Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

I ALWAYS tip the entire bill (including tax) at 20%. If the service is particularly awful I'll leave nothing, but that's only happened maybe 5 times.

My wife and I used to go to this Spanish restaurant. We bought a groupon for it that included an autographed copy of the Chef's recipe book. The place was empty, the food wasn't cooked right, they took too long to bring out the appetizer, and then rushed the entree out. The server was nice. I tipped 20% of what the food would normally cost. We were on our way out and they asked if something was wrong. I told them everything that went wrong, but the problems were resurrected and the food was delicious as always. They then had the nerve to ask why I tipped so little. I explained that I tipped on what the normal cost of the meal was. They said to me, "But you got the book from the chef that we normally sell for $59." I walked out and haven't been back since.

I would have given the book back and asked for a refund of my tip.

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

fintail said:

$180/hr shop rates and cars where the option load is 35% of base MSRP.

I recall the Lexus dealer where I used to live had an amazing spread of sandwiches and pastries - I'd stop by to "look at cars", which meant get a free light lunch. Eventually they cut it back to fruits and drinks, I think. MB dealer usually had some fruit, muffins or cookies, and drinks.

houdini1 said:

I wonder where they get the money to pay for the free coffee and fine china cups. Maybe they have a sideline business somewhere?

When my Subaru dealer remodeled their entire building, one of the things they did was install a coffee machine where you could request the blend and additives you wanted (or tea or hot chocolate) and watch it grind the beans and make the coffee.

They also had a small refrigerator that had single servings of fruit cocktail, yogurt, and other stuff I don't remember. Of course there were pastries, but usually only in the mornings.

That was about 2 years ago.

When I was in for an oil change a month ago there was a coffee maker like you would have at home sitting on the counter and machines that sell you typical peanut butter-stuffed cheese crackers, etc. The refrigerator was full of trash.

We have one driver who is always lagging behind and holding up the crew. One day they couldn’t find him when they were ready to leave after making deliveries to a dealer. They finally located him in the waiting room munching on free popcorn and watching the big screen TV.

Here’s a question for you captains of industry. How much does an automatic car wash cost?

Seem that one of our guys tried to take a high top (8’4” tall) cargo van through our car wash with disastrous results. The high van got jammed up in the machinery causing it to self destruct and fling metal parts everywhere. According to the boss a large shaft even pierced the body of the van and was left sticking out the side. It was lucky no one was hurt.

We drove through the lot today and several twisted I-beam structures laying out by the fence were all that was left of the whole system. What a mess.

A quick web search says an automated car was costs between $31k to $49k. I'd say that would be a bargain for a story like that if you had pictures, especially of the shaft sticking out of the van.

Yikes. Does he still have a job?

As far as I know. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff that’s been pulled over the years. One thing that WILL get you fired is causing damage and trying to hide it. Even too many screw ups in your own car without informing the company will get you the door.

That's probably because in the past some bad Enterprise managers thought they'd try to pin hard to notice damage caused previously by their own forces on the next rental customer. Forced a charge back via credit card company; a case I won by the way.

I don’t work in the rental offices so I’m not sure on exact policy but I have observed the rental agents taking customers on a walk around on cars with the customers.

What's the "official" policy on observing a car inspection while the car is soaked in water? Water makes it impossible to inspect the body and paint work, yet it seems "drying" isn't part of the car washer's job description.

It's better when they tell you they won't go after you for negligible scratches and dents. I felt that's what the contoured dent was, but that's what the so-called manager tried to pin me with. Haven't had a problem in years, including with Enterprise, but I don't rent often.

Wow, and people think I’m a crumudgeon.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

The day I pay a tip on the sales tax which has absolutely nothing to do with the meal, food, or service, is the day I drive the speed limit or less for more than a minute on I15 on a bright sunny day with little traffic.

Poor logic as the sales tax has as much to do with the meal as the price does since sales tax is based on the price of the meal. So are you not tip on the price of the meal?

Sales tax goes to the State and Local Governments. What do they have to do with the meal, other than causing it to be more expensive by taxing the Restaurant in other ways?

Again what does the price of the meal have to do with the meal itself? The price of the meal is typically what the market will allow, or at least what the management believes it will allow. The tax is just part of this cost and is a certain percentage of the menu price of the meal. If you don't want to tip based on the tax then what is your logic to tip on the cost of the meal?

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

abacomike said:

jipster said:

Hey guys. Thought I'd chime in with an update. First of all, my fleet of 5 vehicles is down to 4. My 2008 Mercury Mariner, my son was driving, was rear ended by a pickup truck back in October. It sustained enough damage that my insurance company declared it totalled. My son was shooken up. Had some whiplash, so taken to the hospital for a cat scan. Had some soft tissue injury, seems to be o.k. But still keeping an eye on things. The 80 year old gentleman didn't have much to say, after my son called and I arrived in the scene...which was the dreaded Gene Synder Expressway for those familiar. Traffic had slowed down, and the guy didn't recognize the situation until he had slammed into the back of my car.
Kentucky is a no fault state, so I settled with my Insurance company for $3,950. Which seemed fair at the time.

My son did a good job of getting the other drivers information. Photos of his truck, licence plate, insurance card and drivers license. But, for some reason my insurance company had a hard time tracking the guy's insurance company down. Finally find out a couple weeks ago that the other drivers insurance company (Dairyland) is saying he does not have insurance with them. So at this point I'm looking at getting an attorney. Any advice?

I miss that 2008 Mariner. It was a nice car, drove well had been in the family since new. Was planning on using it in bad weather, so I could keep the Accord in the garage, and as a back-up to my other vehicles should they need repair.

Glad no serious injuries.

Shouldn’t the police or State Troopers be advised that the guy that rear ended your son had no insurance? I thought insurance is required by law in most States, if not all States.

Thanks.
The cops wouldn't even come to the accident site when my son called. They said since both cars had been able to pull off the expressway, and there was no serious injury, they would have to handle the matter themselves. My insurance company had said, on a previous call, that if the other party didn't have insurance they would try to use whatever leverage they could for the guy to reimburse them. So, I'm assuming contacting the police. Not sure how much the police not showing up to write up a report will hurt our case.

Police not showing up for an accident is unconscionable but unfortunately becoming common. So far in my area they always respond to an accident. I think if I thought they wouldn’t come I’d claim to have passed out from a head injury or something to get them out of the donut shop.

I would think the likelihood of the police showing up to a minor fender bender is inversely proportional to the amount of crime in the area. If the police are very busy then they are going to the more serious calls and leave those in minor accidents fend for themselves.

In short if your police routinely dont show up for minor accidents consider moving.

I'm sure you mean "speeding tickets" and not "crime." I mean, what else would they be busy with? Let's get real.
I have found, that perhaps a greater allocation of enforcement goes to traffic when there's literally nothing else to do (such as in a low crime small town), but it definitely doesn't go to serving the public like showing up to an accident scene to do a police report (unless someone is hurt or died).

Well you are wrong. I mean actual crime. Despite your opinion police do prioritize police calls. A police officer watching traffic along the side of the road will be called for an accident, a police officer responding to an armed robbery will not.

You are actually wrong in this thing we call reality and the real world. With MOST departments, the Police are loathe to write an accident report but quick to write a bogus traffic citation. Not all traffic citations are bogus, but many are.

Why is it the Police are "busy" when you need them and show up hours (plural) later, but are never too busy to harrass perfectly safe drivers? They can't tell me they are too busy or understaffed.

First of all if the police are not arriving quickly your are either in good shape or your not properly reporting the situation. Also just because you think you're being safe doesn't mean you are. Again the police prioritize calls, if they have one available officer and a call comes in for a minor traffic accident then a call comes in for a bank robbery who do you think the officer gets called to?

stickguy

I never thought it made sense to tip on the cost anyway. Work involved makes sense. Number of trips to table, per head, something like that.

If we order a couple of salads, and the couple at the next table order steaks, why should their waiter get 2x the tip $ for exactly the same work?

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

abacomike said:

jipster said:

Hey guys. Thought I'd chime in with an update. First of all, my fleet of 5 vehicles is down to 4. My 2008 Mercury Mariner, my son was driving, was rear ended by a pickup truck back in October. It sustained enough damage that my insurance company declared it totalled. My son was shooken up. Had some whiplash, so taken to the hospital for a cat scan. Had some soft tissue injury, seems to be o.k. But still keeping an eye on things. The 80 year old gentleman didn't have much to say, after my son called and I arrived in the scene...which was the dreaded Gene Synder Expressway for those familiar. Traffic had slowed down, and the guy didn't recognize the situation until he had slammed into the back of my car.
Kentucky is a no fault state, so I settled with my Insurance company for $3,950. Which seemed fair at the time.

My son did a good job of getting the other drivers information. Photos of his truck, licence plate, insurance card and drivers license. But, for some reason my insurance company had a hard time tracking the guy's insurance company down. Finally find out a couple weeks ago that the other drivers insurance company (Dairyland) is saying he does not have insurance with them. So at this point I'm looking at getting an attorney. Any advice?

I miss that 2008 Mariner. It was a nice car, drove well had been in the family since new. Was planning on using it in bad weather, so I could keep the Accord in the garage, and as a back-up to my other vehicles should they need repair.

Glad no serious injuries.

Shouldn’t the police or State Troopers be advised that the guy that rear ended your son had no insurance? I thought insurance is required by law in most States, if not all States.

Thanks.
The cops wouldn't even come to the accident site when my son called. They said since both cars had been able to pull off the expressway, and there was no serious injury, they would have to handle the matter themselves. My insurance company had said, on a previous call, that if the other party didn't have insurance they would try to use whatever leverage they could for the guy to reimburse them. So, I'm assuming contacting the police. Not sure how much the police not showing up to write up a report will hurt our case.

Police not showing up for an accident is unconscionable but unfortunately becoming common. So far in my area they always respond to an accident. I think if I thought they wouldn’t come I’d claim to have passed out from a head injury or something to get them out of the donut shop.

I would think the likelihood of the police showing up to a minor fender bender is inversely proportional to the amount of crime in the area. If the police are very busy then they are going to the more serious calls and leave those in minor accidents fend for themselves.

In short if your police routinely dont show up for minor accidents consider moving.

I'm sure you mean "speeding tickets" and not "crime." I mean, what else would they be busy with? Let's get real.
I have found, that perhaps a greater allocation of enforcement goes to traffic when there's literally nothing else to do (such as in a low crime small town), but it definitely doesn't go to serving the public like showing up to an accident scene to do a police report (unless someone is hurt or died).

Can’t say the police don’t respond to accidents near me. Yesterday we passed an accident (looked like a multi car chain reaction) and there were more police cars than cars involved.

Likely that injuries, death, or at least a major traffic snarl on a highly traveled route were involved. Try calling them about a fender bender on a lightly traveled remote residential street.

Around here yes you will get them to come for minor fender benders on a lightly traveled residential street. But I also know that in certain areas in the city of Chicago they won't because the police have more important things to do, and it's not traffic enforcement.

snakeweasel

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

abacomike said:

jipster said:

Hey guys. Thought I'd chime in with an update. First of all, my fleet of 5 vehicles is down to 4. My 2008 Mercury Mariner, my son was driving, was rear ended by a pickup truck back in October. It sustained enough damage that my insurance company declared it totalled. My son was shooken up. Had some whiplash, so taken to the hospital for a cat scan. Had some soft tissue injury, seems to be o.k. But still keeping an eye on things. The 80 year old gentleman didn't have much to say, after my son called and I arrived in the scene...which was the dreaded Gene Synder Expressway for those familiar. Traffic had slowed down, and the guy didn't recognize the situation until he had slammed into the back of my car.
Kentucky is a no fault state, so I settled with my Insurance company for $3,950. Which seemed fair at the time.

My son did a good job of getting the other drivers information. Photos of his truck, licence plate, insurance card and drivers license. But, for some reason my insurance company had a hard time tracking the guy's insurance company down. Finally find out a couple weeks ago that the other drivers insurance company (Dairyland) is saying he does not have insurance with them. So at this point I'm looking at getting an attorney. Any advice?

I miss that 2008 Mariner. It was a nice car, drove well had been in the family since new. Was planning on using it in bad weather, so I could keep the Accord in the garage, and as a back-up to my other vehicles should they need repair.

Glad no serious injuries.

Shouldn’t the police or State Troopers be advised that the guy that rear ended your son had no insurance? I thought insurance is required by law in most States, if not all States.

Thanks.
The cops wouldn't even come to the accident site when my son called. They said since both cars had been able to pull off the expressway, and there was no serious injury, they would have to handle the matter themselves. My insurance company had said, on a previous call, that if the other party didn't have insurance they would try to use whatever leverage they could for the guy to reimburse them. So, I'm assuming contacting the police. Not sure how much the police not showing up to write up a report will hurt our case.

Police not showing up for an accident is unconscionable but unfortunately becoming common. So far in my area they always respond to an accident. I think if I thought they wouldn’t come I’d claim to have passed out from a head injury or something to get them out of the donut shop.

I would think the likelihood of the police showing up to a minor fender bender is inversely proportional to the amount of crime in the area. If the police are very busy then they are going to the more serious calls and leave those in minor accidents fend for themselves.

In short if your police routinely dont show up for minor accidents consider moving.

I'm sure you mean "speeding tickets" and not "crime." I mean, what else would they be busy with? Let's get real.
I have found, that perhaps a greater allocation of enforcement goes to traffic when there's literally nothing else to do (such as in a low crime small town), but it definitely doesn't go to serving the public like showing up to an accident scene to do a police report (unless someone is hurt or died).

Can’t say the police don’t respond to accidents near me. Yesterday we passed an accident (looked like a multi car chain reaction) and there were more police cars than cars involved.

Using one of our poster buddies logic, that accident occurred in a low crime area or at least low crime at the time of the pile-up.

jmonroe

Not really, all I am saying is that the police prioritize calls, they are not going to take an officer away from a murder scene to go to a minor fender bender. They are going to send resources to cover the more serious things first.

snakeweasel

nyccarguy said:

I ALWAYS tip the entire bill (including tax) at 20%. If the service is particularly awful I'll leave nothing, but that's only happened maybe 5 times.

My wife and I used to go to this Spanish restaurant. We bought a groupon for it that included an autographed copy of the Chef's recipe book. The place was empty, the food wasn't cooked right, they took too long to bring out the appetizer, and then rushed the entree out. The server was nice. I tipped 20% of what the food would normally cost. We were on our way out and they asked if something was wrong. I told them everything that went wrong, but the problems were resurrected and the food was delicious as always. They then had the nerve to ask why I tipped so little. I explained that I tipped on what the normal cost of the meal was. They said to me, "But you got the book from the chef that we normally sell for $59." I walked out and haven't been back since.

What? You didn't tip on the book? I bet when you also go to Barnes and Noble and don't tip on your book purchases there too.

fintail

Manual steering and brakes, too?

I remember one (I think a Bluebird) with a 1963 registration date, this was in 1988-89, and some others of the same make from the 60s. Several others were the type with a Ford or GM heavy truck front clip, early 70s models, I don't recall any Internationals. Later ones were "flat front", including some classic style Gillig buses. I guess I remember more of this than I realized.

oldfarmer50 said:

We had plenty of manual shift school buses. 5 speed, kind of fun to drive if you didn’t mind the heavy clutch. I think they eventually outlawed them in NY as someone must have noticed it wasn’t safe to shift with one hand, hold your route instructions in the other and steer with your knees while keeping track of 60+ screaming kids.

ab348

Man, that "mute user" function would save a lot of wear and tear on a lot of keyboards, and eyeballs too. :@

driver100

snakeweasel said:

nyccarguy said:

I ALWAYS tip the entire bill (including tax) at 20%. If the service is particularly awful I'll leave nothing, but that's only happened maybe 5 times.

My wife and I used to go to this Spanish restaurant. We bought a groupon for it that included an autographed copy of the Chef's recipe book. The place was empty, the food wasn't cooked right, they took too long to bring out the appetizer, and then rushed the entree out. The server was nice. I tipped 20% of what the food would normally cost. We were on our way out and they asked if something was wrong. I told them everything that went wrong, but the problems were resurrected and the food was delicious as always. They then had the nerve to ask why I tipped so little. I explained that I tipped on what the normal cost of the meal was. They said to me, "But you got the book from the chef that we normally sell for $59." I walked out and haven't been back since.

What? You didn't tip on the book? I bet when you also go to Barnes and Noble and don't tip on your book purchases there too.

Sounds like the book is overpriced at $59 unless he is Gordon Ramsay or something. So he expects 20% or $12 on his overpriced cookbook.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

i was browsing a story of some homes that sold in a nearby town and that house made me chuckle.
Here's a modified picture of the same house as a classic raised ranch.

That is a classic photoshopped pic of the two story version you first posted. Why? Because I have never seen trees grow like what is shown on the left and right side of that house. Also, the sky at the roof line is kinda strange too.

FWIW, that style is called a split-entry in my area. Another FWIW, my first house (had it built in 1969) was a 3 bedroom split-entry.

jmonroe

driver100

stickguy said:

I never thought it made sense to tip on the cost anyway. Work involved makes sense. Number of trips to table, per head, something like that.

If we order a couple of salads, and the couple at the next table order steaks, why should their waiter get 2x the tip $ for exactly the same work?

Tipping should be like the Olympics. Score points for the service provided. Your bill comes to $60
Add % for the Chef 6% ................................$3.60
Add % for the server 8%..............................$4.80
Add % for the ambiance 5%..........................$3.00
Other (bus staff brought me a fork) 4%......$2.40
TOTAL $73.80

jmonroe1

ab348 said:

Man, that "mute user" function would save a lot of wear and tear on a lot of keyboards, and eyeballs too. :@

Scroll wheel...scroll wheel.

jmonroe

fintail

Maybe there's some regional vernacular in this.

I think in the PNW, it might be called just a "split". There's also a lot of back and forth about "rambler" vs "ranch". Many real estate agents also mix up styles, not understanding what makes a Tudor, Victorian, Craftsman, etc.

jmonroe1 said:

FWIW, that style is called a split-entry in my area. Another FWIW, my first house (had it built in 1969) was a 3 bedroom split-entry.

jmonroe

driver100

ab348 said:

Since we’re into showing newly-arrived boxes of purchases, this arrived this morning (the cat was already here).

.............another big box to cut up and get rid of.
We get about 6 deliveries a week these days, I spend half of my waking hours cutting up boxes. Amazon would make my life better if they had self disintegrating boxes.
Hope you enjoy your new large wall mirror.
Your cat doesn't seem to like something new coming into the house.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

explorerx4 said:

i was browsing a story of some homes that sold in a nearby town and that house made me chuckle.
Here's a modified picture of the same house as a classic raised ranch.

That is a classic photoshopped pic of the two story version you first posted. Why? Because I have never seen trees grow like what is shown on the left and right side of that house. Also, the sky at the roof line is kinda strange too.

FWIW, that style is called a split-entry in my area. Another FWIW, my first house (had it built in 1969) was a 3 bedroom split-entry.

jmonroe

That is one weird sky in the picture you showed, but it wasn't like that in the original. I don't think the reflection in the windows matches the exterior shots around the house.

explorerx4

@driver100,
I wrote that it was a modified picture. I overlayed the upper story of the house with the roof and some sky and added the sky above it.
Around here it's referred to as a raised ranch, has 2 levels.
Splits have 3 levels.

jmonroe1

fintail said:

Maybe there's some regional vernacular in this.

I think in the PNW, it might be called just a "split". There's also a lot of back and forth about "rambler" vs "ranch". Many real estate agents also mix up styles, not understanding what makes a Tudor, Victorian, Craftsman, etc.

jmonroe1 said:

FWIW, that style is called a split-entry in my area. Another FWIW, my first house (had it built in 1969) was a 3 bedroom split-entry.

jmonroe

There is definitely some “regional vernacular” when it comes to the names of house styles.

In my area when you say “split”, that is a split-level. The style that @explorerx4 posted and that @oldfarmer50 said he lives in. If I could have afforded it, would have been about $2,500 more than my split-entry which cost just a tic under 23 grand in 1969, I’d have bought a 3 bedroom split-level. But, we told ourselves we’d buy a house 2 years after we got married and by golly we held to that stupid goal. We could have easily stayed in our apartment when Son#1 was born in ‘69 but the plans were already set in motion to build, so we did. Another year of savings (we didn’t need all of the $2,500) and I think we could have done it. Live and learn.

Now, you say “rambler”, that term is not used around here unless you’re talking about a car built by American Motors long ago. How about another term for a “ranch”? Back in the late 50’s when my parents moved from the Burgh to the suburbs another name for a “ranch” was “bungalow”. Only the old farts know what that is today in this area and there were tons of them built back in the 50’s around here. For the fun of it I said “bungalow” around my grandkids one day and all of them said, “WHAT”? Even DIL #2 didn’t know what I was talking about. Kids today, including some of their parents, have no respect for the past.

jmonroe

stickguy

Ranch and rambler are the same thing. But a bungalow is definitely not the same as a ranch.

omarman

Back in the late 50’s when my parents moved from the Burgh to the suburbs another name for a “ranch” was “bungalow”. Only the old farts know what that is today in this area and there were tons of them built back in the 50’s around here.

Ever since the 80s when I hear that word it makes me think of bungalow #3 at the Chateau Marmont.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

To me this is a split level Basement is half a story below main level, upper level is half a story up.
Like this.

That’s very similar to my house.

I’m trying to convince the wife we should buy your place. Does it have a garage? Or a barn you can park in? Bonus points if I can put a lift in!

Just like that picture it has a single bay garage. Also has a small barn where I put a summer car. You might get a scissor lift in either one.

For an individual of your stature and wealth I’d be guessing you’d be building an extravagant mansion and using the existing structure as a guest house.

When will you mail the check?

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

Ranch and rambler are the same thing. But a bungalow is definitely not the same as a ranch.

Maybe they are not the same in your area but in my area they are the same. That is why there are different terms used regionally. I’d be willing to bet everyone knows what a 2 story is.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

Manual steering and brakes, too?

I remember one (I think a Bluebird) with a 1963 registration date, this was in 1988-89, and some others of the same make from the 60s. Several others were the type with a Ford or GM heavy truck front clip, early 70s models, I don't recall any Internationals. Later ones were "flat front", including some classic style Gillig buses. I guess I remember more of this than I realized.

oldfarmer50 said:

We had plenty of manual shift school buses. 5 speed, kind of fun to drive if you didn’t mind the heavy clutch. I think they eventually outlawed them in NY as someone must have noticed it wasn’t safe to shift with one hand, hold your route instructions in the other and steer with your knees while keeping track of 60+ screaming kids.

We had mostly Internationals and Bluebirds for big buses. I forget what brand the flat nose “pushers” were. Way back they had manual steering and brakes and the shifters were all double clutchers. Those were gone before my time because they were trying to attract women drivers.

dino001

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

I never thought it made sense to tip on the cost anyway. Work involved makes sense. Number of trips to table, per head, something like that.

If we order a couple of salads, and the couple at the next table order steaks, why should their waiter get 2x the tip $ for exactly the same work?

Tipping should be like the Olympics. Score points for the service provided. Your bill comes to $60
Add % for the Chef 6% ................................$3.60
Add % for the server 8%..............................$4.80
Add % for the ambiance 5%..........................$3.00
Other (bus staff brought me a fork) 4%......$2.40
TOTAL $73.80

Table cleaning: 3% of the previous customer's check

Also, let's add some flat fees:
Shop and supplies ......................................$1.00
Host released a table ..................................$1.00
Smiles from the staff (min. 3 per hour)..... .$1.00

fintail

Funny stuff, reminds me of "soda" vs "pop" vs "coke" etc. (FWIW, I say "pop").

Ranch doesn't seem to be used much in this region, while rambler is applied to any generic 1940s-present one level house, usually wide in the front, with a low-pitch roof. A ranch might be used more for a rural description, or a house with "country" details like a railed porch or fake shutters etc. Another I recall for a split is "mid entry", which I guess can include a lot of designs. They still build em, but mostly 50s-90s, middle class houses when everyone didn't need 5000 sq ft.

Here, a bungalow is a smaller 1900-40s house, usually wood. A huge amount of that style was built here during the period, and much of it survives, some of it intact. PNW has less brick houses than elsewhere, and maybe generally smaller houses, too.

jmonroe1 said:

There is definitely some “regional vernacular” when it comes to the names of house styles.

In my area when you say “split”, that is a split-level. The style that @explorerx4 posted and that @oldfarmer50 said he lives in. If I could have afforded it, would have been about $2,500 more than my split-entry which cost just a tic under 23 grand in 1969, I’d have bought a 3 bedroom split-level. But, we told ourselves we’d buy a house 2 years after we got married and by golly we held to that stupid goal. We could have easily stayed in our apartment when Son#1 was born in ‘69 but the plans were already set in motion to build, so we did. Another year of savings (we didn’t need all of the $2,500) and I think we could have done it. Live and learn.

Now, you say “rambler”, that term is not used around here unless you’re talking about a car built by American Motors long ago. How about another term for a “ranch”? Back in the late 50’s when my parents moved from the Burgh to the suburbs another name for a “ranch” was “bungalow”. Only the old farts know what that is today in this area and there were tons of them built back in the 50’s around here. For the fun of it I said “bungalow” around my grandkids one day and all of them said, “WHAT”? Even DIL #2 didn’t know what I was talking about. Kids today, including some of their parents, have no respect for the past.

jmonroe

fintail

I recall the Gillig brand, as they looked like something from the 40s or 50s but were made in the 80s. Those were the really big ones used on trips, IIRC.

I somewhat remember the bus drivers when I was a kid, usually a quiet older guy who wasn't too outgoing unless you talked to him, or older (when I was a kid, probably 40s-50s in age) women who looked like anyone's mom or grandma. I remember my usual driver, a middle aged woman named Sandy, was well-liked, as she'd play the local popular music radio station on the route - I think it kept the kids quieter.

oldfarmer50 said:

We had mostly Internationals and Bluebirds for big buses. I forget what brand the flat nose “pushers” were. Way back they had manual steering and brakes and the shifters were all double clutchers. Those were gone before my time because they were trying to attract women drivers.

oldfarmer50

Here’s an interesting thing. We had my son’s Fusion in for an oil change and general inspection. My mechanic noted the tranny fluid was dark and suggested it be changed. He recommended a transmission shop because even on a 10 year old car it required a special extractor.

Anyway, the transmission shop call the fluid “real raunchy” and did a complete flush to get it all out. I asked what would cause that after only 33k miles and he opined that they use some cheap fluids these days.

Transmission shifts fine and checked out on the scanner. I usually wouldn’t even begin to consider fluid in need of a change until 50k miles. Am I out of touch on modern fluid change intervals?

ab348

One of my brothers has a split level house. You go in the front door and are on a landing to two sets of steps, one going up, the other down. Pretty classic layout, LR, DR, Kitchen, bath, 2 bdrms up, 2 bdrms plus a bath, utility room and garage down. I'm not crazy about having to walk up to the main level.

kyfdx

@fintail pop and soda are both wrong. It's "coke", or you may be allowed "soft drink".

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

nyccarguy said:

I ALWAYS tip the entire bill (including tax) at 20%. If the service is particularly awful I'll leave nothing, but that's only happened maybe 5 times.

My wife and I used to go to this Spanish restaurant. We bought a groupon for it that included an autographed copy of the Chef's recipe book. The place was empty, the food wasn't cooked right, they took too long to bring out the appetizer, and then rushed the entree out. The server was nice. I tipped 20% of what the food would normally cost. We were on our way out and they asked if something was wrong. I told them everything that went wrong, but the problems were resurrected and the food was delicious as always. They then had the nerve to ask why I tipped so little. I explained that I tipped on what the normal cost of the meal was. They said to me, "But you got the book from the chef that we normally sell for $59." I walked out and haven't been back since.

What? You didn't tip on the book? I bet when you also go to Barnes and Noble and don't tip on your book purchases there too.

Sounds like the book is overpriced at $59 unless he is Gordon Ramsay or something. So he expects 20% or $12 on his overpriced cookbook.

Even if it was from Gordon Ramsey unless personally signed by him and a first edition.

snakeweasel

kyfdx said:

@fintail pop and soda are both wrong. It's "coke", or you may be allowed "soft drink".

I know at one time Coca Cola was lawsuit happy against anyone that used "Coke" for anything other than Coca Cola. Not sure if they still are but be careful.

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

Here’s an interesting thing. We had my son’s Fusion in for an oil change and general inspection. My mechanic noted the tranny fluid was dark and suggested it be changed. He recommended a transmission shop because even on a 10 year old car it required a special extractor.

Anyway, the transmission shop call the fluid “real raunchy” and did a complete flush to get it all out. I asked what would cause that after only 33k miles and he opined that they use some cheap fluids these days.

Transmission shifts fine and checked out on the scanner. I usually wouldn’t even begin to consider fluid in need of a change until 50k miles. Am I out of touch on modern fluid change intervals?

Well, if your trans fluid was 10 years old, and hadn't been changed, I'd think it would need changing despite the mileage. But....remember Scotty? Doesn't he say don't change trans fluid after a lengthy period of time or miles. Scotty wouldn't steer you wrong...would he?

My sons 2010 Fusion had at least one trans flush when I bought it at 100,000. But, it was dirty. I changed the fluid by buying a pump from Amazon for $12. Pumped out about 4 quarts. Replaced. Repeated about a month later. Those flushes.on older cars make me nervous.

driver100

If we say "bungalo" in Florida no one knows what we are talking about, even if they are seniors. Bungalo is an English word. In Canada we usually call a one story small squarish house a bungalo, when a one story gets elongated it is called a ranch style, or possibly one story.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

nyccarguy said:

I ALWAYS tip the entire bill (including tax) at 20%. If the service is particularly awful I'll leave nothing, but that's only happened maybe 5 times.

My wife and I used to go to this Spanish restaurant. We bought a groupon for it that included an autographed copy of the Chef's recipe book. The place was empty, the food wasn't cooked right, they took too long to bring out the appetizer, and then rushed the entree out. The server was nice. I tipped 20% of what the food would normally cost. We were on our way out and they asked if something was wrong. I told them everything that went wrong, but the problems were resurrected and the food was delicious as always. They then had the nerve to ask why I tipped so little. I explained that I tipped on what the normal cost of the meal was. They said to me, "But you got the book from the chef that we normally sell for $59." I walked out and haven't been back since.

What? You didn't tip on the book? I bet when you also go to Barnes and Noble and don't tip on your book purchases there too.

Sounds like the book is overpriced at $59 unless he is Gordon Ramsay or something. So he expects 20% or $12 on his overpriced cookbook.

Even if it was from Gordon Ramsey unless personally signed by him and a first edition.

If he expects a tip for his free gift $59 cookbook he is expecting about $12 for it which is about the real full price for a cookbook by an unknown author.

qbrozen

From what I know, a Ranch is a one-story home. Yes, you can have a finished basement. Yes, you can have a "raised" Ranch where part of the basement is up out of the ground. However, in the case of the raised Ranch, your entryway is on the main (top) floor. A split level, interchangeable with bi-level, can look like a raised ranch, but the difference being the entryway is between floors. So the grey house that started this discussion is a split.

imidazol97

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

Man, that "mute user" function would save a lot of wear and tear on a lot of keyboards, and eyeballs too. :@

Scroll wheel...scroll wheel.

jmonroe

Works.

explorerx4

@qbrozen,
You say tMAYto, I toMAHto.
To me a split means it's half a story up or down from the entry level which has a living area.
A raised ranch has an entry way that has no living area, just a foyer and you have to go up or down from there.

stickguy

Farmer, I don't recall Scotty's exact position. I know it was don't flush, but doing a simple drain (or suck out) and refill with the same amount of clean fluid should still be OK. Just have to do that a few times on an older car. And I agree with the idea that 10 years of around town use is really hard on fluids, so needs it regardless of miles.

I did my Acura's every 4 years I think. Or maybe 30k miles. But way more often than called for. Just preventative maintenance. Will probably do the new car around 5 years, which at this pace might only be 30K miles!

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

@fintail pop and soda are both wrong. It's "coke", or you may be allowed "soft drink".

In western NY soft drinks are called pop. In the eastern part of the state we call it soda. In NYC soda is seltzer. I don’t know what they call soft drinks down there.

sda

oldfarmer50 said:

Here’s an interesting thing. We had my son’s Fusion in for an oil change and general inspection. My mechanic noted the tranny fluid was dark and suggested it be changed. He recommended a transmission shop because even on a 10 year old car it required a special extractor.

Anyway, the transmission shop call the fluid “real raunchy” and did a complete flush to get it all out. I asked what would cause that after only 33k miles and he opined that they use some cheap fluids these days.

Transmission shifts fine and checked out on the scanner. I usually wouldn’t even begin to consider fluid in need of a change until 50k miles. Am I out of touch on modern fluid change intervals?

Perhaps a lot of short trips, stop and go in hot temps. Didn’t it come from FL?

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

To me this is a split level Basement is half a story below main level, upper level is half a story up.
Like this.

That’s very similar to my house.

I’m trying to convince the wife we should buy your place. Does it have a garage? Or a barn you can park in? Bonus points if I can put a lift in!

Just like that picture it has a single bay garage. Also has a small barn where I put a summer car. You might get a scissor lift in either one.

For an individual of your stature and wealth I’d be guessing you’d be building an extravagant mansion and using the existing structure as a guest house.

When will you mail the check?

I can work with that. Next time we are up your way I'll do a drive-by to show the wife. Don't worry, after buying the land, I won't have any money to build a McMansion on it! But I do plan to get a tractor!

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Here’s an interesting thing. We had my son’s Fusion in for an oil change and general inspection. My mechanic noted the tranny fluid was dark and suggested it be changed. He recommended a transmission shop because even on a 10 year old car it required a special extractor.

Anyway, the transmission shop call the fluid “real raunchy” and did a complete flush to get it all out. I asked what would cause that after only 33k miles and he opined that they use some cheap fluids these days.

Transmission shifts fine and checked out on the scanner. I usually wouldn’t even begin to consider fluid in need of a change until 50k miles. Am I out of touch on modern fluid change intervals?

Well, if your trans fluid was 10 years old, and hadn't been changed, I'd think it would need changing despite the mileage. But....remember Scotty? Doesn't he say don't change trans fluid after a lengthy period of time or miles. Scotty wouldn't steer you wrong...would he?

My sons 2010 Fusion had at least one trans flush when I bought it at 100,000. But, it was dirty. I changed the fluid by buying a pump from Amazon for $12. Pumped out about 4 quarts. Replaced. Repeated about a month later. Those flushes.on older cars make me nervous.

To be fair to he whose name must not be mentioned, he only cautions against fluid changes on transmissions which are high mileage and have never had the fluid changed.

Buying a car that may or may not have had the fluid changed in 100k miles makes me nervous. How did your son’s car shift after you did the flush?

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

If we say "bungalo" in Florida no one knows what we are talking about, even if they are seniors. Bungalo is an English word. In Canada we usually call a one story small squarish house a bungalo, when a one story gets elongated it is called a ranch style, or possibly one story.

When I think of a bungalow I picture a small house oriented long side into the lot rather than facing the street. Sears sold them in kit form. My grandmother’s house was one of those.

venture

qbrozen said:

From what I know, a Ranch is a one-story home. Yes, you can have a finished basement. Yes, you can have a "raised" Ranch where part of the basement is up out of the ground. However, in the case of the raised Ranch, your entryway is on the main (top) floor. A split level, interchangeable with bi-level, can look like a raised ranch, but the difference being the entryway is between floors. So the grey house that started this discussion is a split.

Around here, with a split entry you enter to a landing then must go up or down stairs. With a split level you enter the living area and then you can go up to the bedrooms or down to the basement area.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Farmer, I don't recall Scotty's exact position. I know it was don't flush, but doing a simple drain (or suck out) and refill with the same amount of clean fluid should still be OK. Just have to do that a few times on an older car. And I agree with the idea that 10 years of around town use is really hard on fluids, so needs it regardless of miles.

I did my Acura's every 4 years I think. Or maybe 30k miles. But way more often than called for. Just preventative maintenance. Will probably do the new car around 5 years, which at this pace might only be 30K miles!

So maybe the fluid was dirty just as a function of being driven in Florida by grandma for 10 years. I guess that makes sense. My worry is that dirty fluid at that milage might indicate abuse or some internal malfunction.

BTW, I found a replacement for Jipster’s beloved Mercury.

https://newyork.craigslist.org/que/cto/d/brooklyn-2007-mercury-mariner-sport/7268577381.html

ab348

It’s funny to read about the regional variation in terminology. Growing up, a fizzy soft drink was always “pop” as in “a bottle of pop” and our family found it odd to hear TV show dialogue referring to it as “soda”. Even more egregious was something like an O Henry or Butterfinger. We always simply called it a “bar” as in asking my father “Dad, could you buy me a bar?” when he went into the service station to pay for gas. We always rolled our eyes when watching the Andy Griffith show when Andy or Opie would refer to that as a “candy bar”, which just seemed superfluous to us.

stickguy

that one should get snapped up. Looks sharp and a pretty good deal. Heck, if it was local and I was shopping I might buy it. Of course, being CL, need to hope it is legit. Probably is. No scammer is pulling out a tape measure and doing that much work!

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

that one should get snapped up. Looks sharp and a pretty good deal. Heck, if it was local and I was shopping I might buy it. Of course, being CL, need to hope it is legit. Probably is. No scammer is pulling out a tape measure and doing that much work!

You have to do due diligence with anything on CL. First thing is make sure they didn’t “accidentally” leave out a zero in the milage. I also Google the phone number to see if it traces back to a dealer or multiple other ads. For that car I’d want to see the title in the seller’s name since he couldn’t legally sell it in NY in the deceased relative’s name. Only then would you waste time actually looking at the car.

oldfarmer50

sda said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Here’s an interesting thing. We had my son’s Fusion in for an oil change and general inspection. My mechanic noted the tranny fluid was dark and suggested it be changed. He recommended a transmission shop because even on a 10 year old car it required a special extractor.

Anyway, the transmission shop call the fluid “real raunchy” and did a complete flush to get it all out. I asked what would cause that after only 33k miles and he opined that they use some cheap fluids these days.

Transmission shifts fine and checked out on the scanner. I usually wouldn’t even begin to consider fluid in need of a change until 50k miles. Am I out of touch on modern fluid change intervals?

Perhaps a lot of short trips, stop and go in hot temps. Didn’t it come from FL?

Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping. Yep, from Florida according to CarFax.