. Unfortunately, this area has gone a bit south with regards to crime and violence these days. It's not like Compton in a gangsta rap video or anything, but I just wouldn't want to tempt fate. Plus, I guess I'm just older now, more conservative, less willing to take a chance. I haven't had a pizza delivered in ages. For all I know, some places might already be slapping on a delivery surcharge. Actually, when I worked for Little Caesar's, they tried that once. They were arguing that because of having drivers, their insurance costs went way up, so they started slapping on a $1.00 delivery charge. Of which the driver didn't see a penny. And naturally, that would make some customers give a cheaper tip, since they're getting whacked with a surcharge. Surprisingly though, most customers understood. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Jun 03, 2008 6:21 am) In past years people put speakers behind their grill. Imagine a speaker that starts playing loud screeching of tires like a car coming up behind them too fast and is trying to stop and sliding into them! I notice in the picture posted of the bicycles being hit by the car that one of the helmets is flying through the air--it came off!!! |
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Jun 03, 2008 6:36 am) Hey.... if someone getting hit by a car gives some vicarious thrill, enjoy.... I don't get it, but it is still a free country.
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Replying to: gagrice (Jun 03, 2008 6:21 am) Gary, you have a penchant for posting things that have only a peripheral meaning for the subject at hand and saying, "see, see, there there, see, see !!!!" You know how many times "people who have no control of their cars" slam into crowds of bikers? Probably about once every five hundred billion bike miles or so. Anyone riding a bike for a commute (have they a lick of common sense) knows that cars are their most critical danger. That's why I ride almost exclusively on the sidewalk. Remember though: The levels of bikers getting killed by cars is far far less per capita than people dying in car wrecks. It is still far safer to ride a bike than to drive a car. You don't need to post snap shots of the bikers hogging the road. They know they have the right of way over cars and take advantage of it. Most of them who habitually do that are fools. But they make up a very small portion of bike riders who commute on their bikes. Riding for your commute is different for most people than riding for pleasure.
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Replying to: mattandi (Jun 03, 2008 6:29 am) That is exactly correct. I imagine Ahnold is getting a bit anxious with the sales of so many econoboxes. He not only loses the higher sales tax revenue from the SUVs not being purchased. He is losing 46 cents per gallon. That can be a lot when you go from a 15 MPG SUV to a 30 MPG Civic. Not to mention the 50% less sales tax. That could be as much as $2000 per vehicle sale. Then the license fee each year will be less on the smaller car. Yet the road usage and congestion is the same. I guess he will have to dig into his deep pockets and make up the shortfall. |
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Replying to: ny540i6 (Jun 03, 2008 6:41 am) I'm not sure about the meaning of your post so I'll assume it's positive since I personally don't get a thrill. My concern is that helmets aren't supposed to come off! I know of several people through the decades killed either running or riding their bikes along roads without trails or sidewalks. I watched a car run into a group of pedestrians of about 30 walking across a 4-lane street near University of Cincinnati campus. The impact was lower than 35 but he hit a few of the nursing class girls. This was before cell phones. I drove up the road looking for a phone and a Cincy policeman was at the intersection. I told him and he looked at me like he didn't believe me that there was an accident down the hill in front to of the hospital.
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Replying to: gagrice (Jun 03, 2008 6:21 am) The mere presence of the bicycles, or even the car for that matter, is not what brought about this horrific event. It was the behavior of that driver. Follow the laws, employ safe practices, maybe sprinkle in a little common courtesy (even if it, gasp, inconveniences you a little) and bicycles on the streets are no more dangerous than cars. 'Tis unfortunate that courtesy is becoming somewhat less common.
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Replying to: larsb (Jun 03, 2008 6:47 am) I am not sure of your motive in posting all these made up statistics. Do you have any links that would back up your statements. You ride on the sidewalk which would be my choice if their is not a dedicated bike trail. I have personally seen as many accidents with bicycles and motorcycles as I have auto accidents. In 1999, there were 750 bicycling fatalities and 51,000 bicycling injuries resulting from traffic crashes in the United States. While these numbers continue to decrease from year to year, bicyclist fatalities still account for 2 percent of all traffic fatalities as well as 2 percent of all traffic injuries. http://www.massbike.org/info/statistics.htm I seriously doubt that bicycling amounts to 2% of the miles driven in the USA. Which will prove that riding a bicycle on a road that is primarily used by cars to more dangerous than being in a car. You usually get your facts closer to accurate than this post.
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Jun 03, 2008 6:52 am) |
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Jun 03, 2008 6:52 am) Valid concern, but that does appear to be a rather severe impact. Not sure any helmet is designed to withstand that force. |
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Automotive News & Views Are gas prices fueling your pain?
