Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

I bought some pepper spray to use in case Trixie and/or I are attacked by a wild dog either while walking or at the dog park. I see a lot of these cases on Judge Judy or Hot Bench, a little dog is attacked, a lot of pain and suffering and vet bills, a big problem proving your case.
I thought I would buy another small can to take back to Canada with me.
I wanted to make sure it was legal to take it across the border so I looked it up. I thought I would declare it and if it was illegal they would just take it from me.
Apparently, I could go to prison immediately for trying to bring it into the country.
Not only that, but if someone came up to me with a gun (in Canada) and I used pepper spray to defend myself, I'd probably get more time in prison than the guy who threatened me with the gun!

Are you sure you don’t live in NY?

stickguy

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I bought some pepper spray to use in case Trixie and/or I are attacked by a wild dog either while walking or at the dog park. I see a lot of these cases on Judge Judy or Hot Bench, a little dog is attacked, a lot of pain and suffering and vet bills, a big problem proving your case.
I thought I would buy another small can to take back to Canada with me.
I wanted to make sure it was legal to take it across the border so I looked it up. I thought I would declare it and if it was illegal they would just take it from me.
Apparently, I could go to prison immediately for trying to bring it into the country.
Not only that, but if someone came up to me with a gun (in Canada) and I used pepper spray to defend myself, I'd probably get more time in prison than the guy who threatened me with the gun!

You’re correct, it is illegal to carry under the Firearms Act. If I say what I think about that legislation my comment would disappear, so I won’t say it.

However, it is apparently not illegal to sell it if you market it as dog repellant or some such thing. Many places offer it including Amazon Canada.

just put a "bear repellent" label on it, and say you were heading out to the woods.

abacomike

For years, most TV commercials were selling automobiles, food and credit cards/investing. Now, it seems that you can’t get through a series of commercials without seeing one for some pharmaceutical or OTC meds. Times have sure changed!

fintail

abacomike said:

For years, most TV commercials were selling automobiles, food and credit cards/investing. Now, it seems that you can’t get through a series of commercials without seeing one for some pharmaceutical or OTC meds. Times have sure changed!

One of those things visitors from countries who lack our middleman juggernaut always find amazing/surprising/irritating.

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I bought some pepper spray to use in case Trixie and/or I are attacked by a wild dog either while walking or at the dog park. I see a lot of these cases on Judge Judy or Hot Bench, a little dog is attacked, a lot of pain and suffering and vet bills, a big problem proving your case.
I thought I would buy another small can to take back to Canada with me.
I wanted to make sure it was legal to take it across the border so I looked it up. I thought I would declare it and if it was illegal they would just take it from me.
Apparently, I could go to prison immediately for trying to bring it into the country.
Not only that, but if someone came up to me with a gun (in Canada) and I used pepper spray to defend myself, I'd probably get more time in prison than the guy who threatened me with the gun!

You’re correct, it is illegal to carry under the Firearms Act. If I say what I think about that legislation my comment would disappear, so I won’t say it.

However, it is apparently not illegal to sell it if you market it as dog repellant or some such thing. Many places offer it including Amazon Canada.

I bought one that is definitely sold as dog repellent but I think it would be very risky to try and bring it into the country....I believe customs can interpret the law to some degree. The one I bought mostly for that reason is this one which was $10 on amazon.com in the U.S., in Canada on amazon.ca it is $73!

driver100

stickguy said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I bought some pepper spray to use in case Trixie and/or I are attacked by a wild dog either while walking or at the dog park. I see a lot of these cases on Judge Judy or Hot Bench, a little dog is attacked, a lot of pain and suffering and vet bills, a big problem proving your case.
I thought I would buy another small can to take back to Canada with me.
I wanted to make sure it was legal to take it across the border so I looked it up. I thought I would declare it and if it was illegal they would just take it from me.
Apparently, I could go to prison immediately for trying to bring it into the country.
Not only that, but if someone came up to me with a gun (in Canada) and I used pepper spray to defend myself, I'd probably get more time in prison than the guy who threatened me with the gun!

You’re correct, it is illegal to carry under the Firearms Act. If I say what I think about that legislation my comment would disappear, so I won’t say it.

However, it is apparently not illegal to sell it if you market it as dog repellant or some such thing. Many places offer it including Amazon Canada.

just put a "bear repellent" label on it, and say you were heading out to the woods.

I thought of that but the warning was clear...if they find this on you then you could go to prison......and I don't feel like lawyering up or ending up in prison...over some dog repellent!

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

I bought some pepper spray to use in case Trixie and/or I are attacked by a wild dog either while walking or at the dog park. I see a lot of these cases on Judge Judy or Hot Bench, a little dog is attacked, a lot of pain and suffering and vet bills, a big problem proving your case.
I thought I would buy another small can to take back to Canada with me.
I wanted to make sure it was legal to take it across the border so I looked it up. I thought I would declare it and if it was illegal they would just take it from me.
Apparently, I could go to prison immediately for trying to bring it into the country.
Not only that, but if someone came up to me with a gun (in Canada) and I used pepper spray to defend myself, I'd probably get more time in prison than the guy who threatened me with the gun!

you should wear a body cam, like the cops do

————————————————
Those are definitely wireless.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

abacomike said:

For years, most TV commercials were selling automobiles, food and credit cards/investing. Now, it seems that you can’t get through a series of commercials without seeing one for some pharmaceutical or OTC meds. Times have sure changed!

————————————————
Maybe because people aren’t as healthy as they used to be.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

For you guys who are doing a kitchen makeover, this guy won't be available for a while.



jmonroe

kyfdx

Related:
1st quote for new cabinets came in at $30K (not including installation).
Granite countertop quote (with sink, island top and installation) was fairly reasonable. Just under $6K.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Related:
1st quote for new cabinets came in at $30K (not including installation).
Granite countertop quote (with sink, island top and installation) was fairly reasonable. Just under $6K.

Have you considered quartz for the countertops? Not that they're any less expensive...

kyfdx

Michaell said:

kyfdx said:

Related:
1st quote for new cabinets came in at $30K (not including installation).
Granite countertop quote (with sink, island top and installation) was fairly reasonable. Just under $6K.

Have you considered quartz for the countertops? Not that they're any less expensive...

Actually, quartz is generally a little more. We are leaning toward granite, for the look and utility.

ab348

It's funny how countertop materials go through very well-defined fashion trends. I have been watching old This Old House seasons after picking up their Insider subscription for half-price at the start of the year (even got a Silva Bros. T-shirt!). In the '80s everything was pretty much still plastic laminate, changing in the latter part of the decade to Corian and clones thereof, which was popular for a few years before granite or other natural stone took over by the mid-to-late 90s. Quartz didn't come along in any quantity until the '00s and was neck and neck with stone for a while but seems the material of choice now, though they still sometimes use stone like marble or soapstone.

tjc78

@kyfdx said:
Actually, quartz is generally a little more. We are leaning toward granite, for the look and utility.

Quartz looks pretty good but granite is so much more durable. Can’t put a hot pot on quartz like you can with granite.

qbrozen

@tjc78 said:

@kyfdx said:
Actually, quartz is generally a little more. We are leaning toward granite, for the look and utility.

Quartz looks pretty good but granite is so much more durable. Can’t put a hot pot on quartz like you can with granite.

You shouldn’t do it on either. Granite has a sealer on it. If you damage that, it won’t necessarily be visible, but it would then be unprotected from spills. Grease will soak right into it and make it look very bad, for example.

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

Related:
1st quote for new cabinets came in at $30K (not including installation).
Granite countertop quote (with sink, island top and installation) was fairly reasonable. Just under $6K.

————————————————
Monroe and Monroe Flippers can easily beat those prices.

jmonroe

stickguy

I complain to my wife all the time when she pots a hot pot or pan directly on the counter. and we have quartz now. Man I will get mileage out of that "I told you so" if she ruins it!

maybe she will believe QB since she never seems to put much stock in what I tell her.

stickguy

we have done all of those materials. First house had laminate, never changed it. 2nd house (a nicer one) came with that and a few years later we replaced it with Swanstone (a corian type material but done like an engineered floor with a top layer). 10 years later we gutted and redid the kitchen and went with granite (quartz was around then but wife liked the granite and it was a lot cheaper). this current house is 2 YO, and came with quartz. Overall I like it better than the stone.

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

Related:
1st quote for new cabinets came in at $30K (not including installation).
Granite countertop quote (with sink, island top and installation) was fairly reasonable. Just under $6K.

I’ll sell you my kitchen cabinets for half that.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

It's funny how countertop materials go through very well-defined fashion trends. I have been watching old This Old House seasons after picking up their Insider subscription for half-price at the start of the year (even got a Silva Bros. T-shirt!). In the '80s everything was pretty much still plastic laminate, changing in the latter part of the decade to Corian and clones thereof, which was popular for a few years before granite or other natural stone took over by the mid-to-late 90s. Quartz didn't come along in any quantity until the '00s and was neck and neck with stone for a while but seems the material of choice now, though they still sometimes use stone like marble or soapstone.

When I built my house in 1982 tile was all the rage. It appealed to me because it was the one surface that I could install myself. No expensive stone cutting tools or custom cutting required. A plywood backing was all that was needed. I was able to achieve a nice step up bar counter with it which I never could have done with stone. It was also cheap relative to the different stone materials of today. $600 instead of $6,000 (of course that was 40 years ago prices).

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

Related:
1st quote for new cabinets came in at $30K (not including installation).
Granite countertop quote (with sink, island top and installation) was fairly reasonable. Just under $6K.

I’ll sell you my kitchen cabinets for half that.

Nothing wrong with my existing cabinets... you can have them for $10K!

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

Related:
1st quote for new cabinets came in at $30K (not including installation).
Granite countertop quote (with sink, island top and installation) was fairly reasonable. Just under $6K.

I’ll sell you my kitchen cabinets for half that.

Nothing wrong with my existing cabinets... you can have them for $10K!

————————————————
If they’re rust free he might be willing to negotiate that offer.

jmonroe

driver100

I got a small stone chip in my windshield on the C250. When I was driving the E to Florida I got one every year for 3 years....I haven't had one at home in over 20 years.
It is small but I was going to go to Safelite when I got a chance, but one guy at tennis told me to buy a kit. I hate going to Safelite, it is a long 40 minute drive through heavy traffic and it takes about 2 hours for them to get the car into the shop and to do the repair, then wait until it sets.
I got a kit on Amazon.....applied the stuff, now I am waiting for it to cure in the sun, for 30 minutes.
I think this could work in some situations, but I have a feeling it will fill the hole, but not sure how much strength it adds and I don't think it gets into the tiny crack lines.

Sandman6472

We used Safelite on both vehicles. Both had small cracks and their gel was used & worked great...can no longer see any issues at all on either of them. Hoping your kit will give the same great results that we had!

On he subject of countertops, we still have the original formica and they really show their age. Cabinets are worn also and having that handyman in a few months ago only helped a little bit...we really need a total gut job! But, got a good feeling that our pharmacist daughter is going to end up moving within the next year & transferring up to Orlando near where our daughter and son-in-law live now which means we'd be going to. If the girls are both gone from South Florida, we have no reason to stay here. So, the house will go on the market. Anyone who buys our house will gut it anyways no doubt. So why spend upwards of $50K or more to redo the kitchen & master bath plus all the flooring. Best to sell for a little less but let the new folks make it their own. Might not be the best way to go but just not willing to live through a major construction zone to be honest as I know we're all going to be leaving within a few years anyways.
I've lived in this area since the end of 1969 & am used to it. But, with no kids near, we'd be so unhappy so just waiting for some concrete plans to be made by our daughter & then, we'll make ours. Until that time, we're living with what we've got & squirreling away as much as we can.

henryn

The Tracfone that I bought for $50 (plus tax, $55.11 all in) arrived and I set it up. Working fine, and it is not on "auto-refill". Pretty sweet for pocket change.

imidazol97

I

driver100 said:

I got a kit on Amazon.....applied the stuff, now I am waiting for it to cure in the sun, for 30 minutes.
I think this could work in some situations, but I have a feeling it will fill the hole, but not sure how much strength it adds and I don't think it gets into the tiny crack lines.

I believe the forte of the Safelite method is that they use a suction pump and device that seals to the windshield to remove the air and then can inject the liquid which has the same refraction index as the
glass into that vacuum via the device. That makes the liquid flow into the smallest cracks, hopefully.

Here in Ohio the insurance pays to have Safelite do the repair instead of replacing a windshield. If the repair doesnt' work and the chip is in an important area of the windshield they'll later replace the windshield. One theory is that chips that aren't repaired tend to crack further, so insurance may be saving an expensive replacement.

I had one on the Cobalt repaired that didn't quite fill the smallest cracks so was still visible on passenger side lower glass. My wife hated seeing it.

I wonder if the cured liquid from the Amazon kit will make the chip unrepairable for Safelite to try to redo it later...

Sandman6472

Do you use much data? I personally use about 3 gigs/month of our 6 gig plan. The girls hardly use any. But that one month we tried the unlimited plan, I went nuts & used 8.9 gigs. But sitting in the chase van at work gives us a lot of free time to surf the web. Now that we went back to 6 gigs/month, I have to watch my usage as they charge $15/gig if we go over. Sure, we have rollover with AT&T and we usually rollover at least 1 or 2 gigs, so I just hold myself back. Luckily we have wifi at home where we use it mostly so all is good.
If you use more than your monthly allotment, how do you get more? Guessing you either have to call up or go on your computer to buy more gigs. I know some folks at work are on their smart phones 24/7 but most have unlimited plans. Trying to get the girls to switch to another company that has better unlimited plans but waiting a bit after the cluster f-ck we had with AT&T! They weren't truthful about what I was signing up for so we got to go back to our previous plan but, it left a bad taste in me. So, in a few months, I'll see about us all changing companies to something more user friendly. Until then, I'll throttle back my data usage.

Michaell

Sandman6472 said:

We used Safelite on both vehicles. Both had small cracks and their gel was used & worked great...can no longer see any issues at all on either of them. Hoping your kit will give the same great results that we had!

On he subject of countertops, we still have the original formica and they really show their age. Cabinets are worn also and having that handyman in a few months ago only helped a little bit...we really need a total gut job! But, got a good feeling that our pharmacist daughter is going to end up moving within the next year & transferring up to Orlando near where our daughter and son-in-law live now which means we'd be going to. If the girls are both gone from South Florida, we have no reason to stay here. So, the house will go on the market. Anyone who buys our house will gut it anyways no doubt. So why spend upwards of $50K or more to redo the kitchen & master bath plus all the flooring. Best to sell for a little less but let the new folks make it their own. Might not be the best way to go but just not willing to live through a major construction zone to be honest as I know we're all going to be leaving within a few years anyways.
I've lived in this area since the end of 1969 & am used to it. But, with no kids near, we'd be so unhappy so just waiting for some concrete plans to be made by our daughter & then, we'll make ours. Until that time, we're living with what we've got & squirreling away as much as we can.

Kinda like the situation we have with my moms house. They moved into it as a new build in 1968. They did some upgrades over the years (corian counters in the kitchen and baths, a switch from electric to gas for the range, added solar panels and a tankless water heater), but it's still showing its age. When the time comes to sell, my sister and I don't see eye to eye on what we should invest into it to get the best price.

Same reasons you gave - why spend tens of thousands of dollars on upgrades, if the new owners are simply going to renovate the house to their own standards?

It does need paint, inside and out, and probably new carpets in the living room and bedrooms. Not sure after that...

imidazol97

Ford applies for patent that allows automaker to repossess cars remotely

The patent application reviewed by the Free Press outlines a series of strategies to resolve nonpayment, which include sending reminder messages and a warning from banks or other lending institutions to the owner's smartphone or vehicle display screen.

After a period of days or weeks, the process may evolve to include audio that makes an "unpleasant" sound with tone, pitch, cadence, beat or volume to get the owner to contact the lender about arranging payment. Then the car may disable features such as window or seat controls, GPS or radio dials to "cause discomfort," the patent said.


https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/cars/ford/2023/03/01/ford-vehicle-repossession-technology-patent-late-payments/69956443007/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Enquirer_-_Cincinnati_and_Kentucky

stickguy

I would agree on the house to basically do a good detail. Fresh paint, clean carpets. Maybe some fixtures. Make it look superficially fresh. But avoid major expensive remodeling.

This assumes of course you are in a hit market with a desirable property.

kyfdx

Have you seen the price of carpet, though? Shewww...

driver100

imidazol97 said:

Ford applies for patent that allows automaker to repossess cars remotely

The patent application reviewed by the Free Press outlines a series of strategies to resolve nonpayment, which include sending reminder messages and a warning from banks or other lending institutions to the owner's smartphone or vehicle display screen.

After a period of days or weeks, the process may evolve to include audio that makes an "unpleasant" sound with tone, pitch, cadence, beat or volume to get the owner to contact the lender about arranging payment. Then the car may disable features such as window or seat controls, GPS or radio dials to "cause discomfort," the patent said.


https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/cars/ford/2023/03/01/ford-vehicle-repossession-technology-patent-late-payments/69956443007/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Enquirer_-_Cincinnati_and_Kentucky

If you skip out on payments....don't buy a new Ford!

stickguy

kyfdx said:

Have you seen the price of carpet, though? Shewww...

price of everything these days it seems. I am glad that we ended up buying an almost new build that did not need anything. At my age, if it ever starts needing a redo I will just sell it and move to some geezer place.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

I

driver100 said:

I got a kit on Amazon.....applied the stuff, now I am waiting for it to cure in the sun, for 30 minutes.
I think this could work in some situations, but I have a feeling it will fill the hole, but not sure how much strength it adds and I don't think it gets into the tiny crack lines.

I believe the forte of the Safelite method is that they use a suction pump and device that seals to the windshield to remove the air and then can inject the liquid which has the same refraction index as the
glass into that vacuum via the device. That makes the liquid flow into the smallest cracks, hopefully.

Here in Ohio the insurance pays to have Safelite do the repair instead of replacing a windshield. If the repair doesnt' work and the chip is in an important area of the windshield they'll later replace the windshield. One theory is that chips that aren't repaired tend to crack further, so insurance may be saving an expensive replacement.

I had one on the Cobalt repaired that didn't quite fill the smallest cracks so was still visible on passenger side lower glass. My wife hated seeing it.

I wonder if the cured liquid from the Amazon kit will make the chip unrepairable for Safelite to try to redo it later...

I have had 3 stone chips repaired at Safelite and they do a good job. This one is small and I didn't want to spend an afternoon....4 hours to get it fixed.
This works in a similar way, you put the device on the windshield, fill the hole with the fluid, put a clear shield on top, leave it in the sun for 30 minutes.
The results, I think it filled the hole part. The small spider lines are still there....the kit doesn't get into the cracks easily - I think Safelite is good at getting into those little crack lines. This is supposed to refract light at the same frequency.

I think this filled the hole and it will make the windshield more solid. The little lines are still there. I think it is good enough for my purposes. If it were a larger hole I'd use Safelite. If I got another hole I'd go to Safelite and get the two repaired. btw...you still see a spot where Safelite has repaired it.

I think Safelite would be able to clean this stuff out but maybe not. People in Florida say insurance companies pay for a repair or new windshield. I pay for the repairs just because i don't want my rates to go up.


4 1/2 stars....10600 reviews.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Have you seen the price of carpet, though? Shewww...

The good news is that there isn't a lot of carpet in the house - just the living room and the three bedrooms. Maybe 500-600 sq ft. The whole house is only 1450 sf.

Michaell

stickguy said:

I would agree on the house to basically do a good detail. Fresh paint, clean carpets. Maybe some fixtures. Make it look superficially fresh. But avoid major expensive remodeling.

This assumes of course you are in a hit market with a desirable property.

I get an update from Zillow each month on their value of mom's house. It's been trending down, but I suspect everything is, in this market.

It's in a decent neighborhood, however. We've been taking care of problem areas the last few years. When one's ex-wife is one's tenant, it makes for some interesting conversations.

• Tankless water heater replaced
  
• Service doors have been replaced (total of 2)
  
• Plumbing issues addressed
  
• New furnace a few years back
  

Mechanically, the house is sound. Like I said, it's mostly cosmetic. Original vanities in both bathrooms is probably the biggest issue. We will deal with it when the time comes.

stickguy

I had a bullseye filled once by a glass shop (came to my house and did it there). They filled the hole OK but it was still very noticeable (well, to me it was!). Biggest issue was that it was right in front of me so I had to look at it. Ended up having them back out to replace the window (on my Accord_) NJ actually does not cover the glass on your car insurance for some reason, so every windshield I ever had done was on my dime.

venture

If I push the talk button on my BMW and say, "lower driver's window", the window goes down. Same for the passenger side. Why? My hand that can operate all the windows is 6" away, at the most.

It had to take some time, effort, and brain cells to come up with that.

Yet there is no place to keep my sunglasses near the rearview mirror like other cars have had for years. I keep them in a cupholder on the door.

I don't get it! Priorities are messed up.

stickguy

I had do some DIY repairs to our one remaining car today. For some reason it stopped recognizing my phone. Got a call the other day and it never came up on the car. Then I wasn't able to get the car to even find it after a bunch of tries. So today I spent some time and downloaded a software update OTA (worked much better than trying it in the Ford). Not sure if that helped but after some more screwing around the car and my phone finally decided the other existed and they would pair. I was almost to the point of bringing it in to the dealer to figure out so dodged that bullet!

driver100

stickguy said:

I had a bullseye filled once by a glass shop (came to my house and did it there). They filled the hole OK but it was still very noticeable (well, to me it was!). Biggest issue was that it was right in front of me so I had to look at it. Ended up having them back out to replace the window (on my Accord_) NJ actually does not cover the glass on your car insurance for some reason, so every windshield I ever had done was on my dime.

It seems that stone chips seem to happen right near the drivers site area of the windshield. This one is pretty low so it doesn't bother me, but if it was in my direct line of vision, and if it was on the larger size, then I think I would opt for a new windshield. At least I don't think the C250 has too many electric devices built into the windshield, one advantage of a pretty basic model.

henryn

Sandman6472 said:

Do you use much data? I personally use about 3 gigs/month of our 6 gig plan. The girls hardly use any. But that one month we tried the unlimited plan, I went nuts & used 8.9 gigs. But sitting in the chase van at work gives us a lot of free time to surf the web. Now that we went back to 6 gigs/month, I have to watch my usage as they charge $15/gig if we go over. Sure, we have rollover with AT&T and we usually rollover at least 1 or 2 gigs, so I just hold myself back. Luckily we have wifi at home where we use it mostly so all is good.
If you use more than your monthly allotment, how do you get more? Guessing you either have to call up or go on your computer to buy more gigs. I know some folks at work are on their smart phones 24/7 but most have unlimited plans. Trying to get the girls to switch to another company that has better unlimited plans but waiting a bit after the cluster f-ck we had with AT&T! They weren't truthful about what I was signing up for so we got to go back to our previous plan but, it left a bad taste in me. So, in a few months, I'll see about us all changing companies to something more user friendly. Until then, I'll throttle back my data usage.

This Tracfone isn't intended to be used as a primary phone, so very little use at all. And on my primary phone, I have never (to the best of my knowledge) exceeded 2 gigs in 1 month. Usually less than 1 gig. And my plan with RedPocket gives me 8 gigs of data for a little less than $20 a month, paid annually ($219.41 all in). That's on the Verizon network.

Sheesh! 15 minutes after activating the Tracfone, I get my first spam call. And they know my name, which means Tracfone sold the information immediately. Doesn't matter, this phone will be turned off as soon as it finished getting updates.

henryn

The story about Ford and electronics reminded me of something I read a long way back. I just did a google search, and couldn’t find it, but the story went something like this.

When they were ready to introduce the new Edsel, some executive at Ford Motor Company took Henry Ford II for a test drive in the new Edsel. The new Edsel was equipped with all of the latest electronic gadgetry, including power door locks and power windows. During the test drive, the electronics went wonky and they were unable to unlock the doors or lower the windows. They would up going to the nearest dealership to get themselves released from their lockup.

The fact that a google search can’t find any reference to such a story may mean the whole thing was just a myth, I don’t know. I can’t remember where I read the story.

qbrozen

@henryn said:
This Tracfone isn't intended to be used as a primary phone, so very little use at all. And on my primary phone, I have never (to the best of my knowledge) exceeded 2 gigs in 1 month. Usually less than 1 gig. And my plan with RedPocket gives me 8 gigs of data for a little less than $20 a month, paid annually ($219.41 all in). That's on the Verizon network.

Sheesh! 15 minutes after activating the Tracfone, I get my first spam call. And they know my name, which means Tracfone sold the information immediately. Doesn't matter, this phone will be turned off as soon as it finished getting updates.

Remind me why you would need a backup phone?

Our plan with Visible has been great. Unlimited everything for $25/mo per line.

tjc78

@henryn
You ok down there in TX? Colleague of mine just sent a pretty scary picture from the storms.

ab348

We just got a foot of snow dumped on us between about 6PM last night and sometime overnight while I was sleeping. Thankfully not much wind and it is sunny this morning but too cold to do much good. Still waiting for my street to be plowed, I suspect it might not be until tomorrow.

ab348

henryn said:

Sheesh! 15 minutes after activating the Tracfone, I get my first spam call. And they know my name, which means Tracfone sold the information immediately. Doesn't matter, this phone will be turned off as soon as it finished getting updates.

There are very few people who have my cell #, just a few friends and relatives, and no businesses or institutions at all. Yet I get garbage calls fairly often, though not as many as on my mostly unused landline. Oddly enough, most of the garbage calls that do come in on my cell leave voicemails with a recorded message in a language I cannot decipher, presumably Chinese. Those numbers are not being sold by the cell provider but are harvested in some other manner.

laurasdada

I occasionally get the Chinese lady yelling at me SPAM voicemail. I believe that I read somewhere that it's related to an immigration threat scam for the intended audience.

driver100

I didn't realize there was still a 2 door Mustang available...even going into 2024. It's a bit confusing having the 4 door E-Models and a completely different V8 Model....still called a Mustang:

laurasdada

There are those that are infuriated that the Mach E was, indeed, named a Mustang.
Personally, I have no horses in the name game.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

Ford applies for patent that allows automaker to repossess cars remotely

The patent application reviewed by the Free Press outlines a series of strategies to resolve nonpayment, which include sending reminder messages and a warning from banks or other lending institutions to the owner's smartphone or vehicle display screen.

After a period of days or weeks, the process may evolve to include audio that makes an "unpleasant" sound with tone, pitch, cadence, beat or volume to get the owner to contact the lender about arranging payment. Then the car may disable features such as window or seat controls, GPS or radio dials to "cause discomfort," the patent said.


https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/cars/ford/2023/03/01/ford-vehicle-repossession-technology-patent-late-payments/69956443007/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Enquirer_-_Cincinnati_and_Kentucky

I can see turning off the radio but the windows? That could be a safety hazard in case of an accident. Why not provide an electric shock to get the deadbeat’s attention?

Besides, don’t the BHPH lots already have systems which disable a car?