Road Trip!

xwesx

Michaell said:

I'm thinking that when travel restrictions ease up, I'll rent a car and drive to CA to visit family. May be fall before everything aligns.

It would certainly be nice to get out there on another road trip!

Well, okay, and maybe to see family, too.

fintail

I'm already missing out on a couple road trips due to the crisis, as the events I wanted to attend were canceled.

I'll be heading out on a minor road trip to relative podunk in a couple weeks to visit my mom and bring her some items still hard to find at the end of the supply chain.

If the so-called law and order segment can use discretion and refuse to enforce lawful orders that can seem arbitrary, should people en masse decide to refuse to abide by speed regulations that seem arbitrary in both establishment and enforcement?

ab348

Well, police have always had the discretion (or just assumed same) to selectively enforce laws they may not fully agree with. In the case of orders related to the virus, I think an important difference is that (at least up here) they were not laws passed after debate and sober consideration (ahem) by elected officials. They were imposed by Public Health bureaucrats and so seem to be easier to sidestep.

fintail

They are the same people who preach "follow the rules", and "accountability", but now that they disagree with some rules, often for political reasons, some reality shines through. Selective enforcement also deals with who gets cited for identical violations, but they won't answer to that, either.

I don't see much debate or sober consideration about much of what exists for rules of the road, both in the rules themselves, or how they are enforced.

xwesx

Yeah, definitely in the wrong for both of those sheriffs to make these statements. Agree with them or no, it is time for these two to find a different job.

fintail

Another brave sheriff opened his yap the other day, in Walla Walla county. Guess where the latest hot zone is, hitting the news a day later? At a meatpacking plant in Wallula. As xwesx might know, Wallula is in Walla Walla county. Oops! Of course, there will be no recourse for mouthing off.

On the driving front, here's a good one today:

https://youtu.be/ADcSmru0Wns

I usually don't have a problem with someone stopping and going on red, but this car stopped for a fraction of a second, and this driver was dopey. I assumed it was a kid in a hurry, but it was gormless older woman instead. She later stopped for a blinking yellow turn arrow with no oncoming traffic, then made an illegal turn across multiple lanes, thoroughly engrossed with talking to her passenger. Going to be fun in another decade as a certain population base ages.

Also not sure why the music is so loud, this new (last year) cam really amplifies it.

xwesx

fintail said:

Another brave sheriff opened his yap the other day, in Walla Walla county. Guess where the latest hot zone is, hitting the news a day later? At a meatpacking plant in Wallula. As xwesx might know, Wallula is in Walla Walla county. Oops! Of course, there will be no recourse for mouthing off.

Yep, I drive through there every time I go to Oregon. It is just across the border from my "home town," Helix.

There's no magic button on this thing; diseases will do what diseases do. :@

fintail

I had to look that up. I am familiar with the route between WW and Pendleton, looks like that is close, but off the beaten path. Some fun thunderstorms in that area this time of year.

It seems some are almost conspiring to help the diseases, maybe in the most obscene exhibition of a lack of self-awareness, often being from the age demographic favored by the malady. Even my wacky conspiracy theorist uncle is more on board with precaution than some of these guys. Partly because of this, we'll probably be kept from making a reasonable road trip for awhile - plenty of time but nowhere to go.

xwesx said:

Yep, I drive through there every time I go to Oregon. It is just across the border from my "home town," Helix.

There's no magic button on this thing; diseases will do what diseases do. :@

xwesx

There is a paper mill there in Wallula that, once upon a time, emitted the most horrifyingly putrid odor. I don't know how anyone could live in that area (though many did and still do). The smell was so strong that there was simply no way to prevent it from entering the car as we would drive through on WA-12. As such, Wallula is unforgettable to me; otherwise, it is an entirely forgettable place.

I'm fairly sure the mill is still there, though it is now fed from poplar tree farms rather than wild tree stock, but they must have either changed the milling process or the filtration related to it, because it is now a "seen but not smelled" sort of affair.

kyfdx

xwesx said:

There is a paper mill there in Wallula that, once upon a time, emitted the most horrifyingly putrid odor. I don't know how anyone could live in that area (though many did and still do). The smell was so strong that there was simply no way to prevent it from entering the car as we would drive through on WA-12. As such, Wallula is unforgettable to me; otherwise, it is an entirely forgettable place.

I'm fairly sure the mill is still there, though it is now fed from poplar tree farms rather than wild tree stock, but they must have either changed the milling process or the filtration related to it, because it is now a "seen but not smelled" sort of affair.

Chillicothe, OH has a Mead paper mill. No idea what it smells like now, but it was almost unbearable, when I was there in the early '70s.

xwesx

kyfdx said:

Chillicothe, OH has a Mead paper mill. No idea what it smells like now, but it was almost unbearable, when I was there in the early '70s.

Yes, so you know, then. You know... /shudders

fintail

I have family in SW WA where there are/were pulp mills, I remember some smell there, too. Not like the "Tacoma aroma" though, as those of a certain age in this region will recall. When I was a kid I might visit Tacoma just a couple times a year, but I remember that.

The small town where my mom lives once had a factory that made artificial vanilla (vanillin, from wood pulp, I believe). It would emit an awesome vanilla smell into the surrounding neighborhood, never experienced anything like that elsewhere.

xwesx

fintail said:

The small town where my mom lives once had a factory that made artificial vanilla (vanillin, from wood pulp, I believe). It would emit an awesome vanilla smell into the surrounding neighborhood, never experienced anything like that elsewhere.

A pleasant smell as an industrial byproduct? If only we could all be so lucky!

tjc78

Along 295 near @stickguy and I there is a coffee roaster. Smells amazing when you pass by it at the right time.

kyfdx

There is a flavoring plant on I-75 in Cincinnati, and a DeKuyper cordials plant. Both are sweet smelling, almost sickly so. (maybe.. haven't been that way or noticed it, in a while)

imidazol97

kyfdx said:

There is a flavoring plant on I-75 in Cincinnati, and a DeKuyper cordials plant. Both are sweet smelling, almost sickly so. (maybe.. haven't been that way or noticed it, in a while)

I was trying to remember the name for the liquor plant. I used to inhale deep when passing that and the wind was right. Great. I think I read they moved production out of that location.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/11/16/daily27.html

Givaudan Flavors Corporation

kyfdx

imidazol97 said:

kyfdx said:

There is a flavoring plant on I-75 in Cincinnati, and a DeKuyper cordials plant. Both are sweet smelling, almost sickly so. (maybe.. haven't been that way or noticed it, in a while)

I was trying to remember the name for the liquor plant. I used to inhale deep when passing that and the wind was right. Great. I think I read they moved production out of that location.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/11/16/daily27.html

Givaudan Flavors Corporation

Yeah, I was thinking that DeKuyper/Beam was probably gone.

In 1996, Givaudan was on my route. I assume they are still there.. On the other side of I-75, just south of Paddock exit.

There is another flavor company on 275, on the right as you head towards the airport. But, don't ever remember smelling anything from there.

ab348

When I used to play golf there was a course I liked in a town about an hour away that I used to play a couple of times a year. Then I discovered that when the wind blew in a certain direction the course was downwind from a rendering plant. A paper mill would be far preferable to the disgusting stink that thing generated.

kyfdx

Paper mill: Think rotten brussels sprouts, that have been simmering on the stove for a week...

Although, I'll give the rendering plant an honorable mention.

ab348

kyfdx said:

Paper mill: Think rotten brussels sprouts, that have been simmering on the stove for a week...

Although, I'll give the rendering plant an honorable mention.

I’m quite familiar with the paper plant stink. We have/had several in the region. I agree it is a very unpleasant odor, but this rendering plant was worse, absolutely stomach-turning.

fintail

The same town with the vanillin plant later had some kind of small seafood by-product operation. Apparently it would really stink up the immediate surroundings, to the point where the city and feds investigated, and found numerous violations that resulted in fines and stop work orders. I think they eventually discovered the idea of accountability, and got their act together. I might have smelled it faintly once, smelled as expected.

tjc78

The factory in CA that makes Sriracha hot sauce got in trouble a long time ago for the fumes from the chili peppers.

imidazol97

The bad smells circle around sulfur. SO2. H2S.

Add in some organic sulfur compounds such as dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and methyl mercaptan (mercaptans are the smell added to natural gas so people notice leaks quickly, related to skunk smell).

fintail

While on foot today, saw an XC90 make an amusingly bad right turn from 2 lanes over, directly in front of an oncoming Pilot (I think) who didn't just honk, but laid on the horn. Satisfying. Lots of stupid on the road these days.

That being said, looking forward to a little road trip next week. Cheap gas, likely lighter than usual traffic, hopefully pleasant weather.

fintail

On the road on foot today, I noticed a definite uptick in surface street arterial traffic, and I notice the city appears to have reverted traffic signal timing back to the normal gridlock system, which doesn't mesh well with traffic volumes. I guess they are trying, what they are trying for one may never know. Heard a few good honks too, I wonder if there will be an increase in crashes when people get moving again, as many who have remained on the road appear completely witless.

andres3

Speaking of which, I have a pretty good story during my essential exercise drive in the TTS the other week/weekend on S22 coming west up the tight mountain twisties from Borrego Springs, there was a "Park Ranger" SUV with traffic pull-over light bar on top to make it look like a real cop vehicle.

He was going really slow up the mountain, and I was right behind him. I was thinking about making an illegal pass, knowing he wasn't "real" law enforcement, but decided against it. Sport bikes caught up to us, I let one of them pass me aggressively. Then he tailgated the Ranger to let him know he was impeding everyone. A turnout was coming up (signed and everything).

As the Ranger failed to use the turnout, everyone got immediately angry. The biker decided to pass him illegally going over the center dividing double yellows. The Ranger lights him up to pull him over!!! LOL!
At the exact same time, I triple flashed my high beams at the Officer as he broke the vehicle code by not using the turnout.

I wondered if the biker would even pull over. He did. After they got out of my way, I gunned it and continued on at a very spirited pace now that I was free.

The other bikers stopped too to probably help witness whatever shenanigans this Park Ranger was up to.

IMHO, that Officer was out of line, breaking vehicle codes, impeding traffic, and the cause of the problem. The bikers were aggressive, but the Officer was instigating the problem by breaking the law himself (5 vehicles you MUST use the turnout in CA, by law). I felt like callling my 2 cents into the local PD dept, but I was too busy driving.

fintail

I notice a definite uptick in traffic today - construction, being politically vital as it is, is back in operation again, so the brotrucks, trucks hauling rattly third world looking trailers, and questionably maintained dump trucks engine braking down the hill at 20 over are on the road again. Went for an essential supermarket visit, got behind an old couple in a Fit going 10-15 under, didn't even have to downshift to pass them once the road gained a lane, out of my line of sight quickly and I might have barely passed the limit.

Regarding those bikers, everyone should have a camera and everyone should be sure it is running with any LEO interaction. The vast majority of them are awesome, but the bad ones are disturbingly bad, and there's no recourse outside of the court of public opinion/social media.

andres3

fintail said:

I notice a definite uptick in traffic today - construction, being politically vital as it is, is back in operation again, so the brotrucks, trucks hauling rattly third world looking trailers, and questionably maintained dump trucks engine braking down the hill at 20 over are on the road again. Went for an essential supermarket visit, got behind an old couple in a Fit going 10-15 under, didn't even have to downshift to pass them once the road gained a lane, out of my line of sight quickly and I might have barely passed the limit.

Regarding those bikers, everyone should have a camera and everyone should be sure it is running with any LEO interaction. The vast majority of them are awesome, but the bad ones are disturbingly bad, and there's no recourse outside of the court of public opinion/social media.

From my anecdotal observations of motorcyclists on CA roadways, you'd be far better off assuming every one of them has a helmet cam at a minimum, rather than assuming otherwise. They probably feel naked without a running camera.

fintail

If I was on a bike, I'd have one. I'm half tempted to get some kind of bodycam for when I jog.

And to be fair, LEOs should have a bodycam too, to protect themselves against liars just as much to document what really happened (footage "lost" sometimes no doubt).

andres3 said:

From my anecdotal observations of motorcyclists on CA roadways, you'd be far better off assuming every one of them has a helmet cam at a minimum, rather than assuming otherwise. They probably feel naked without a running camera.

fintail

I might have just a little skepticism about this one

tjc78

Had to be a ZR1 or not stock. I know the 2019 ZR1 will get over 200.

Most of the other late models have been clocked in the 170s top speed.

fintail

I am sure a few Vettes can hit that speed, but the stretch of road isn't straight nor is it often empty even these days. I suppose anything is possible, but I'd be curious about the radar calibration, and knowing how the system works, the driver will lawyer up and get a fine anyway.

I am still waiting for stories of speeders to say they can selectively observe laws like a few arrogant zero self-awareness sheriffs in this part of the world have bleated about following pandemic orders.

andres3

Not sure about that Vette, but a few of the high speed CHP posted tickets involved going to get a morning coffee, something like 6:30 AM or so, which usually means lighter traffic than during daytime hours.

I know pre-COVID; it behooves me to leave my house at 6:30 AM and not much later. If I leave at 7 AM it could cost me; potentially up to double the commute time.

kyfdx

I don't believe the 192 MPH. The distance needed, and wits about the person (who was picked up for DUI) needed to not kill yourself? Unlikely.

tjc78

Yeah something tells me if they were wasted that a crash would happen long before 192!

fintail

Took a road trip to the coast today, also picked up my 9 year old niece, who is amused by the minor autonomous features of my car. She was also joking that the town where my mom lives is old fashioned "like it's from the 90s" (the 90s are apparently what kids say now to mean something is old) and that people there drive poorly. Within being there for 5 minutes, we saw a fender bender.

Saw a couple staters out on the road, a couple real speeders (nobody going 192), several LLCs, many distracted drivers, pretty normal day. Quite a bit more traffic than expected, people are definitely out and about again. The state had a sign up on the highway headed to coastal towns telling people the parks in this region aren't open yet.

fintail

I'll guess the relatively milquetoast thing in the second story either has a tune, or there are calibration problems

kyfdx

fintail said:

I'll guess the relatively milquetoast thing in the second story either has a tune, or there are calibration problems

I'm not buying that last one.

fintail

Same here. Maybe even worse than the 192 mph Corvette on highway 2.

andres3

fintail said:

Same here. Maybe even worse than the 192 mph Corvette on highway 2.

The A3.... looks like my old A3.... I could see it hitting 140 MPH. FWD is highly efficient at getting the horses to the ground as long as you don't try to get them there suddenly.

140 MPH isn't all that incredible either. It's fast, but it's not warp speed. I don't think it's all that exciting to be honest. I get more excited taking a freeway interchange ramp at 90-95 MPH.

fintail

I'm skeptical unless it has a tune and is de-governed - I suspect they are limited to under 140, maybe 130 tops.

andres3

fintail said:

I'm skeptical unless it has a tune and is de-governed - I suspect they are limited to under 140, maybe 130 tops.

If I was a betting man I feel like I might have read 128 or 130 is the speed limiter in the A3 owner's manual. So probably a tune would do the trick to remove that limiter. I feel bad I never tested the limiter.

I suppose I haven't tested 155 MPH limiter in the TTS yet, but 140 has been verified.

andres3

https://www.amazon.com/2006-Audi-A3-Owners-Manual/dp/B0017I5D4W

so are paper owner's manuals collectibles in 2020? $74????????

fintail

For the A3 speeder I'd wager on uncalibrated radar or even a LEO telling a tall tale - it happens.

Amazon third party asking prices are often people trolling for suckers. Here'sone on ebay a bit cheaper

xwesx

fintail said:

For the A3 speeder I'd wager on uncalibrated radar or even a LEO telling a tall tale - it happens.

Amazon third party asking prices are often people trolling for suckers. Here'sone on ebay a bit cheaper

Yeah, eBay is a great source for that type of thing. I picked up one for my Q7, as apparently it is difficult to keep track of these things for more than a few days. /sigh

Anyhow, it was only around $20 for the replacement book.

fintail

I can still find fintail owners manuals cheap too - like under $30. One can probably find them for any non-exotic for reasonable money.

Fortunately, all of the used MBs I've had came with a manual, heck, my fintail has two of them (the original owner put notes on many pages, some of the systems in that car irked him).

xwesx said:

Yeah, eBay is a great source for that type of thing. I picked up one for my Q7, as apparently it is difficult to keep track of these things for more than a few days. /sigh

Anyhow, it was only around $20 for the replacement book.

fintail

Out near the coast, 85F today, record high (yesterday too), thought I'd snap a random pic:

tjc78

I’m not a huge wagon person but love yours. Also helps I’m a sucker for white and my Volvo has similar wheels.

fintail

I have to admit the wheels were a factor in my decision. Like yours, they fit the car and are somewhat unique - most of these cars don't have them.

More than a year in, I am still quite pleased with the car, and it is a pleasure to drive. Great road trip car too, as it can hold a bunch of junk and still be comfortable, without being a cloned CUV. The car still feels somewhat "special" and maybe even has a sense of occasion when you drive it.

C&D loved theirs, too

fintail

Traffic observations from the drive back to the rat race: overall less, but not deserted. 5/167/405 had maybe 25% less volume - noticeable, but not astonishing. However, the state highways off the beaten path seemed like any other sunny spring/summer Sunday - considerable traffic. People are getting out.