Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

henryn

graphicguy said:

imid....I know how you really like Malibus. I just returned from a conference in Vegas. No rental cars, given mostly I go from my hotel, to the confereces, all on the strip. I do taxis.

Taxi from hotel to conference in the a.m.; one taxi from the day's conference events to the hotel at night, and to and from dinner every night. So, at least 3 cab rides/day.

Every taxi, save one (which was inexplicably in a newer Accord) were Malibus. All had 100K+ miles. One driver said his had over 250K miles. All of them chugging along in the NV heat, 24/7.

Pretty impressive.

Here in Houston the majority of the taxis are minivans, almost exclusively Mopar. There are still a few Crown Vic / Grand Marquis, but fewer every day. The non-minivans tend to be Impalas. Now if you want to talk Uber, that's all over the board.

The "Town Car" services are mostly using Suburbans these days, since there are no more Town Cars being made.

imidazol97

Re Win 10 Anniversary upgrade: in the Update and Security window it has a link saying "Learn More." I clicked and it offered being able to start the Win 10 Anniversary update instead of waiting for the computer and update system to decide it was ready. So one can control when the system starts doing the upgrade by doing it early at your convenience.

roadburner

ab348 said:

I just subscribed to BaT last week after following various cars listed there for years. It is an interesting place, with apparently lots of people who view and enough serious buyers that prices are pretty good in a lot of cases. A really eclectic mix of stuff there.

I almost bought a car on BaT but hesitated. So Jay Leno bought it.
Really.

graphicguy

roadburner said:

ab348 said:

I just subscribed to BaT last week after following various cars listed there for years. It is an interesting place, with apparently lots of people who view and enough serious buyers that prices are pretty good in a lot of cases. A really eclectic mix of stuff there.

I almost bought a car on BaT but hesitated. So Jay Leno bought it.
Really.

OK....we're going to need more info......

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

I was entering a highway on the on ramp and I punched it to get ahead of the traffic and I thought the poor thing was going to have a hemorrhage and die on me. It was like it was going to choke and quit right there on the on ramp.

Sounds like it was lost between gears not knowing what gear to give you based on speed and input. I wonder how much the learning pattern affects the computer's control of the transmission... i.e., if you've been driving the car in a spirited manner for a while it has learned your demands for downshifts. I wonder if it has learned "old man gentle driving" as the typical pattern for the shifts and got confused when hard acceleration requiring downshifting more than one step was called for.

I know my Malibu learned my driving pattern for the shifts after I started driving it with more spirit.

Possible. The engine OFF button on the Mercedes has learned not to bother shutting the car OFF most of the time. I only had the car for a day at that point, may have been an even older driver before me.

berri

I just got my second Windows 10 update this morning since the computer update itself a month or so ago. It is called a cumulative update. I really don't see the advantage to it over Windows 7. It still has some goofiness like most all Microsoft and all 10 did was make things more hassle to find on it. I decided to leave my other computers on 7 and think it was wise for me at least.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

OK....we're going to need more info......

My son and I were finally ready to pull the trigger on a 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint Monte Carlo Replica:





But it turned out we waited one day too long- BaT Success Story: 1963 Ford Falcon Goes to Jay Leno

ab348

andres3 said:

First, you can't know the truck driver's light was red since you didn't see it. You are providing hear-say-like testimony based on the assumption the traffic lights were working properly.

The other lady in the opposing left lane who did not move would attest to the fact that the truck driver was lying when he said it was green. So would witnessing the lights cycle and having it show red every time. I think commercial drivers will say damn near anything to avoid being found at-fault and having a ticket jeopardize their livelihood.

snakeweasel

Mr_Shiftright said:

stever said:

murphydog said:

Still no luck with the Ghia - a few random "send more pictures" from the Samba, but that is it.

Can't believe just crickets from the Craigs List ad.

Anybody have any luck using Ebay?

Nice thing about eBay is that you widen your scope a whole lot. And you should avoid some of the craigslist flakes, although it sounds like you haven't even caught their interest.

An auction is a pretty good way to get an idea of real value, especially if it is exposed to lots of bidders. If the world tells you the car is worth X, then it's probably worth X.

You might try Bring a Trailer (www.bringatrailer.com). They charge a flat fee of $250 and no commissions. One nice thing they do is allow a dialogue between you and bidders as the auction is progressing. Another is that if you set a reserve and the bidding comes close to it, BAT will throw in the difference to get the car sold.

I'm not so keen on eBay because their policy is that no bid on a car is binding. So anyone can back out on you.

If you've had no luck with ads so far, then your price is probably too high.

If you sent me some photos and all the details I'd give you my two cents as to current market value.

Shifty

Technically speaking a bid is an offer to buy that is not binding until it is accepted by the seller.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

graphicguy said:

OK....we're going to need more info......

My son and I were finally ready to pull the trigger on a 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint Monte Carlo Replica:





But it turned out we waited one day too long- BaT Success Story: 1963 Ford Falcon Goes to Jay Leno

I'd love to be Jay's buddy and hang out in that garage and help him drive all his cars.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Cruze is kind of weird, not much room, the console storage is way back between and behind the seats...break my arm trying to open it. Not nearly as well laid out as the Fusion, but, feels better put together.

The Cruze is a smaller class than the Fusion. The front seat has lots of room, perhaps smaller than premium car, but the rear seat is tight as expected in a compact car.

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more forward.

I drove about 15 miles in it tonight, and I found quite a few good things to report....the console is actually so far back, it is behind the front seat back.
The road handling is superb. Nice suspension, actually absorbs the bumps, and the steering is pretty firm, tracks really well. Really easy to maneuver in traffic. Steering wheel is nicely leather wrapped, and inside though minimal is fairly tasteful. I like the vision out....can see in all directions nicely....and it has big windows. Feels really solid. Engine is pretty good considering, especially at cruising speed. Pick up is a bit weak, especially when it changes gears, I wonder if it will stall out.

The Fusion was more comfortable with more content. But, not as solid. Suspension not as smooth, steering and everything is just a bit flimsy. For a car in this class, it has quite a bit compared to similar class of cars from the past. I like the extra room inside, and it feels like there is more to it, but the Cruze seems built and engineered better.

Tell me how do you like the transmission? I had one as a loaner and while I thought it was a pretty good car for it's price point I didn't like how it shifted. It seemed to downshift in the lower gears quite aggressively. It seemed to downshift into 3rd and then into 2nd way to early giving high engine revs and a lot of engine braking. On the occasional upshift it almost seemed like it went into neutral for an second before engaging the next gear. I am wondering if it is how the transmission works or if it was just the car I was driving.

Interesting you mentioned that. Basically the Cruze is pretty zippy, especially if you have to change lanes in the city, when you are going in the 30 mph range.

I was entering a highway on the on ramp and I punched it to get ahead of the traffic and I thought the poor thing was going to have a hemorrhage and die on me. It was like it was going to choke and quit right there on the on ramp.

It has a fair bit of power if you just need a small spurt of power, but if you need too much it is like it is too much for the little beast to handle....actually a bit scary.

I basically had the Cruze for commuting and never got on the open highway. I think the fastest I drove it was a little more than 50 MPH with mild acceleration during rush hour drives.

imidazol97

@driver100

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more

I realized it's the parking brake that mandates the elbow rest placement. I note my Cobalt is the same and even my Malibu has a parking brake lever in the console.

stickguy

I remember that Falcon. I liked that one.

fintail

Like the Falcon. Reminds me of something I wanted for my first car. Back in the early 90s when I was about to get behind the wheel, there was a red on red 63 Sprint languishing in a carport in the small town where I lived. It caught my eye and I fawned over it. My dad was pretty gregarious and fearless (in today's paranoia, he'd probably have had a gun pulled on him), and simply knocked on the door and asked about car. Friendly old guy was more than happy to tell its story and show it off, but it was "not for sale" - he wanted it to go to his son, who had zero interest, and lived far away. Several years later, the old guy passed on, and the car was gone.

My dad actually bought two old cars with the door knocking method - a now quite rare 60 Ford wagon, and a 68 Fairlane.

driver100

bwia said:

As I went through an amber light this morning I can't help but remember *Driver's accident police report. From what I remember about contributory negligence it would appear that Driver could have avoided the accident. 

True, the truck is at fault for the rear end crash. But there is also an alternative legal theory that states that if the accident could have been avoided without harm to others, then driver #1 should have taken evasive action. If not, he bears some share of the blame. And that's the theory the insurance company will likely rely on in settling the claim. 

Not a big deal except the $500 deductible might apply as well as a commensurate premium increase. 

That theory could make sense in some cases. The cop did say he has seen cars change lanes and go in front of a truck, and then suddenly stop......that would not be the truck drivers fault. Like I told the cop, that wasn't the case.

In the scenario above, I think that was what the cop was trying to show, I contributed to the accident, but, I know, I would have been responsible if I hit a car turning left in front of me, or pedestrians who could start walking across the street. I had plenty of time to stop normally, how can I decide if I stop for an amber light a guy behind me is going to assume I should try to get through the yellow light? I can only go by what I know.

In my case I am not the one responsible for the accident, my insurance should not go up....the only thing is the truck driver won't be charged...with dangerous driving, or following to close, now classified as an accident.

driver100

berri said:

Driver, you just got to put the whole thing in that sh** happens category. You can't control it, I think it is time for some quality brandy and a cigar.

Fin, maybe it isn't really the Seattle drivers, but the legal mary jane behind the wheel. My limited experience there is that drivers are actually rather polite compared to most places, so maybe they are just very laid back. Now some of the road, intersection and signage layouts, that's gotta be either controlled substance or bribery effects

One retired insurance agent agrees, he says drop it and get on with life.

I spoke to another retired insurance agent tonight and told him what oldfarmer said about feeling an injustice has been done,and others could be hurt - besides there could be an incompetent cop in his force. He said go talk to a higher up at the police station, not a desk sergeant who will try to protect his buddy. I only have Friday before going away for 2 weeks, I might see if I can make an appointment on Friday.

driver100

andres3 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

I would be very upset with this. What if your insurer says that you contributed to the crash based on that?

I had a situation where I was a witness to a accident between a coworkers car and and an oncoming truck.

That is one fortunate thing......since he is at fault I should not be penalized in any way. Not charging him just makes it a lot less serious for him.

But I am pretty upset, one reason is there is no way I would have gone through that light....even if it happened again tomorrow....I don't ever want to hit a pedestrian if that can be avoided......but also, there is a principle at stake and there is also a cop with a problem - and he should be trained properly.

I am tempted to write to his boss or the collision report people and tell them in a nice way they have an incompetent cop working the traffic beat. If I was a visible minority this could be a major problem for them. Maybe driving a Mercedes qualifies me!

Like I said in my previous post, sit tight until this is all settled. Why give them a chance to fudge something just because you upset them. Although filing an amended report that contradicts the original would raise a lot of questions in a court room why take the chance since you seem to have the upper hand now.

As for the cop not liking you because he is biased against MB owners, I don't buy that. I think he is trying not to put all the blame on the truck driver because he knows that could affect his job and since he knows the drivers insurance will cover the damages he figures no one will care.

I could be wrong about ALL of this but I don't think I am.

jmonroe

Nope, you may be right, but you are far too lenient. The cop is clearly falsifying an official report; he should be put in Prison with the key thrown away.

There is no excuse for falsifying an official report done by an official paid by tax payer dollars. @driver100 should absolutely file a complaint with the officer's superior. It will likely lead to no action, but perhaps just go on the record as one more complaint against the cop. I think it is a moral duty to do so though.

That way, when/if this cop ever gets out of line and unjustifiably shoots/kills someone, there is a long trail and record of complaints, rather than just an isolated incident.

I am with andre on this one. I think it is my responsibility to talk to a higher up about it......if they want to do nothing about it, then I have a clear conscience, I have done all I can do.

driver100

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

I would be very upset with this. What if your insurer says that you contributed to the crash based on that?

I had a situation where I was a witness to a accident between a coworkers car and and an oncoming truck.

That is one fortunate thing......since he is at fault I should not be penalized in any way. Not charging him just makes it a lot less serious for him.

But I am pretty upset, one reason is there is no way I would have gone through that light....even if it happened again tomorrow....I don't ever want to hit a pedestrian if that can be avoided......but also, there is a principle at stake and there is also a cop with a problem - and he should be trained properly.

I am tempted to write to his boss or the collision report people and tell them in a nice way they have an incompetent cop working the traffic beat. If I was a visible minority this could be a major problem for them. Maybe driving a Mercedes qualifies me!

I phoned in a complaint against one CHP officer once upon a time. I talked to the Sergeant about the officer going way above and beyond outrageous in order for me to even make the phone call to him, as I knew he'd view me as a biased complainer (having rec'd a BS ticket). I doubt my phone call went anywhere or caused him to take any action. However, if this Sergeant gets a phone call every few months about this loser cop, while his other officer's under him only generate a phone call once every few years, it might ring a bell that something is rotten.

Everyone argues they shouldn't have got a ticket. I accept them and say maybe I didn't deserve it, but, there were at least 50 times when I did deserve one and didn't get one, so I just pay....part of the game.

But, I have absolutely nothing to gain by complaining....I just want this settled properly as a matter of principle.

driver100

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe

At least the Cruze is black! I was lucky to get this beast....the only car they had.

Damn, when you're "lucky" to get a Cruze things have gotta be bad.

@imidazol97, stay outta this, OK.

jmonroe

lol....about lucky to get a Cruze........I gave you an official lol, at least I think it was an lol.

Cruze is kind of weird, not much room, the console storage is way back between and behind the seats...break my arm trying to open it. Not nearly as well laid out as the Fusion, but, feels better put together. I am glad the Cruze will be for a very limited time....I hand it back Friday and won't need a car until Sept 17 when we get back from Switzerland.

P.S. I will keep you posted on any news about Mikes.

How long will your insurance pay for a rental. I'd figure they'd get antsy that you don't just pick one off the lot and are ordering a car which takes longer.

They will cover the cost up to $1800...that's why I am driving the Cruze instead of a premium car. $1800 should last 2 months at least!

driver100

andres3 said:

fintail said:

And with autonomous cars, that gigantic revenue stream should evaporate. We'll see how that pans out.

berri said:

...and more tickets mean more revenue

How do you pull over an autonomous car? Resisting and evading arrest are probably big fines.

Autonomous cars are probably programmed to pull over if the cameras spot flashing police lights.

driver100

andres3 said:

Since being ticketed for a Red I have found myself stopping for yellow lights more; not risking it. However, every extra second I spend on the roadway sitting still I know my risk of being rear-ended is much higher.

Since the accident I think in terms of all driving is exposure time now. There are a lot of reckless drivers and big trucks around, and not too much common sense.

snakeweasel

stever said:

snakeweasel said:

Since anyone can edit Wikipedia I would take anything there with a grain of salt.

I think the edit function is a strength, since anyone can call out someone else for bias, unlike a writer of a Britannia article. And you can always look at the cites.

Of course the more you know, the less you know....

I was listening to a comedian being interviewed. I can't remember his name but it was the same as a famous actor but they were not related. The Wikipedia article about him stated that the two were related and this comedian stated that he would go on the page and remove that error but it would keep on coming back.

The entry for my employer states (at least the last time I checked) mentioned marble floors in our reception area, the floors are actually laminated tiles.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

Most people can't believe the truck driver wasn't charged! For the cop to say I stopped too fast, and should have gone through an amber light I can easily stop for is ludicrous.

I sometimes think, the odds of me hitting a car or a person in the intersection would have been 10X greater, than the chance of a big truck hitting the rear of my car.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

@driver100

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more

I realized it's the parking brake that mandates the elbow rest placement. I note my Cobalt is the same and even my Malibu has a parking brake lever in the console.

The console is pretty crowded...this is a base model, cloth seats, cloth instrument panel. There is a gear shift lever and hand brake, then further back two cup holders one in front, one behind, then the tiny console is about even with the back of the front seats. Pretty much impossible to open while driving. Just a little weird, but, I don't know how you can do it so it would be further forward, though lots of small cars have done it.

Something like this, though not as nice:

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

@driver100

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more

I realized it's the parking brake that mandates the elbow rest placement. I note my Cobalt is the same and even my Malibu has a parking brake lever in the console.

In the Sonata the parking brake is an old style pedal type parking brake.

stickguy

I still have that on my new style sonata. If you add the one option package I didn't get (Ultimate I think) it would have an electronic PB

stever

The entry for my employer states (at least the last time I checked) mentioned marble floors in our reception area, the floors are actually laminated tiles.

Let me know when the World Book or Britannica has the floors wrong at your reception area.

berri

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back

Cost cutting

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

Like the Falcon. Reminds me of something I wanted for my first car. Back in the early 90s when I was about to get behind the wheel, there was a red on red 63 Sprint languishing in a carport in the small town where I lived. It caught my eye and I fawned over it. My dad was pretty gregarious and fearless (in today's paranoia, he'd probably have had a gun pulled on him), and simply knocked on the door and asked about car. Friendly old guy was more than happy to tell its story and show it off, but it was "not for sale" - he wanted it to go to his son, who had zero interest, and lived far away. Several years later, the old guy passed on, and the car was gone.

My dad actually bought two old cars with the door knocking method - a now quite rare 60 Ford wagon, and a 68 Fairlane.

Isn't that the premiss of the 'Counting Cars' TV show? Your dad should get royalties.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

Most people can't believe the truck driver wasn't charged! For the cop to say I stopped too fast, and should have gone through an amber light I can easily stop for is ludicrous.

I sometimes think, the odds of me hitting a car or a person in the intersection would have been 10X greater, than the chance of a big truck hitting the rear of my car.

I might have mentioned how years ago I was driving a small bus and per school district policy I stopped rather quickly for a yellow and was clipped by a woman in a mini van.

She got a ticket for following too close. Case closed.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

imidazol97 said:

@driver100

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more

I realized it's the parking brake that mandates the elbow rest placement. I note my Cobalt is the same and even my Malibu has a parking brake lever in the console.

In the Sonata the parking brake is an old style pedal type parking brake.

Same in my old Lincoln although it's some fancy self release system so old farts like me don't drive around with the parking brake on. It is a Lincoln after all.

The tire saga for that car ended yesterday. I brought the car in at 9 and told them to replace the two whining rear tires and then rotate them to the front to even out wear. You would have thought I asked them to install them on the roof! I had to sign a "waiver" accepting responsibility for the carnage which might occur since they didn't reccommend newer tires being installed on the front. Huh?

They said they would call when done.

At 1:00 I was wondering why no call so I called them. Asked for the tire dept. Put on hold. No one ever picked up. Called back, asked for the tire dept. Put on hold. No one picked up. Called back and told the person to walk the 20 feet to the tire desk and ask them if the darn car was ready. Now the tire guy picks up and says yes the car is ready...no wait no it is isn't. I ask him why not since they've had it 4 hours. He say I should have made an appointment. I told him I did. He admits he doesn't know what's going on since he just got there. He'll call when finished.

An hour later just as I was leaving to run errands they called.

To their credit they actually did the job correctly although they made me sign another waiver.

Car is much quieter now so I guess it was worth it. I may never buy tires again. Cars can run on the rims, right?

capriracer

stever said:

Supposedly there's a "gasket" used with a TPMS and they doubled up on it. But the kits don't show anything that you'd want to double up on. Maybe @capriracer will stumble on this post and let us know if that's a crock. .......

Sorry, my expertise is with the tires and not TPMS - although it doesn't sound like doubling up is the right way to fix this.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

Most people can't believe the truck driver wasn't charged! For the cop to say I stopped too fast, and should have gone through an amber light I can easily stop for is ludicrous.

I sometimes think, the odds of me hitting a car or a person in the intersection would have been 10X greater, than the chance of a big truck hitting the rear of my car.

While I also can't believe that the officer didn't write the ticket I do understand why. Most jurisdictions offer the officer plenty of leeway on when to write tickets in many situations. Not sure about where you live but around here if there is no personal injury and the accident wasn't intentional (yeah that's an oxymoron) then it becomes the officers discretion to write a ticket.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

Most people can't believe the truck driver wasn't charged! For the cop to say I stopped too fast, and should have gone through an amber light I can easily stop for is ludicrous.

I sometimes think, the odds of me hitting a car or a person in the intersection would have been 10X greater, than the chance of a big truck hitting the rear of my car.

I might have mentioned how years ago I was driving a small bus and per school district policy I stopped rather quickly for a yellow and was clipped by a woman in a mini van.

She got a ticket for following too close. Case closed.

I think my wife put this accident thing into perspective for me, let me know what you think,

Many years ago my wife was teaching our daughter how to drive. They were on a two lane highway, speed limit 60 mph, in a pick up truck. It was dark, evening hours.

They stopped to turn left into a gas station, no turning lane. The truck following behind swerved around them on to the gravel shoulder....but, the large truck behind that truck didn't know there was a stopped vehicle, and had no time to go around. Hit the pick up pretty hard.

A few hours later the cop came to the door of the house, he said the accident was caused by the truck driver - obviously, but, he apologized that he wasn't going to charge him.....classed as an accident. My wife was satisfied and she understood, the truck driver didn't do something intentionally, in a way, it was a human error.

The main difference in my case is the cop gave me this bogus excuse for not laying a charge....that I stopped too quickly for an amber light. If he had said to me look, the other driver is at fault, but, it was an accident, I don't want to lay a charge on the poor slob...he is a working guy with kids to support, let's leave it at that I would probably be OK with that.

My wife said it is probably a good thing the police show some humanity. That the truck driver doesn't lose his license or his job because of this incident. It could happen to me or to you or anyone...a moment of stupidity, and maybe it is a good thing there is some leniency shown.

I was going to try to get an appointment at the police station this morning, but, now all the fight has been taken out of me.

Any thoughts?

sda

imidazol97 said:

@driver100

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more

I realized it's the parking brake that mandates the elbow rest placement. I note my Cobalt is the same and even my Malibu has a parking brake lever in the console.

Doesn't the armrest in the Cruze slide back and forth, though not very far forward?

graphicguy

roadburner said:

graphicguy said:

OK....we're going to need more info......

My son and I were finally ready to pull the trigger on a 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint Monte Carlo Replica:





But it turned out we waited one day too long- BaT Success Story: 1963 Ford Falcon Goes to Jay Leno

That is VERY COOL! Great story of a "non-purchase", too!

driver100

sda said:

imidazol97 said:

@driver100

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more

I realized it's the parking brake that mandates the elbow rest placement. I note my Cobalt is the same and even my Malibu has a parking brake lever in the console.

Doesn't the armrest in the Cruze slide back and forth, though not very far forward?

NO....you have to be a contortionist to open it when driving.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

Most people can't believe the truck driver wasn't charged! For the cop to say I stopped too fast, and should have gone through an amber light I can easily stop for is ludicrous.

I sometimes think, the odds of me hitting a car or a person in the intersection would have been 10X greater, than the chance of a big truck hitting the rear of my car.

I might have mentioned how years ago I was driving a small bus and per school district policy I stopped rather quickly for a yellow and was clipped by a woman in a mini van.

She got a ticket for following too close. Case closed.

I think my wife put this accident thing into perspective for me, let me know what you think,

Many years ago my wife was teaching our daughter how to drive. They were on a two lane highway, speed limit 60 mph, in a pick up truck. It was dark, evening hours.

They stopped to turn left into a gas station, no turning lane. The truck following behind swerved around them on to the gravel shoulder....but, the large truck behind that truck didn't know there was a stopped vehicle, and had no time to go around. Hit the pick up pretty hard.

A few hours later the cop came to the door of the house, he said the accident was caused by the truck driver - obviously, but, he apologized that he wasn't going to charge him.....classed as an accident. My wife was satisfied and she understood, the truck driver didn't do something intentionally, in a way, it was a human error.

The main difference in my case is the cop gave me this bogus excuse for not laying a charge....that I stopped too quickly for an amber light. If he had said to me look, the other driver is at fault, but, it was an accident, I don't want to lay a charge on the poor slob...he is a working guy with kids to support, let's leave it at that I would probably be OK with that.

My wife said it is probably a good thing the police show some humanity. That the truck driver doesn't lose his license or his job because of this incident. It could happen to me or to you or anyone...a moment of stupidity, and maybe it is a good thing there is some leniency shown.

I was going to try to get an appointment at the police station this morning, but, now all the fight has been taken out of me.

Any thoughts?

You want both the cops and your wife mad at you?

That's a no brainer.

stever

Thanks @capriracer - so far it's holding air.

I like the idea of chatting up strangers at gas stations or in big box parking lots, although the approach is easier at gas stations. You ask them how they like their ride, any problems, etc. and then you give them your number and ask them to call you if they decide to get a newer ride.

oldfarmer50

Need info.

I see some used Buicks advertised as being the "presidential" edition. What is that? As far as I can see it's just a dumb vinyl roof and a badge. Does this designation offer some special options or performance like a Mustang "Cobra" or is it just a few dealer add on with a higher sticker price? Would you value it higher than a similar top level "limited" trim?

Google is no help and the books don't even list it.

ab348

driver100 said:

Interesting you mentioned that. Basically the Cruze is pretty zippy, especially if you have to change lanes in the city, when you are going in the 30 mph range.

I was entering a highway on the on ramp and I punched it to get ahead of the traffic and I thought the poor thing was going to have a hemorrhage and die on me. It was like it was going to choke and quit right there on the on ramp.

It has a fair bit of power if you just need a small spurt of power, but if you need too much it is like it is too much for the little beast to handle....actually a bit scary.

I had a Cruze for a loaner one day when I had my Regal and it was in the body shop for a respray on the bumper cover. What you described is exactly my experience. I thought it was a well-built car, felt solid, fairly quiet, decent space inside. Certainly a big upgrade from the Cobalt. Power around town seemed more than adequate and it moved out nicely.

But... that evening I was driving it home from work and had an uphill on-ramp to the expressway. To get it up to speed I opened up the throttle and the poor little engine revved like crazy, made a ton of noise, but not a whole lot more forward motion. It surprised me as it seemed zippy enough in every other type of driving. But 0-60mph acceleration was its weakness.

I don't understand why, with the new Cruze, GM does not offer the 1.5 Turbo from the Malibu as an upgrade engine in the higher-end model of the Cruze.

stickguy

Driver, just let it go, enjoy your vacation, and wait for your new car to arrive. Sounds like best to just move on now.

fintail

I have no info, but I suspect it is just a badge and trim package. That kind of thing was a lot more common back in the day. I remember in this area, there was a time when the "1984 Olympics" package Buicks seemed to be everywhere.

Weird to make an edition based on anything presidential during this somewhat depressing election campaign.

oldfarmer50 said:

Need info.

I see some used Buicks advertised as being the "presidential" edition. What is that? As far as I can see it's just a dumb vinyl roof and a badge. Does this designation offer some special options or performance like a Mustang "Cobra" or is it just a few dealer add on with a higher sticker price? Would you value it higher than a similar top level "limited" trim?

Google is no help and the books don't even list it.

fintail

I didn't think of that. I bet such shows could have been a lot more interesting 20-25 years ago, when everyone didn't think they had a million dollar treasure, and might have been less protective and paranoid.

nyccarguy

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

sda

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, that was a hard hit. If it had been a lesser car the consequences could have been worse. I hope your friend's sister has a full and quick recovery.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

You hit the nail on the head with the "wasn't paying attention" part. Assuming he was going to go through the yellow sort of goes out the window when the brake lights go on, don't you think?

verdugo

berri said:

I really don't see the advantage to it over Windows 7.

Windows 10 is sooo much better than Windows 7. Even if you don't care about technical details, security, etc., at the very least, it is much more visually appealing.

andres3

sda said:

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, that was a hard hit. If it had been a lesser car the consequences could have been worse. I hope your friend's sister has a full and quick recovery.

I will never understand swerving so hard that you choose an immobile Tree rather than a deer to hit. HPDE training should be mandatory.