Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find.

Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that!

I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!

jmonroe

abacomike said:

OK, here's a story from my food-shopping activities from today.

At Walmart, they have an Express Checkout Register that can be used by customers who have 20 or less items.  I had about 18 items so I went over to the Express Line.  In front of me is a woman who has at least 90-100 items - I mean her cart looked like a model of Mt. Everest.  I mentioned to her that this line is for 20 items or less.  

She turns around and says to me, "..,would you like to repeat that to my husband who is coming up behind you?"  I turn around and this 280 lb. 6'4" inch Mr. Former Universe type guy says to me, "...have you got a problem, Mr. Wise guy?"

The rest is history - I waited on line behind them for 20 minutes while they checked out her shopping cart and his shopping cart which was filled to the brim as well.  As they paid their $480 grocery bill, the lady turns to me and sticks her middle finger up - more or less giving me the bird, so to speak.  I smiled at them (but I was crying deeply inside).

When I got to the register, the checkout lady says to me, "...sorry, this line is closed - I'm going on break!

It was just one of those days today - I should never have gotten out of bed this morning! 

Mike,

You're a lot more polite than I am. If they closed the lane when I got there I would have left my cart there and gone to the service desk and asked that it be reopened. If they refused, I'd have left and let them restock the items.

jmonroe

abacomike

stickguy said:

Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find. Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that! I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!

I have a heart condition now, so I try not to let things upset me.  But if that happened before my heart attack in November, I would have gone bezerk!

driver100

Sorry Mike....I am RFLMAO at this latest story.........

I am glad those guys really liked your car and didn't ask you to open the trunk so they could put you in it.

I once went into the 10 items only and I had two items, one of them was a bag of dinner rolls....12 rolls, and they were even stuck together. So the lady behind me starts to complain there were 12 buns in the package so I was over the limit. I had to explain they were in a package and counted as only one item when they are rung through, and they are all attached to each other anyway. :@

abacomike

@jmonroe:

I usually don't think that rationally when my heart starts to palpatate and I know I need to relax - but you could see, "The Tracks Of My Tears" if you looked closely at my face! 

abacomike

driver100 said:

Sorry Mike....I am RFLMAO at this latest story......... I am glad those guys really liked your car and didn't ask you to open the trunk so they could put you in it. I once went into the 10 items only and I had two items, one of them was a bag of dinner rolls....12 rolls, and they were even stuck together. So the lady behind me starts to complain there were 12 buns in the package so I was over the limit. I had to explain they were in a package and counted as only one item when they are rung through, and they are all attached to each other anyway. :@

It's just another chapter in THE STORY OF MY LIFE!

driver100

abacomike said:

It's just another chapter in THE STORY OF MY LIFE!

I was once told even bad experiences can be good because it gives you a good story you can tell....at least you have that!

abacomike

My son called me Sunday night and told me he was adopting a 2-1/2 year old dog (he said he "saved" the dog from euthanasia).  With all his responsibilities and his weakness from his malignant brain tumor treatments, I suggested he reconsider.

Well, as usual, he ignored my suggestion and sent me 2 pictures of his new dog.  It's a combination of at least 4-5 breeds and is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.  It resembles a German Shepherd/Sheep Dog/Collie/Retriever.  I mean this is an ugly dog - it's a two-bagger - you put two bags over her head in case the first one should fall off.

But, if it makes him happy, that's all that counts! 

driver100

abacomike said:

My son called me Sunday night and told me he was adopting a 2-1/2 year old dog (he said he "saved" the dog from euthanasia).  With all his responsibilities and his weakness from his malignant brain tumor treatments, I suggested he reconsider.

Well, as usual, he ignored my suggestion and sent me 2 pictures of his new dog.  It's a combination of at least 4-5 breeds and is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.  It resembles a German Shepherd/Sheep Dog/Collie/Retriever.  I mean this is an ugly dog! 

Mike, they should put you in one of those reality shows....just follow you around all day.

abacomike

@driver100:

Yeah, a revival of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not"!

berri

Personally, I don't know why Walmart even has those 20 items or less lanes because I've never seen it enforced. So the question comes to mind why keep doing it when all you are doing is p... off your other customers? I was surprised at that lane closure. Usually when on cashier logs off, another one replaces the person after checking in their drawer. Sounds like you have a bad management group at that store.

ab348

Maybe it's unique to this store, but the Walmart I usually shop at always has at least one supervisor overseeing the checkouts and directs customers to the best aisle.

carnaught

Mike, I bet your ugly step-grand-dog is a sweet guy/or gal, and that could be the best medicine for your son. I really believe that rescue animals know some how that they've been saved.

berri

Well, Collie and German Shepherd are good breeds (and smart). My youngest has a rescue dog that hung with troops in Afghanistan before they left. It ain't pretty, it is scarred up and has taken some effort to acclimate her, but she is turning out to be a very sweet dog. I know Aba - "What's she like?", "Well, she has a nice personality" - Just kidding But seriously carnaught, I agree with you.

abacomike

carnaught said:

Mike, I bet your ugly step-grand-dog is a sweet guy/or gal, and that could be the best medicine for your son. I really believe that rescue animals know some how that they've been saved.

I need saving - to heck with the 2-bag dog - although I just texted him and he said he has his boys this evening and, I quote, "...have the kids and it's crazy!"  Like he really needed to rescue this dog with two boys to take care of.  But, such is life - he obviously felt he needed to do this. 

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

OK, here's a story from my food-shopping activities from today.

At Walmart, they have an Express Checkout Register that can be used by customers who have 20 or less items.  I had about 18 items so I went over to the Express Line.  In front of me is a woman who has at least 90-100 items - I mean her cart looked like a model of Mt. Everest.  I mentioned to her that this line is for 20 items or less.  

She turns around and says to me, "..,would you like to repeat that to my husband who is coming up behind you?"  I turn around and this 280 lb. 6'4" inch Mr. Former Universe type guy says to me, "...have you got a problem, Mr. Wise guy?"

The rest is history - I waited on line behind them for 20 minutes while they checked out her shopping cart and his shopping cart which was filled to the brim as well.  As they paid their $480 grocery bill, the lady turns to me and sticks her middle finger up - more or less giving me the bird, so to speak.  I smiled at them (but I was crying deeply inside).

When I got to the register, the checkout lady says to me, "...sorry, this line is closed - I'm going on break!

It was just one of those days today - I should never have gotten out of bed this morning! 

I would have raised a fit and got the nearest manager to [non-permissible content removed] and moan about it. But then at 6'2" a 6'4" guy doesn't intimidate me.

Actually I had a similar situation at a local grocery store where the management sided with the [yeah I won't type the noun I want to use]. sent an email to the company explaining what had happened and that I will not be shopping at any of their stores again. They replied with an offer for a $25 gift card for my trouble, my reply was "what part of 'I will not be shopping at any of your stores again' don't you understand".

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

My son called me Sunday night and told me he was adopting a 2-1/2 year old dog (he said he "saved" the dog from euthanasia).  With all his responsibilities and his weakness from his malignant brain tumor treatments, I suggested he reconsider.

Well, as usual, he ignored my suggestion and sent me 2 pictures of his new dog.  It's a combination of at least 4-5 breeds and is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.  It resembles a German Shepherd/Sheep Dog/Collie/Retriever.  I mean this is an ugly dog - it's a two-bagger - you put two bags over her head in case the first one should fall off.

But, if it makes him happy, that's all that counts! 

oh come on now, now you have to post a picture after that description.

abacomike

snakeweasel said:

My son called me Sunday night and told me he was adopting a 2-1/2 year old dog (he said he "saved" the dog from euthanasia).  With all his responsibilities and his weakness from his malignant brain tumor treatments, I suggested he reconsider.

Well, as usual, he ignored my suggestion and sent me 2 pictures of his new dog.  It's a combination of at least 4-5 breeds and is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.  It resembles a German Shepherd/Sheep Dog/Collie/Retriever.  I mean this is an ugly dog - it's a two-bagger - you put two bags over her head in case the first one should fall off.

But, if it makes him happy, that's all that counts! 

oh come on now, now you have to post a picture after that description.

I tried to load it onto my computer, but I am having problems getting it to take.  You've got to believe me on this - this female multi-breed, multi-colored, God-awful looking dog is one ugly b-e-a-c-t-c-h.  I don't know why he insisted that the charitable organization spay the dog - no male dog would come within 20 feet of this mongrel. 

stickguy

I firmly believe that in many cases, the dog rescues the person, not the other way around.

And some of the ugly ones are the sweetest ones. hey, it has lab in it, must be good!

abacomike

stickguy said:

I firmly believe that in many cases, the dog rescues the person, not the other way around. And some of the ugly ones are the sweetest ones. hey, it has lab in it, must be good!

All kidding aside, I agree with your comments.  This dog seems to be very important to my son - I pray the joining of these two lives by God is a blessing.

verdugo

ab348 said:

verdugo said:

We installed a Trane system last year, so you got me curious. I went to their website and they still have a residential section. I couldn't find anything either when doing an internet search.

What area do you live in?

Canada. That's what made me curious, because the US site does indeed show residential equipment. But if you go to their Canadian site they are not in that market here, just commercial stuff.

Oh yeah, my bad. I forgot you're in Canada. I hope they don't abandon the residential US market too.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:

I got home from shopping for my weekly replenishment of foodstuffs about 3 hours ago.  I find that it is less crowded and finding a nearby parking space is much easier.

As I was approaching my car with my loaded shopping cart, I noticed two middle aged gentlemen eying my car and looking in the windows to get a look at the seats and the dash.  I put my foot under my rear bumper to get the trunk to open and one of the guys asked me how I opened the trunk without the key or by pressing the unlock latch.  I responded that it is part of the keyless go option - with the key in your pocket you can have the electronic trunk opener raise the lid by sticking your foot under the rear bumper.

These two guys were awed by the MB CLS - they said they had never seen one.  I pressed the trunk close button and the trunk lid lowered and locked itself.  They asked if I minded if the took a look at the inside and I said - no problem.  After explaining some of the systems in the car they said it was the most gorgeous car they both had ever seen.

They asked me where I bought the car and I told them across the street at the local Mercedes-Benz dealership.  I gave them a business card with the manager's name and suggested they speak directly with him.  They asked me if I minded asking me what I paid for the car.  I said MSRP was $78485 and I paid $67100 with a couple of fleet discounts I had.  Both guys had USAA insurance so I told them they could get $3500 additional incentives and buy the car under invoice.  They loved the Diamond White exterior and the light porcelain interior.  I said I had to run because I had milk and some frozen food in the trunk.

About 10 minutes ago, I got a call from the manager who thanked me for referring some customers to him.  One of them bought a CLS400 and the other one bought an E350.  He told me to see him tomorrow - he wanted to arrange a 3 year prepaid service agreement for me.

When I see him, hopefully he'll think of something else - free maintenance on my car doesn't do anything for me, if you know what I mean.  But I am somewhat overwhelmed that two strangers would buy new cars after seeing my CLS up close.  I guess I haven't lost my touch after 7 years. 

Mike, why would you buy a car with old technology that requires you to balance yourself on one foot and wave the other under the bumper to open the trunk? Carrying a couple packages can really test a senior citizens balance alright. My new '15 Genny has what they call Smart Trunk. All I have to do is stand behind the car for 3 seconds with the fob in my presence and wala the truck opens all by itself with the auto open mechanism like you have on your low tech MB. Of course I can close and lock it with the push of a button just like your MB .

I will admit that you got me with those guys who wanted to gawk inside your MB though. No one so far has wanted to take a look inside of my throw-away Hyundai. I think I have a pretty decent car, although I feel like Rodney Dangerfield. You know, "I don't get no respect".

I have an idea for you about what to get in place of a 3 year maintenance plan. See if the guy will give you another leg.

jmonroe

The guy at the drive-through window at McDonalds thought my Mustang looked COOL.

It's only the women who matter!

A few years ago I got a compliment from the window GIRL with the Eclipse.

driver100

oldfarmer: A few years ago I got a compliment from the window GIRL with the Eclipse.

She must have been easily impressed
OR
she says that to all the guys

iluvmysephia1

abacomike - encourage him, that dog will be a great acquisition for him. It will pay him back in love many times over. Now if we all could somehow encourage China, South Korea and whichever other Asian country eating dogs and cats to quit it immediately I would feel like it's a good day.

Makes me sick and hurt all over how they prepare them, too. Sick.

graphicguy

Around these parts, anyone who lives in and around Cincinnati or Northern KY pretty much know where the speed traps are on I71, I715, I275, I471. Not hard to evade them, if you've got a modicum of intelligence (not always a given).

Interior neighborhoods? Up where I live, it's a feast for law enforcement. I'm way north of the city and they get sneaky....underpasses, overpasses (where they act as spotters for their sheriff brethren await call outs of speeding miscreants). If it's sunny, on a weekend, you'll find them. If it's during the week, when traffic is heavy, and people break down tying up traffic, they're nowhere to be found.

Rain? You won't find them.

DUI checkpoints nearly every weekend, but by law, they have to post where they will be. So, it's a total waste of tax payer money. But, it does pay the municipalities, given it's Fed and State money. Plus, it pays overtime to the officers. They catch practically no one, though. It's really a farce.

Aside from staying away from the obvious "traps", I travel as fast as traffic allows in the left lane, almost all the time. Sometimes 15-20 MPH over. I also get behind the fastest car, and pace him/her.

Between Cincinnati and Chicago? 50% of IN has a 70 MPH speed limit. If the road is open, and I can see far enough ahead for obvious speed traps (like through the windmill farms), I'm at 80-85 MPH.

BTW...last ticket I got for speeding was over 25 years ago.

jmonroe

gg said:

Aside from staying away from the obvious "traps", I travel as fast as traffic allows in the left lane, almost all the time. Sometimes 15-20 MPH over. I also get behind the fastest car, and pace him/her.

gg,

You sound like Son #1. Many times when I have been in his car when we are going someplace on the interstate, which is often due to two of his sons playing in hockey tournaments, he suddenly says, "FINALLY, I found my pace car".

Like you he is pretty much always over the speed limit. You guys should get together and compare notes.

jmonroe

abacomike

iluvmysephia1 said:

abacomike - encourage him, that dog will be a great acquisition for him. It will pay him back in love many times over. Now if we all could somehow encourage China, South Korea and whichever other Asian country eating dogs and cats to quit it immediately I would feel like it's a good day. Makes me sick and hurt all over how they prepare them, too. Sick.

Too much information, iluv, I was just starting to eat my lunch here at Chick-Fil-A when I read your post.  I think I'll take my lunch home and eat it there after my nausea settles down. 

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:

I got home from shopping for my weekly replenishment of foodstuffs about 3 hours ago.  I find that it is less crowded and finding a nearby parking space is much easier.

As I was approaching my car with my loaded shopping cart, I noticed two middle aged gentlemen eying my car and looking in the windows to get a look at the seats and the dash.  I put my foot under my rear bumper to get the trunk to open and one of the guys asked me how I opened the trunk without the key or by pressing the unlock latch.  I responded that it is part of the keyless go option - with the key in your pocket you can have the electronic trunk opener raise the lid by sticking your foot under the rear bumper.

These two guys were awed by the MB CLS - they said they had never seen one.  I pressed the trunk close button and the trunk lid lowered and locked itself.  They asked if I minded if the took a look at the inside and I said - no problem.  After explaining some of the systems in the car they said it was the most gorgeous car they both had ever seen.

They asked me where I bought the car and I told them across the street at the local Mercedes-Benz dealership.  I gave them a business card with the manager's name and suggested they speak directly with him.  They asked me if I minded asking me what I paid for the car.  I said MSRP was $78485 and I paid $67100 with a couple of fleet discounts I had.  Both guys had USAA insurance so I told them they could get $3500 additional incentives and buy the car under invoice.  They loved the Diamond White exterior and the light porcelain interior.  I said I had to run because I had milk and some frozen food in the trunk.

About 10 minutes ago, I got a call from the manager who thanked me for referring some customers to him.  One of them bought a CLS400 and the other one bought an E350.  He told me to see him tomorrow - he wanted to arrange a 3 year prepaid service agreement for me.

When I see him, hopefully he'll think of something else - free maintenance on my car doesn't do anything for me, if you know what I mean.  But I am somewhat overwhelmed that two strangers would buy new cars after seeing my CLS up close.  I guess I haven't lost my touch after 7 years. 

Mike, why would you buy a car with old technology that requires you to balance yourself on one foot and wave the other under the bumper to open the trunk? Carrying a couple packages can really test a senior citizens balance alright. My new '15 Genny has what they call Smart Trunk. All I have to do is stand behind the car for 3 seconds with the fob in my presence and wala the truck opens all by itself with the auto open mechanism like you have on your low tech MB. Of course I can close and lock it with the push of a button just like your MB .

I will admit that you got me with those guys who wanted to gawk inside your MB though. No one so far has wanted to take a look inside of my throw-away Hyundai. I think I have a pretty decent car, although I feel like Rodney Dangerfield. You know, "I don't get no respect".

I have an idea for you about what to get in place of a 3 year maintenance plan. See if the guy will give you another leg.

jmonroe

The guy at the drive-through window at McDonalds thought my Mustang looked COOL.

The S4 definitely garners more comments, compliments, and questions from strangers than the A3 ever did. It also seems to command more respect in the left lane, but that may have to do with Audi's signature always-on LED front lights. Maybe it's a sedan vs. hatch respect thing?

graphicguy

jmonroe said:

gg said:

Aside from staying away from the obvious "traps", I travel as fast as traffic allows in the left lane, almost all the time. Sometimes 15-20 MPH over. I also get behind the fastest car, and pace him/her.

gg,

You sound like Son #1. Many times when I have been in his car when we are going someplace on the interstate, which is often due to two of his sons playing in hockey tournaments, he suddenly says, "FINALLY, I found my pace car".

Like you he is pretty much always over the speed limit. You guys should get together and compare notes.

jmonroe

j....yeah, if I can find a left lane car ahead of me, hustling at a good clip, and I have a clear line of site pretty far ahead, that's ideal. I can lop off 45 minutes to an hour off drive time from Cincinnati to Chicago if I find a pace car the entire trip. Bottle neck, of course, is once you hit the Chicago loop, everything comes to a standstill.

But, everything before that, I can boogie at a pretty good clip without raising a rukus with the local constables.

andres3

graphicguy said:

Around these parts, anyone who lives in and around Cincinnati or Northern KY pretty much know where the speed traps are on I71, I715, I275, I471. Not hard to evade them, if you've got a modicum of intelligence (not always a given).

Interior neighborhoods? Up where I live, it's a feast for law enforcement. I'm way north of the city and they get sneaky....underpasses, overpasses (where they act as spotters for their sheriff brethren await call outs of speeding miscreants). If it's sunny, on a weekend, you'll find them. If it's during the week, when traffic is heavy, and people break down tying up traffic, they're nowhere to be found.

Rain? You won't find them.

DUI checkpoints nearly every weekend, but by law, they have to post where they will be. So, it's a total waste of tax payer money. But, it does pay the municipalities, given it's Fed and State money. Plus, it pays overtime to the officers. They catch practically no one, though. It's really a farce.

Aside from staying away from the obvious "traps", I travel as fast as traffic allows in the left lane, almost all the time. Sometimes 15-20 MPH over. I also get behind the fastest car, and pace him/her.

Between Cincinnati and Chicago? 50% of IN has a 70 MPH speed limit. If the road is open, and I can see far enough ahead for obvious speed traps (like through the windmill farms), I'm at 80-85 MPH.

BTW...last ticket I got for speeding was over 25 years ago.

25 years of speeding with no tickets, that's a magnificent record. I think the CHP needs to provide seminars to your State's Highway Patrol on how to leech revenue from everyone. I can't go 3 years it seems without one. I'm OK with one ticket every 3 years though; I'll take that. You are allowed to "erase" it once every 18 months by paying a bribe and a fee to go to "traffic school", which can be done online in about 2 hours. That is, if you don't want to fight it and if you don't win your court case.

andres3

stickguy said:

Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find.

Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that!

I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!

Couldn't you just throw dollar bills at them at around 115% of what you think it might cost to cover margin of error, and walk out with your items?

tjc78

@jmonroe I think the "novelty" of the Genesis has worn off. Mine was one of the first ones off the boat and man did it draw attention. I was asked two - three times a week "What is that?" "Is that the new luxury Hyundai" etc etc...

It's a shame my early build 09 rode like a Mack truck.

abacomike

Speaking of speed traps, on the Floida Turnpike southbound between the Sawgrass Expressway (Turnpike Extension) and Sample Road (1.75 mile stretch) at least three times a week the State Troopers set up a speed trap just below the overpass over the Sawgrass.  They usually have 5-6 patrol cars set up.

I took the Turnpike home just now from Boca Raton (with my Chick-Fil-A bagged lunch) and sure enough, every single trooper car had someone pulled over - this time they had 7 cars.  One would think that since they have the same speed trap set up several times a week that these idiots would slow to 65 mph just before going over the Sawgrass Expressway - knowing full well that the odds of the speed trap being in operation are high.  But, no - thy are oblivious.

These are drivers that just don't care or who forget.  95% of the southbound cars are frequent and/or daily commuters - not northerners on their way to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami to worship the sun.

Some people just don't think or plan ahead.

This speed trap has been in existence for over 5 years now.  Live and learn. 

abacomike

andres3 said:

Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find. Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that! I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!

Couldn't you just throw dollar bills at them at around 115% of what you think it might cost to cover margin of error, and walk out with your items?

Now that makes lots of sense! 

stever

I've gotten a couple of failure to yield kind of tickets but have never been pulled over for speeding.

The trick is to drive wagons and minivans.

driver100

jmonroe said:

gg said:

Aside from staying away from the obvious "traps", I travel as fast as traffic allows in the left lane, almost all the time. Sometimes 15-20 MPH over. I also get behind the fastest car, and pace him/her.

jmonroe

I try to do that as much as possible too (I do move to the right if it is clear though or keeping up), but, often I get an impatient guy behind me who will ride my bumper and if I don't move he zig zags over 2 or 3 lanes and works his way into the left lane....usually he gains one car space and dangerously just squeezes in in front of me. :@

My idea for increasing State revenues. Have lots of new cops who just patrol highways all day in unmarked cars. They have dash cams and fines are heavy for speeding, or driving dangerously, like zigging in and out. Make fines high, about $300 or more an infraction. The money generated would more than offset the cost of the mini-police and a car. I could easily ticket 10 to 20 people a day. Maybe I should tell them my idea and get a seniors job doing it.

jmonroe

andres3 said:

25 years of speeding with no tickets, that's a magnificent record. I think the CHP needs to provide seminars to your State's Highway Patrol on how to leech revenue from everyone. I can't go 3 years it seems without one. I'm OK with one ticket every 3 years though; I'll take that. You are allowed to "erase" it once every 18 months by paying a bribe and a fee to go to "traffic school", which can be done online in about 2 hours. That is, if you don't want to fight it and if you don't win your court case.

andres,

I got one speeding ticket and that was back in 1966 and that was from an unreasonable guy in an adjoining community for going 7 MPH over a 40 MPH speed limit on my way to work one morning with not a car in sight. Heck, this was before I was even married. Lucky for me my uncle knew the mayor and that ticket was ripped up, so I can almost say I never had a speeding ticket.

Now I guess I'm going to show my age here. When I last worked, up until March 2015 when I finally retired, it was as a consultant for my old employer. I traveled the PA Turnpike around 40 miles round trip every day for almost 8 years. The speed limit was 65 MPH. As an aside comment, about 3 days ago it was announced that the pike speed limit was going to be raised to 70. OK, back on track, with the 65 MPH speed limit I had no problem with setting the cruise control to around 73 and just had a pleasurable ride. Sure, there were plenty of times when I went faster, like to get out of a pack I found myself in and believe me it didn't take long with a V8 to do that but I always went back to autopilot.

As I drove the pike then and the pike and interstates today I can't help thinking about what I said to my sons years ago..."cruise control is nice but it's not really driving, it's aiming". Yeah, I really said that and it haunts me to this day when I go into autopilot but I can handle it now.

jmonroe

PF_Flyer

graphicguy said:

BTW...last ticket I got for speeding was over 25 years ago.

My tickets happened in 1978, 1988, 1998 and 2015. That last one kinda broke the string of 10 year gaps

tommister2

stever said:

I've gotten a couple of failure to yield kind of tickets but have never been pulled over for speeding.

The trick is to drive wagons and minivans.

My Dad got one of those when I was a kid. Kind of hard to fight. He was merging into traffic. The cop was a few cars back. He was pulled over and ticketed because the car in front of the cop tapped their brakes. Dad swore he had plenty of room. It's the only ticket he got when I was a kid.

How did you get them @stever?

stever

The first one was a left turn onto a 4 lane with a turn lane - a telephone truck went by and boom, I hit a Caddy that was in the blind spot in the side (that's the one where all my Memphis BBQ spilled on the floor, back in, oh, '79).

The other was leaving my neighborhood in Anchorage and I did a California stop in the Tercel and a cop was cruising nearby. It was kind of obvious because I had a couple of canoes on top. That one was around '89.

andres3

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

gg said:

Aside from staying away from the obvious "traps", I travel as fast as traffic allows in the left lane, almost all the time. Sometimes 15-20 MPH over. I also get behind the fastest car, and pace him/her.

jmonroe

I try to do that as much as possible too (I do move to the right if it is clear though or keeping up), but, often I get an impatient guy behind me who will ride my bumper and if I don't move he zig zags over 2 or 3 lanes and works his way into the left lane....usually he gains one car space and dangerously just squeezes in in front of me. :@

My idea for increasing State revenues. Have lots of new cops who just patrol highways all day in unmarked cars. They have dash cams and fines are heavy for speeding, or driving dangerously, like zigging in and out. Make fines high, about $300 or more an infraction. The money generated would more than offset the cost of the mini-police and a car. I could easily ticket 10 to 20 people a day. Maybe I should tell them my idea and get a seniors job doing it.

Your idea is already implemented in CA. They don't need dash cams (for that would be a waste of money) for heavy $300+ speeding ticket fines as they have a corrupt traffic court system that rubber stamps convictions and makes it hell to combat a speeding ticket. Why bother with video? They don't even need to bring in complete calibration records in some courts (Ventura *cough*). Unmarked cars? Not necessary either, almost everyone in CA is speeding since 65 MPH speed limits are much more common than the 70 on our freeways. Truth be told there isn't an Interstate in CA that shouldn't be 80 or more.

However, I think it would do much more public good and nirvana to ticket the left lane campers causing those speedsters to veer right. Now what you describe sounds like an exception, as you don't seem to be a "slow" driver and you move right when appropriate. It is the people that are obliviously being passed by 10 cars on the right of them that I would ticket $1,000 fines to, and if you are a middle lane camper being passed on both the left and right incessantly then $500 fines.

driver100

"jmonroe">

I got one speeding ticket and that was back in 1966 and that was from an unreasonable guy in an adjoining community for going 7 MPH over a 40 MPH speed limit on my way to work one morning with not a car in sight. Heck, this was before I was even married. Lucky for me my uncle knew the mayor and that ticket was ripped up, so I can almost say I never had a speeding ticket.

jmonroe


If you were a politician you could say, "I have never, ever PAID a speeding ticket in my life"

Mr_Shiftright

abacomike said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

abacomike - encourage him, that dog will be a great acquisition for him. It will pay him back in love many times over. Now if we all could somehow encourage China, South Korea and whichever other Asian country eating dogs and cats to quit it immediately I would feel like it's a good day.

Makes me sick and hurt all over how they prepare them, too. Sick.

Too much information, iluv, I was just starting to eat my lunch here at Chick-Fil-A when I read your post.  I think I'll take my lunch home and eat it there after my nausea settles down. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike, I think you need to include the chicken in this conversation.

driver100

I am with you andre on ticketing left lane drivers who don't move over. I have only seen it happen once in my life and it was on I-75 in North Florida. It was about 6 a.m., the road was almost empty, I was in the far right going the limit + 10% = 77 mph, and a lady in a Honda was going about 60 all alone in the left lane. Cop came up from behind and pulled her over.....would like to have heard that conversation.

isellhondas

abacomike said:

OK, here's a story from my food-shopping activities from today.

At Walmart, they have an Express Checkout Register that can be used by customers who have 20 or less items.  I had about 18 items so I went over to the Express Line.  In front of me is a woman who has at least 90-100 items - I mean her cart looked like a model of Mt. Everest.  I mentioned to her that this line is for 20 items or less.  

She turns around and says to me, "..,would you like to repeat that to my husband who is coming up behind you?"  I turn around and this 280 lb. 6'4" inch Mr. Former Universe type guy says to me, "...have you got a problem, Mr. Wise guy?"

The rest is history - I waited on line behind them for 20 minutes while they checked out her shopping cart and his shopping cart which was filled to the brim as well.  As they paid their $480 grocery bill, the lady turns to me and sticks her middle finger up - more or less giving me the bird, so to speak.  I smiled at them (but I was crying deeply inside).

When I got to the register, the checkout lady says to me, "...sorry, this line is closed - I'm going on break!

It was just one of those days today - I should never have gotten out of bed this morning! 

Another reason I refuse to shop at Wal Mart.

Wouldn't it be nice if you were an advanced Martial Arts Black Belt?

"Let's step outside and discuss this"

iluvmysephia1

Sorry about the dog and cat for dinner comment. It's just something that I wish I could change...but can't. And that's just flat out frustrating. They're such love bugs.

oldfarmer50

PF_Flyer said:

graphicguy said:

BTW...last ticket I got for speeding was over 25 years ago.

My tickets happened in 1978, 1988, 1998 and 2015. That last one kinda broke the string of 10 year gaps

Last ticket I got was when Reagan was president. Caught cold speeding. Told the cop I had no excuse, yes I was speeding. He cut me a break and wrote me for "failure to obey a traffic control device".

abacomike

iluvmysephia1 said:

Sorry about the dog and cat for dinner comment. It's just something that I wish I could change...but can't. And that's just flat out frustrating. They're such love bugs.

No apology necessary, iluv!

snakeweasel

graphicguy said:

Aside from staying away from the obvious "traps", I travel as fast as traffic allows in the left lane, almost all the time. Sometimes 15-20 MPH over. I also get behind the fastest car, and pace him/her.

In my younger days I used to do long stretches of Interstate driving, either between Chicago and Cleveland (where I was stationed) and between Chicago and Nashville, where I did drive fast due to the distance. I loved it when someone paced me. It is my experience that the police grab the low hanging fruit and they get the last car in the group. Every time the car pacing would get nabbed and I would just continue on.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

25 years of speeding with no tickets, that's a magnificent record. I think the CHP needs to provide seminars to your State's Highway Patrol on how to leech revenue from everyone. I can't go 3 years it seems without one. I'm OK with one ticket every 3 years though; I'll take that. You are allowed to "erase" it once every 18 months by paying a bribe and a fee to go to "traffic school", which can be done online in about 2 hours. That is, if you don't want to fight it and if you don't win your court case.

I don't know if it's that magnificent, I am at 20 years give or take with no tickets and I don't have a light foot.