Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

28firefighter · August 2020

NEXUS has never been an issue for us, but they put a lot of the onus on people crossing the borders to follow the rules. There is near zero tolerance.

We’ve taken the stance when we cross with NEXUS that we disclose literally everything in the car. Snacks, drinks, clothing etc. It’s much easier and also makes them less suspicious. Of course, it’s less of an issue crossing into Canada and more so for the way back into the US.

The only hiccup we’ve had is when we flew into Vancouver from Maui. We cleared Canadian customs and then immediately drove home - it took the agent at the border a moment to figure out what we had done. As soon as I explained we did it because airfare was cheaper due to Seattle spring break, he got it and waved us on.

driver100 · August 2020

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:
ab348 He found nothing until he opened our Coleman cooler in the trunk and found a single can of Schlitz that dad had neglected to drink over the previous few days

I'll try to keep it short but it could get The Old JMonroe kind of long;

*About 6 years ago we drove to Sarnia Ont...picked up my SIL and BIL, going to cross the border at Port Huron Michigan, and take a train to Chicago for the weekend....just $50 round trip for seniors.
*Got to the border at 5:30 a.m., one line had about 6 cars, the other had a sign that said "Fast Lane". I asked if everyone had their NEXXUS cards....they did so I went to the fast lane which was empty.
*The U.S. customs guy didn't like that we used the Fast Lane...it was for trucks though there was no NEXXUS lane.
*He sent us inside. The customs guy was angry asking me if I had studied the rules in the 2 inch thick Nexxus rule book. He told me he was typing up a report and this had better not happen again. He could make it so none of us would ever get into the U.S. again - don't forget we have a home there, I didn't want to mention that.
*We had a train to catch, he told me to sit down next to the other 3 while he typed up his report - I am thinking this guy must have had a big argument with his wife this morning! BTW, if you don't know....they have absolute and total control, you can't win with them, they can do whatever they want, even take your car apart.
*He put on his latex gloves and that was really scary as he walked toward me. He walked past me thank goodness and went out to the car. My SIL was going to bring an apple to eat on the way....that would have got us barred for life if she did that, I didn't know if it was in the suitcase.
*He came inside, typed some more, called me over and lectured me again about reading the 2 inch thick manual and told me again how he could bar me from ever getting into the U.S. again. I had to fill out a document saying I wasn't bringing any produce into the country, I got this far so I said NO and hoped my SIL forgot the apple.
*We raced out to the car and I sped to the train station where we just made it to our train before it left the station. You could see he took everything out of our suitcases and threw it back in....a total mess.
*I asked my SIL why she would bring an apple across the border and she said they buy groceries in Port Huron so she bought the apple in the U.S., she should be able to return it to the U.S. I explained it doesn't work that way, they don't know where she bought the apple.

The incident has never been mentioned, haven't had problems at the border since....I wonder if they really try to scare you when you first get your NEXXUS card, to keep you in line.
That’s BS.

I considered complaining....but I had a lot to lose, and no chance of coming out ahead.

driver100 · August 2020

28firefighter said:
NEXUS has never been an issue for us, but they put a lot of the onus on people crossing the borders to follow the rules. There is near zero tolerance.

We’ve taken the stance when we cross with NEXUS that we disclose literally everything in the car. Snacks, drinks, clothing etc. It’s much easier and also makes them less suspicious. Of course, it’s less of an issue crossing into Canada and more so for the way back into the US.

The only hiccup we’ve had is when we flew into Vancouver from Maui. We cleared Canadian customs and then immediately drove home - it took the agent at the border a moment to figure out what we had done. As soon as I explained we did it because airfare was cheaper due to Seattle spring break, he got it and waved us on.

We are very careful about our NEXUS....usually don't even buy liquor just so it doesn't send a red flag.
Once I was into this wine we could only buy in the U.S. The wine was only $11 a bottle, and I knew the duty at the border would be $5 a bottle.......X 12 bottles. Glad to pay $60 duty because if they sold the wine in Canada it would be at least double or $22 a bottle.

I come up to Canadian customs and am glad to declare my 12 bottles of wine, and the customs officer was doing paper work and told me to just drive through. I thought it could be a trap....but I couldn't really say anything through the glass....so I drove through. If I had known I would have bought 24 bottles.

Michaell · August 2020

Back when I was travelling for work a lot, we had a number of customers in Canada, and I would fly into YYZ frequently to teach to them. Since we were being paid for this work, going through customs was always dicey as Canada is not fond of their companies sending money to the US for professional services.

Once, I flew in on a Sunday afternoon and was detained by the Customs folks. This was not long after NAFTA (the original) was passed, so they were being extra careful with the screening. After some polite questioning, they determined that I could enter the country, but only after I paid a fine. A customs agent escorted me to an ATM to withdraw the cash to pay said fine. My receipt showed "Minor Infractions of NAFTA Regulations" (I may still have that paper somewhere in the basement).

The nice part is that I was able to expense the fine, and ended up making money in the process, due to the exchange rates.

While going through all of this, there was another American getting the same questioning, except he was exemplifying the "Ugly American" attributes in his responses. The customs folks didn't take to his attitude and calmly explained to him that since there were no more flights back to the US that evening, he could gladly spend the night in a holding cell while they got things sorted out.

I left before I learned his final disposition.

28firefighter · August 2020

I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.

Michaell · August 2020

28firefighter said:
I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.

What's funny is that I told my story to the customer, as I was scheduled to return several weeks later to teach a second class. They provided extensive documentation about how my company was the only one who could deliver the training, etc, etc, etc.

I breezed through customs the second time with nary a problem.

roadburner · August 2020

28firefighter said:
I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.

I used to tell my friends that you will never win an argument with a police officer on the side of the road. My other bit of advice was to never give the officer an unpleasant reason to remember you.

28firefighter · August 2020

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:
I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.
I used to tell my friends that you will never win an argument with a police officer on the side of the road. My other bit of advice was to never give the officer an unpleasant reason to remember you.

This is the correct advice.

driver100 · August 2020

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:
I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.
What's funny is that I told my story to the customer, as I was scheduled to return several weeks later to teach a second class. They provided extensive documentation about how my company was the only one who could deliver the training, etc, etc, etc.

I breezed through customs the second time with nary a problem.

Exactly, and that rule applies going the other way too....Canada into the U.S. to do business. For a few years I was given a customer in Buffalo to call on. I was really trying to get them to buy more....but, said it was just a friendly drop in call.....once I was charged $5, some kind of charge to do any business in the U.S.

But best never to argue with customs personnel, they have all the power and can make your life miserable. People have had their cars seized at the border, parents didn't know their teenagers left a joint butt in the car.

omarman · August 2020

28firefighter said:

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:
I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.
I used to tell my friends that you will never win an argument with a police officer on the side of the road. My other bit of advice was to never give the officer an unpleasant reason to remember you.
This is the correct advice.

And by the looks of dash cam video it may be the least-followed advice by people who call for defunding.

abacomike · August 2020

Peaches have been recalled that were sold between early June and August 1st due to listeria. 65 people have been affected. That's closing the barn door after the horses escaped.

If I bought peaches in July, they certainly would not be around to return to the store where I bought them. This is ridiculous on the part of the distributor - it is strictly a legal move to avoid law suits. How do you recall fruit 2-3 months after they were sold? 🤨

fintail · August 2020

Awesome, interesting read. I want MB to both rectify this, and admit what they did wrong.

I know, zero chance, overpaid arrogant execs seldom take kindly to such ideas.

abacomike said:

Here is the link I read - make sure you read all posts to determine those who indicated a redesign

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=791625&goto=newpost

fintail · August 2020

I've never had a real issue at the border either between US/Canada or traveling into or from Europe. I must be a really boring looking person, driving a car just above suspicion. I think once it was like a game of 20 questions driving back into the US, but otherwise, barely a bump - I think the last time coming back, I was asked where I lived, and waved through.

I do have one fun incident. When I was a student, maybe 1997 ish, I was a passenger in my friend's car, a few year old Accord, going to Vancouver. We got pulled aside for additional searching - not us, but the car. Back in the day those cars were frequently stolen, and maybe popular among drug dealers. They spent maybe 20 minutes searching it, and let us go. Funny thing, my friend always kept a fairly long knife in the driver's side door pocket. They apparently didn't see it, as they didn't say a word.

These days with dash cams and easy recordings otherwise, just record any potential difficulty and let the gongshow begin on the internet.

28firefighter said:
I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

abacomike said:
Peaches have been recalled that were sold between early June and August 1st due to listeria. 65 people have been affected. That's closing the barn door after the horses escaped.

If I bought peaches in July, they certainly would not be around to return to the store where I bought them. This is ridiculous on the part of the distributor - it is strictly a legal move to avoid law suits. How do you recall fruit 2-3 months after they were sold? 🤨

Maybe you should throw your peaches at your windshield. Probably won’t help with the squeak but it’ll make you feel better.

imidazol97 · August 2020

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:
Peaches have been recalled that were sold between early June and August 1st due to listeria. 65 people have been affected. That's closing the barn door after the horses escaped.

If I bought peaches in July, they certainly would not be around to return to the store where I bought them. This is ridiculous on the part of the distributor - it is strictly a legal move to avoid law suits. How do you recall fruit 2-3 months after they were sold? 🤨
Maybe you should throw your peaches at your windshield. Probably won’t help with the squeak but it’ll make you feel better.

Actually they might leave a coating that would help lubricate the surface along with the water and prevent the sticking that occurs when the wiper completely dries the windshield and friction increases causing the wiper to grab and then eventually let go with the flop that occurs. Irritating.

driver100 · August 2020

If you look up wiper blade chatter and name any car you will find people have this problem.

Here is an example from an Audi;
Default Solved Windshield Wiper Chatter
After many tries and much wasted money on expensive wiper arms, my problem with wiper chatter and streaking finally went away after buying a cheap wiper which was one inch shorter than the recommended size blade.

This was a BMW
Took car in SEVERAL times for this issue. Was told that my arms and such are working just fine. Its the blade itself, BMW blades dont work well apparently. BMW said all they would do is put new blades on, however, this is about the 4th set of blades that have done this. My SA suggested aftermarket blades. I would like to get some aftermarket blades, preferably good ones, like the bosch Icon blades but I cannot decipher if they will fit on my car.

Even a 2020 Camry:
Hello everyone,

I recently bought a 2020 Camry SE and noticed that the wipers would bounce and chatter when using intermittent speed during the rain. It only happens when the wipers come to the resting spot. I tried to duplicate the bouncing and chattering in my garage when it was dry but it doesn’t happen. Just happens when it’s raining.

I took it to the dealer to show them my videos and the technician looked at it and said it was normal. The service advisor suggested that it could be the wipers but was unable to replace them under warranty. I purchased my own wiper blades and it didn’t help.

I was wondering if anyone else had this issue.

tjc78 · August 2020

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:
I’ve taken the stance of never being belligerent with law enforcement or border personnel, even if I’m right. I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Nothing to gain from arguing unless your idea of gain is a night in a holding cell.
I used to tell my friends that you will never win an argument with a police officer on the side of the road. My other bit of advice was to never give the officer an unpleasant reason to remember you.

Very good advice! Many years ago, I was driving like a typical young male. I was racing another car and got caught dead to rights at 105 in a 65.

I knew where the officer was sitting it would take a little while to get to me.

I decided to just pull over and wait, rather than having him chase me. That paid off, as he just wrote me a BS ticket for missing credentials (which I technically wasn't). I was really nice to him and it saved my butt with what I did. He said if he had to chase me it would have been reckless driving on top of the monster speeding ticket.

imidazol97 · August 2020

I was reading more chatter about wiper chatter. Many think RainX increases the chattering problem. They talk about using the RainX Cleaner which removes all the old RainX so you can put more RainX on.

The summary there is that cleaning with BarKeepers Friend is a best start.
Using a wiper blade that is one inch shorter helps.
Keeping a fresh rubber blade in the wiper.
Various folks like various brands of retail replacements. Many felt the OEM item is the best replacement
for blade quality.

I found very few Malibu postings that weren't solved by replacing old hardened blades with fresh soft new ones.

@abacomike Do the blades chatter going both directions or just in one direction?

graphicguy · August 2020

imidazol97 said:
I was reading more chatter about wiper chatter. Many think RainX increases the chattering problem. They talk about using the RainX Cleaner which removes all the old RainX so you can put more RainX on.

The summary there is that cleaning with BarKeepers Friend is a best start.
Using a wiper blade that is one inch shorter helps.
Keeping a fresh rubber blade in the wiper.
Various folks like various brands of retail replacements. Many felt the OEM item is the best replacement
for blade quality.

I found very few Malibu postings that weren't solved by replacing old hardened blades with fresh soft new ones.

@abacomike Do the blades chatter going both directions or just in one direction?

Big believer in using “BarKeepers Friend” on windshield. Works for me whenever I have any sort of wiper hiccups. That said, it’s been a LOOOOONNNNGG time since I’ve had a car with that issue.

abacomike · August 2020

imidazol97 said:
I was reading more chatter about wiper chatter. Many think RainX increases the chattering problem. They talk about using the RainX Cleaner which removes all the old RainX so you can put more RainX on.

The summary there is that cleaning with BarKeepers Friend is a best start.
Using a wiper blade that is one inch shorter helps.
Keeping a fresh rubber blade in the wiper.
Various folks like various brands of retail replacements. Many felt the OEM item is the best replacement
for blade quality.

I found very few Malibu postings that weren't solved by replacing old hardened blades with fresh soft new ones.

@abacomike Do the blades chatter going both directions or just in one direction?

Both directions.

imidazol97 · August 2020

I was surprised at the negative responses about RainX. I had wondered about the static friction effect where the wiper grabs the glass because the layer of water is completely removed by the previous ridges on the wiper edge. The RainX makes the glass repel the water evidenced by the water droplets beading up with their own surface tension.

I found that wiper blades on some of my cars always sit at the parked position tipped one way when they stop. The sun and time age the wiper in that position on one side. So when the blade starts to go up the windshield, instead of flipping the other direction, it is so slanted with the main edge on the up side, it will chatter.

On the return downstroke, the blade is in the proper position with the other minor edges wiping water away in advance of the main edge hitting the glass, and there was on chatter on that downstroke.

New wipers wouldn't exhibit this age problem. It would take some months even in the brutal sun of Broward to age wiper blades into this set shape and harden there.

I got so I'd push the blade the other way when it was parked and I was around the car, so the blade didn't take a "set" in that one position.

This was when I'd buy the good Walmart house brand wiper blade for 4$ or so and just replace them a couple times a year instead of buying $20 blades and trying to make them last.

imidazol97 · August 2020

Here ya go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHTjwpC44zo

qbrozen · August 2020

imidazol97 said:
Here ya go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHTjwpC44zo

Seems logical.

cdnpinhead · August 2020

28firefighter said:
I don’t say anything more than I must to answer the question.

Do you know what time it is? Yes.

28firefighter · August 2020

Exactly.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" "Yep. And I'm sure you're going to tell me right now."

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" "Probably not to tell me I'm doing a great job driving."

jmonroe1 · August 2020

qbrozen said:

imidazol97 said:
Here ya go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHTjwpC44zo
Seems logical.

Are we done with this topic now. :@ Shouldn’t we be getting back to dishwashers.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · August 2020

28firefighter said:
Exactly.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" "Yep. And I'm sure you're going to tell me right now."

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" "Probably not to tell me I'm doing a great job driving."

Kinda reminds me of the time I was stopped in SC back around 1979 when I went to visit a friend who I worked with for a few years and transferred to a division in SC. I got caught in a speed trap coming around a curve on a new section of an interstate road. I was barely over 60 MPH on a posted 55 MPH speed limit and my PA plates didn't get me the benefit of the doubt so I was a sitting duck. The state cop politely comes to the window and asked how I was doing. I said, "pretty good until you stopped me". Mrs j and my sons damn near passed out. The cop gave me the option of paying a $20 fine right then and there, or following him to the magistrates office about 5 miles away. I gave him a 20 and I was on my way. I'm sure he turned it over to the the proper dept. when he returned to his barracks.

To this day my family likes to remind me of that day.

jmonroe

bwia · August 2020

"Dead' woman found to be breathing at Detroit funeral home

AOL.COM 21 mins ago

DETROIT (AP) — A young woman was discovered to be alive after she had been declared dead and taken to a Detroit funeral home, officials said.

The Southfield fire department said paramedics tried to revive the 20-year-old woman for 30 minutes Sunday.

“Given medical readings and the condition of the patient, it was determined at that time that she did not have signs of life,” the department said.

“The Oakland County medical examiner’s office was contacted and given the medical data,” the department said. “The patient was again determined to have expired and the body was released directly to the family to make arrangements with a funeral home of their choosing.”

But then came a startling discovery at James H. Cole funeral home: The woman was alive.

“Our staff confirmed she was breathing" and called a Detroit emergency medical crew, the funeral home said.

The woman was taken to a hospital, WDIV-TV and The Detroit News reported. No other information on the location, her name or current condition was immediately available Monday.

“We couldn’t believe it,” said Dave Fornell, deputy commissioner of the Detroit fire department, who added that her heart rate was 80.

bwia · August 2020

Fake news or a big hoax. Sounds implausible but I couldn't resist sharing this paranormal story.

omarman · August 2020

28firefighter said:
Exactly.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" "Yep. And I'm sure you're going to tell me right now."

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" "Probably not to tell me I'm doing a great job driving."

About 30 years ago I was driving from Columbus to Burr Oak lodge. I was speeding and overtaking a lot of cars on SR 13 after getting off I-70. I only slowed down as I came close to a small town up ahead. I put my window down to have a smoke and when I turned down the stereo I heard a distant siren. In the mirror I could see flashing red/blue lights off in the distance behind me. At the time I thought it was a rather slow moving fire/rescue vehicle.

After I pulled over and lit up the cigarette an unmarked Pontiac sedan with red/blue lights on the dash pulled in behind my car. A young guy wearing a dress shirt and tie walked up to my window and introduced himself as the county sheriff.

He was agitated and peppered me with a lot of questions. "Do you know how long I've been chasing you? How fast were you going? Do you realize that you crossed a double yellow line back there?"

"Chasing me? But I just pulled over to smoke after I put the window down and heard a siren."

It didn't occur to me that I was being "chased" by a car that far away. He got pretty angry but I tried to answer everything he wanted to know. He didn't ask for my license.

I told him that I did pass a line of 3 cars maybe 10 miles back or so but there was no double yellow line there. There was an edge in his voice when said that he was the middle car in that line and No, he wasn't talking about a double line there!

He said that I had passed another car after that and THAT'S where the double yellow line was you [non-permissible content removed]! But he explained that he was so far behind that he could not get up to speed before I had already passed the next car.

I didn't recall seeing double lines back there and I asked, politely, how he could be so sure about the lines since he said that he was pretty far behind the spot where it happened? Mistake. It finally occurred to me that my response was making the vein on his neck pop out. Well that and the part about how long it took him to catch up.

I wasn't resisting or trying to talk my way out of a ticket. But I had broken the rules when I questioned him instead of just answering yes sir, no sir, like that. So I took my license out of my wallet, apologized for everything and asked if I was ok to finish my smoke. He took my license and went back to his car where he stayed for a long time. When he came back he returned my license and told me that he was giving me a written warning for improper passing. He was much more calm by then. I did not mention anything about improper passing but I signed the warning and apologized again for the trouble.

I eventually quit smoking after that but I still like listening to Abraxas really loud. Hard to pick just one track but this one adds about 50 hp to any car you're driving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay1duK1EmR0

jmonroe1 · August 2020

bwia said:
"Dead' woman found to be breathing at Detroit funeral home

AOL.COM 21 mins ago

DETROIT (AP) — A young woman was discovered to be alive after she had been declared dead and taken to a Detroit funeral home, officials said.

The Southfield fire department said paramedics tried to revive the 20-year-old woman for 30 minutes Sunday.

“Given medical readings and the condition of the patient, it was determined at that time that she did not have signs of life,” the department said.

“The Oakland County medical examiner’s office was contacted and given the medical data,” the department said. “The patient was again determined to have expired and the body was released directly to the family to make arrangements with a funeral home of their choosing.”

But then came a startling discovery at James H. Cole funeral home: The woman was alive.

“Our staff confirmed she was breathing" and called a Detroit emergency medical crew, the funeral home said.

The woman was taken to a hospital, WDIV-TV and The Detroit News reported. No other information on the location, her name or current condition was immediately available Monday.

“We couldn’t believe it,” said Dave Fornell, deputy commissioner of the Detroit fire department, who added that her heart rate was 80.

That happened to me once.

jmonroe

isellhondas · August 2020

Here is how to make a motorcycle cop happy when you get pulled over.

Just ask him...." Say, weren't you one of the Village People?

abacomike · August 2020

We are experiencing very strong Southeast winds and thunderstorms right now and are under a severe weather advisory. These are winds and rains that are stirred up by tropical storm Laura which is over Cuba.

The storm is about 200 miles south of us right now.

jmonroe1 · August 2020

abacomike said:
We are experiencing very strong Southeast winds and thunderstorms right now and are under a severe weather advisory. These are winds and rains that are stirred up by tropical storm Laura which is over Cuba.

The storm is about 200 miles south of us right now.

Might be a good time to give your wipers another test run.

Stay safe. I ll have to call my Delray Beach SIL to see how shes's doing. She'll probably say what she always says, "when you live down here you get used to it".

jmonroe

abacomike · August 2020

jmonroe1 said:

abacomike said:
We are experiencing very strong Southeast winds and thunderstorms right now and are under a severe weather advisory. These are winds and rains that are stirred up by tropical storm Laura which is over Cuba.

The storm is about 200 miles south of us right now.
Might be a good time to give your wipers another test run.

Stay safe. I ll have to call my Delray Beach SIL to see how shes's doing. She'll probably say what she always says, "when you live down here you get used to it".

jmonroe

The winds have subsided for the time being. We will be getting bands of rain on and off over the next 24 hours.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

jmonroe1 said:

28firefighter said:
Exactly.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" "Yep. And I'm sure you're going to tell me right now."

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" "Probably not to tell me I'm doing a great job driving."
Kinda reminds me of the time I was stopped in SC back around 1979 when I went to visit a friend who I worked with for a few years and transferred to a division in SC. I got caught in a speed trap coming around a curve on a new section of an interstate road. I was barely over 60 MPH on a posted 55 MPH speed limit and my PA plates didn't get me the benefit of the doubt so I was a sitting duck. The state cop politely comes to the window and asked how I was doing. I said, "pretty good until you stopped me". Mrs j and my sons damn near passed out. The cop gave me the option of paying a $20 fine right then and there, or following him to the magistrates office about 5 miles away. I gave him a 20 and I was on my way. I'm sure he turned it over to the the proper dept. when he returned to his barracks.

To this day my family likes to remind me of that day.

jmonroe

So you admit to conspiracy to bribe a public official? Woah, Roadburner might be interested in this.

I wonder if he pays rewards to snitches?

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

omarman said:

28firefighter said:
Exactly.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" "Yep. And I'm sure you're going to tell me right now."

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" "Probably not to tell me I'm doing a great job driving."
About 30 years ago I was driving from Columbus to Burr Oak lodge. I was speeding and overtaking a lot of cars on SR 13 after getting off I-70. I only slowed down as I came close to a small town up ahead. I put my window down to have a smoke and when I turned down the stereo I heard a distant siren. In the mirror I could see flashing red/blue lights off in the distance behind me. At the time I thought it was a rather slow moving fire/rescue vehicle.

After I pulled over and lit up the cigarette an unmarked Pontiac sedan with red/blue lights on the dash pulled in behind my car. A young guy wearing a dress shirt and tie walked up to my window and introduced himself as the county sheriff.

He was agitated and peppered me with a lot of questions. "Do you know how long I've been chasing you? How fast were you going? Do you realize that you crossed a double yellow line back there?"

"Chasing me? But I just pulled over to smoke after I put the window down and heard a siren."

It didn't occur to me that I was being "chased" by a car that far away. He got pretty angry but I tried to answer everything he wanted to know. He didn't ask for my license.

I told him that I did pass a line of 3 cars maybe 10 miles back or so but there was no double yellow line there. There was an edge in his voice when said that he was the middle car in that line and No, he wasn't talking about a double line there!

He said that I had passed another car after that and THAT'S where the double yellow line was you [non-permissible content removed]! But he explained that he was so far behind that he could not get up to speed before I had already passed the next car.

I didn't recall seeing double lines back there and I asked, politely, how he could be so sure about the lines since he said that he was pretty far behind the spot where it happened? Mistake. It finally occurred to me that my response was making the vein on his neck pop out. Well that and the part about how long it took him to catch up.

I wasn't resisting or trying to talk my way out of a ticket. But I had broken the rules when I questioned him instead of just answering yes sir, no sir, like that. So I took my license out of my wallet, apologized for everything and asked if I was ok to finish my smoke. He took my license and went back to his car where he stayed for a long time. When he came back he returned my license and told me that he was giving me a written warning for improper passing. He was much more calm by then. I did not mention anything about improper passing but I signed the warning and apologized again for the trouble.

I eventually quit smoking after that but I still like listening to Abraxas really loud. Hard to pick just one track but this one adds about 50 hp to any car you're driving.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay1duK1EmR0

That’s a beautiful story with musical accompaniment even.

driver100 · August 2020

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

28firefighter said:
Exactly.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" "Yep. And I'm sure you're going to tell me right now."

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" "Probably not to tell me I'm doing a great job driving."
Kinda reminds me of the time I was stopped in SC back around 1979 when I went to visit a friend who I worked with for a few years and transferred to a division in SC. I got caught in a speed trap coming around a curve on a new section of an interstate road. I was barely over 60 MPH on a posted 55 MPH speed limit and my PA plates didn't get me the benefit of the doubt so I was a sitting duck. The state cop politely comes to the window and asked how I was doing. I said, "pretty good until you stopped me". Mrs j and my sons damn near passed out. The cop gave me the option of paying a $20 fine right then and there, or following him to the magistrates office about 5 miles away. I gave him a 20 and I was on my way. I'm sure he turned it over to the the proper dept. when he returned to his barracks.

To this day my family likes to remind me of that day.

jmonroe
So you admit to conspiracy to bribe a public official? Woah, Roadburner might be interested in this.

I wonder if he pays rewards to snitches?

I've got the tax department working on him too....they offer a reward!

graphicguy · August 2020

Saw Santana at a local outdoor venue (Riverbend) several years ago. Was looking forward to the concert, as I am a fan.

Unfortunately, he spent more time spouting new age/zen monologues than he did playing. We actually left before the concert was finished.

driver100 · August 2020

A long time ago when I was single a young lady invited me to a concert by a popular group...I won't name the group here, though most would know it. They are sucky but this was a hot date.
Anyway, they played for about 20 minutes and then the lead singer said he had a sore throat, he couldn't sing any longer, and they had fulfilled their contract obligations so they were going, but they hoped we would come back when they came back to town.
Actually the lady in question put up such a good fight they did offer her another pair of tickets - but that put me off going to concerts for a long time. I haven't been burned for a long time so would go these days, but, I choose very carefully.

omarman · August 2020

Some performers can't resist mixing their agenda with art. The Ventures have always been welcome relief from that trend over the years. Instrumental groups reach beyond language, social and political barriers. I've read that The Ventures outsold the Beatles in Japan.

A friend of mine went to see Jeff Beck at Vets Memorial who also gave a short uninspired performance due to "health" concerns. But a little known opening act stole the show anyway. My friend said the band was called Blue Oyster Cult and at the time I'd never heard of them.

jmonroe1 · August 2020

driver100 said:
A long time ago when I was single a young lady invited me to a concert by a popular group...I won't name the group here, though most would know it. They are sucky but this was a hot date.
Anyway, they played for about 20 minutes and then the lead singer said he had a sore throat, he couldn't sing any longer, and they had fulfilled their contract obligations so they were going, but they hoped we would come back when they came back to town.
Actually the lady in question put up such a good fight they did offer her another pair of tickets - but that put me off going to concerts for a long time. I haven't been burned for a long time so would go these days, but, I choose very carefully.

We’ve gone to see Neil Diamond a handful of times and have never been disappointed with any of his concerts. Too bad he has health problems now and no longer performs. That’s a loss for those of us that don’t like overly loud concerts to mask bad performances.

jmonroe

qbrozen · August 2020

I went to Giants Stadium to see Billy Joel and Elton John. I hated it. We were in the cheap seats and could only see them on the big screen, and too much of the crowd felt the need to sing along ... do that at home! Why would you pay money and travel and time to go to a concert and not LISTEN to the performers?!

That fixed me for a long time. I've been to bars to watch bands many many times in my younger years, and that's not SO bad, although usually overly loud.

Then, for my 30th bday, wife got us front row mezzanine for Peter Gabriel. I can't remember what the place is called, but it is an enclosed smaller arena in north Jersey. Anyway, he was on a rotating stage and, at its closest, we were at his level and probably within 20-30 feet of him. Everybody there was there to observe and enjoy the performance. It simply blew my mind. An unforgettable experience. So THAT'S how I want to see concerts, if ever again.

A little while later, I took my mom to see him at PNC Bank Arts Center. We sat on the grass. It was still really good, but not nearly the experience of that first one.

tjc78 · August 2020

I've only been to handful of concerts, but all have been great.

One performance I really enjoyed was not musical but comedic, Jeff Dunham was great in Atlantic City. I can't remember what casino we saw him in, but it was a fairly small venue. We literally laughed till it hurt.

abacomike · August 2020

qbrozen said:
I went to Giants Stadium to see Billy Joel and Elton John. I hated it. We were in the cheap seats and could only see them on the big screen, and too much of the crowd felt the need to sing along ... do that at home! Why would you pay money and travel and time to go to a concert and not LISTEN to the performers?!

That fixed me for a long time. I've been to bars to watch bands many many times in my younger years, and that's not SO bad, although usually overly loud.

Then, for my 30th bday, wife got us front row mezzanine for Peter Gabriel. I can't remember what the place is called, but it is an enclosed smaller arena in north Jersey. Anyway, he was on a rotating stage and, at its closest, we were at his level and probably within 20-30 feet of him. Everybody there was there to observe and enjoy the performance. It simply blew my mind. An unforgettable experience. So THAT'S how I want to see concerts, if ever again.

A little while later, I took my mom to see him at PNC Bank Arts Center. We sat on the grass. It was still really good, but not nearly the experience of that first one.

Back in the 1990's, I had tickets to see Elton John and Billy Joel at the MGM Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. We sat 8 rows back in the center - it was terrific. They are both so talented (were talented perhaps is a better phrase given it was 25 years ago). Truly enjoyed the experience.🤓

pensfan83 · August 2020

Concerts...oh boy. So many varied experiences.

Some of my favorite concerts are at smaller venues, Club Laga in Pittsbugh is one place. But those were typically lesser known/alternative type bands. I've seen the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Kenny Chesney (not by choice haha), Bill Joel, and others at the professional sports stadiums. The Rolling Stones were at Heinz Field and while the music was great we were also in the nosebleed seats so not really an intimate experience. Then there's the amphitheater located in the middle of nowhere that's a PITA to get in and out of. The only shows I'll go to see there are bands I absolutely want to see...Rush for example.

graphicguy · August 2020

Speaking of concerts, every year the outdoor concert venue, to afore mentioned Riverbend (actually on the banks of the OH River) I spoke about had a concert series. You bought a series of concerts for the season. They had several different “tiers”. Cheapest tier was in the “lawn” section, where, which is a grassy area where you could hear the concert and also open to the elements, but had to rely on large video screens to actually see the performance. There were a few other “tiers” where you had a seat under roof. The closer to the stage, the more expensive the ticket.

The top tier, with private restrooms (very important to a female), private bar area, were the best seats in the house and were also the most expensive (by a goodly amount). The more seasons in a row you purchased the series, the better and better your seats became. Saw lots of good acts there....

-Crosby, Stills, Nash (3x)
-Neil Diamond (2X)
-Santana (meh)
-The Eagles (Joe Walsh is a guitar stud)
-Creed
-Stone Temple Pilots (really good)
-Willie Nelson and Family (also good)
-Lots of others

But, it got to the point where they kept repeating most of the same acts every season. And, they kept raising the prices. Finally, I let them lapse. I don’t even know if they offer those concert services tickets anymore.

ab348 · August 2020

I went to concerts pretty frequently when I was in my 20s and 30s, hardly any since. The best one I attended was Dire Straits, around 1990. Just excellent, the band was very talented and Knopfler was genius. Most were hit and miss for me. I remember taking a date to see Loverboy in the early '80s, a band I didn't really like much but she wanted to see them. The opening act was a guy neither of us had heard of named Bryan Adams and Loverboy had a tough time following him. We also caught Neil Young a year or two later when thanks to our ignorance we didn't know he was in his country & western phase and that was a big disappointment. Opening act that time was The Judds who put on a better show. Some near-nostalgia acts like The Beach Boys in the mid-80s were entertaining enough, and Chicago a few years later were surprisingly good. By the time we got acts like Paul McCartney and the Stones to come here I was past the stage of wanting to stand in the open air with 30,000 strangers so I passed. I did have a chance to see Rush here in maybe 2011 or 12 when they came through and didn't go because I really wasn't a big fan, but now wish I had.

imidazol97 · August 2020

My last concert was Michael Buble. We had seats in the lower level. We were familiar
with the seating in that venue because we went to annual ice skating Stars on Ice there,
so I bought tickets on StubHub, since tickets to anything are always sold out tot he
scalpers before the first phone rings when they go on sale.

I always liked his smooth sound, but this was a happy life, happy wife thing.
She wanted to go. And this ranked right up there with seeing A Chorus Line
at the Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis from prime first row balcony seats earlier
in 1991.

Very enjoyable. The opening act was awful. Dragged on and dragged on.
Buble's sound was great.

Venue was Fifth Third Arena downtown Cincinnati.

Performances I wish I had gone to see were Elton John, Elvis Presley.

I did see the Supremes in an Armory fieldhouse on UC's campus.
I was much, much younger then and it was great. Not sure I can even
narrow down the year on that one.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

driver100 said:
A long time ago when I was single a young lady invited me to a concert by a popular group...I won't name the group here, though most would know it. They are sucky but this was a hot date.
Anyway, they played for about 20 minutes and then the lead singer said he had a sore throat, he couldn't sing any longer, and they had fulfilled their contract obligations so they were going, but they hoped we would come back when they came back to town.
Actually the lady in question put up such a good fight they did offer her another pair of tickets - but that put me off going to concerts for a long time. I haven't been burned for a long time so would go these days, but, I choose very carefully.

I had the same thing happen in college. Singer sang two songs then left. All the fans were forgiving, I was mad at losing my ticket fee for a bum performance.

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