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You live on the Internet? How's the rent? Are utilities included? I'm assuming Internet access is free.
Ryan L said:LOL, I sound like an angry bitter old man in my posts. An angry old man that throws smoke bombs at cars while drunk that is. Ah the internet, what an interesting place to live.
These are the kinds of discussions I would hope you're expecting me to jump into by now :)
I am against legislation that would ban computers from the front seats of cars, or other so called distracting technology while not driving. It's pandering to the lowest common denominator; another case of the reckless few ruining it for the rest of us. Why just last monday night I was sitting in the parking lot of the restaurant that the midwest subaru owners club -chicago city dwellers chapter - chose for it's weekly get together. I was in my friend's forester sti, my wrx was parked next to it. We were waiting for the others to arrive and he was adjusting the settings for the computer he had under the passenger seat - it's large display popped up from under the stock clock location in the center of the upper dash. The primary purpose of installing that computer was to allow him to retune the factory ecu that controls the engine parameters. We actually tune our cars to be cleaner and more efficient than when they leave the factory in japan, set up to run at either sea level or in Denver and other large tolerances that make the car dirtier, but work to a factory assigned "optimum" anywhere and everywhere(there's that lowest common denominator again). We tune to the local gas and conditions making the car more efficient and cleaner(and yes, more powerful and faster). In 5th gear he got a knock accelerating on the highway from very low rpms, so he went into the computer, and adjusted the fuel delivery at that specific point and load.
This is a hobby for us much like cycling and working on bikes is for many of you(and me), or tinkering with computers, or playing team sports, or spinning pottery, or knitting, or brewing beer, or restoring old furniture, or any other creative hands on outlet you can think of to keep yourself from going insane with the day to day.
The Itasca Subaru STI police cars have a saying on the back: "keep it on the track". That's what many of us do and I encourage any of you with a car to take it to an autocross or rallycross regardless of what kind of car it is. It's more challenging that you might think, and more rewarding too. Like one of my old friend's father used to say - "if you don't find motor-sports exciting, you've never been to a race in person." Carbon footprints aside, the human experience at a racetrack is second to none. (say, anyone ever enjoy the atmosphere of a crit or tour? how bout the velodrome?)
Now I know not all of us are perfect, and there are plenty of idiots out there...like the carload full of teenagers that drove by us monday in their Evo, back and forth, circling like a shark looking for a street race for about 20 minutes. We just shook our heads in shame and disgust. And please don't go off on us tuner racers causing accidents blah blah...the suv that took himself out on I55 two cars in front of me two weeks ago did it all by himself changing lanes. He swerved, changed his mind, swerved back, lost the rear end, tried to save it badly (get off the gas, not on it dumbass) and ended up in the ditch. Lucky SOB went in straight or he would have rolled it.
So please, PLEASE, if you have a beef with cars and drivers - start your fight with the foundation! Learning to control you vehicle and what it's capable of! (I'm talking out of control danger capabilities, not how high the speedo goes)
(I apologize if there are any run on or poorly constructed sentences in there)
Ill tell you one thing I noticed last night on my little drive to and from the new Whole Foods on Kingsley, the amount of dingles on bikes, at night, that don't have a single light on 'em is retarded.
I can understand all the crazy cats that are too cool for school to wear a helmet, but come on guys, gals and hermaphrodites, get some lights on those bikes. I can't tell you how many cyclists I couldn't see till they were right next to me because they had no lights. The ones that did have lights, guess what, I knew they were there. Shoot, i've almost had two collisions with other cyclists at dark intersections because they had no lights. If I ever get hit by one of these invisible cool kids of the night, i'm gonna go medieval on 'em. There's more than one reason I carry an adjustable wrench on me at all times :)
Stupid Humans!!!
interesting you brought up the point about bikers not being seen H3, just last night in that terrible fog I was driving south on Ashland just north of Devon - a cyclist with a light (thank god he had one) coming towards me cut across the road right in front of me. It was one of those get to the other side of the street before the car since I can't make my left turn sooner if I do it properly moves. The only reason I was covering my brake was because I saw him coming and I ride that route to evanston. I know there's a turn there for the bike route. Had I not known this I would have hit him, or at the very least have to slam on my brakes and scare the shit out of myself, my wife in the passenger seat, and anyone else on the road.
Rider - you were in red and on a road bike, and made eye contact with me as you turned left. It was about 9pm
I'll also add this to the discussion:
And Ali - Thanks! I won't call you elitist for thinking education is a good thing :)
I also wired up an armed missile launcher style switch on my dash that turns the ABS on/off. On for street driving, off for track. It's pretty simple, just hack open a fuse, solder wires to the prongs you pulled out of the fuse, solder those up to the switch with an in-line fuse, and plug the hacked prongs back into the fuse location for the ABS. Flipping the switch "breaks" the fuse. Pretty neat. Be careful thought, you might spend an hour sitting in the parked car after you install it watching the light on the dash..ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off, :lol:
Maybe they didn't want to be seen?
What does "almost hit" mean? Does it mean you wanted to hit them but missed?
Personally, I've noticed that I get cut off and ignored =more= when I have a front light.
Anecdotal, but what in this thread isn't?
GabeW (not the other Gabe) said:interesting you brought up the point about bikers not being seen H3, just last night in that terrible fog I was driving south on Ashland just north of Devon - a cyclist with a light (thank god he had one) coming towards me cut across the road right in front of me. It was one of those get to the other side of the street before the car since I can't make my left turn sooner if I do it properly moves. ....
interesting you brought up the point about bikers not being seen H3, just last night in that terrible fog I was driving south on Ashland just north of Devon - a cyclist with a light (thank god he had one) coming towards me cut across the road right in front of me. It was one of those get to the other side of the street before the car since I can't make my left turn sooner if I do it properly moves. The only reason I was covering my brake was because I saw him coming and I ride that route to evanston. I know there's a turn there for the bike route. Had I not known this I would have hit him, or at the very least have to slam on my brakes and scare the shit out of myself, my wife in the passenger seat, and anyone else on the road.
Rider - you were in red and on a road bike, and made eye contact with me as you turned left. It was about 9pm
I'll also add this to the discussion:
And Ali - Thanks! I won't call you elitist for thinking education is a good thing :)
I also wired up an armed missile launcher style switch on my dash that turns the ABS on/off. On for street driving, off for track. It's pretty simple, just hack open a fuse, solder wires to the prongs you pulled out of the fuse, solder those up to the switch with an in-line fuse, and plug the hacked prongs back into the fuse location for the ABS. Flipping the switch "breaks" the fuse. Pretty neat. Be careful thought, you might spend an hour sitting in the parked car after you install it watching the light on the dash..ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off,ABS on, ABS off, :lol:
Gabe,
Maybe if you drive less you'll have less of these incidents that you seem to attract? Personally, I've noticed that I get cut off and ignored =more= when I have a front light. Anecdotal, but what in this thread isn't?
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