Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

snakeweasel · May 2021

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

@andres3 said:

Except that one way requires you to back into the right of way without the right of way, which may or may not be wide open, and the other requires you only to back into a wide open space while you have the right of way. Choose wisely.

So in other words what I stated still stands.

What kind of statistics are you looking for? What would be relevant?
The only thing I can think of is when a backer into a space has a collision with someone backing out of a space. In my sample of 1 an arbiter decided that it was 80% the backing out of a space guys' fault.
Not 100%, but better than 50%. If Insurance companies could provide stats on the outcomes of these types of claims, that should just about settle it. I suspect with the vast majority 100% of the blame goes to the guy backing out of a space, as that's the only logical verdict.
One's trajectory into an open space doesn't cause a collision. One's trajectory out of a parking space obviously DID cause a collision if there was one.

Well I would think a good start is the percentage of times some hit's another vehicle or anything else getting in or out of a parking space when pulling into the space vs backing into said space. It is a stat that you will likely never never get a hold of.

jmonroe1 · May 2021

@henryn said:
I like the chickens in the background, nice touch!

I’d like em better if they were at Chick-fil-A.

jmonroe

snakeweasel · May 2021

bwia said:

abacomike said:

roadburner said:
Today’s Arrogant Idiot Award(It isn’t as good as one of Mike’s stories but it will have to do):

To enter Seabrook Island you have to drive past the guard booth. There are two lanes going in. Residents have a barcode sticker on the side window while vacationers have a card you leave on the dashboard. There is a message on a signpost as well as on the asphalt that states:

“RIGHT LANE BARCODE ONLY .” I’m in the left lane waiting behind another car when a ditzy blonde in a Navigator runs up beside me in the right lane. The right lane gate doesn’t open because her SUV doesn’t have a barcode. She lowers her window and yells at the guard, who patiently asks if she has a card; she points at the dash, which of course is not visible to the guard. She snatches it out of the dash and waves it at the guard, who simultaneously waves me through.

I’m making the next left when the ditz comes up behind me. I decided she needed some time to calm down, so I made a point of driving exactly one mph under the speed limit and coming to a complete stop at each stop sign. As expected, this coaxed her into passing me right where a local cop often sits. Sadly, there wasn’t one sitting there today...

I had another one of those hair-raising experiences earlier this morning at the Casino. I had some accumulated "free-play" credits built up over the last couple of months and decided to go into the local Casino and take advantage of those one-armed bandits. I sat down at one of my favorite machines (there are 6 of them in a row - all the same - but I sit at the 3rd slot machine which is usually very good to me. After about 5 minutes, an old lady with a walker tries to sit down at the machine to my right - the last slot machine in this particular bank of slots (6) that was available - all the others were being used. Since she was using a walker, it took her quite a bit of time to navigate around the chair before she could sit and, like a shooting bullet, this other old lady with a cane scoots into the chair from the other side just as this poor old lady was about to sit down. Well, a fight broke out between the two of them with pushing and shoving - pushing and shoving so violent that I was pushed out of my chair and I landed on the floor. Did anyone stop to help me up off the floor - NO! the fighting continued until security came over (4 guys) and broke up the fight. Still, I'm on the floor, screaming in pain from my back, and no one helps me up into my chair.

"What happened here - who started all of this?" I yell at them that I need help getting up and I told them I witnessed the whole thing. One of the security guards finally helps me up and back into my chair and they ask me what happened. I told them that this old lady with the walker was about to sit down at the machine when the other old lady with a cane pushed her aside and sat down in the chair. That's when the pushing and shoving started, which I told them twice since they asked me twice to repeat the incident.

They finally told the lady with the cane that she needed to stand up out of the chair and she was told she was being banned from the Casino for a period of 2-weeks for her behavior. They then helped the lady with the walker into the chair and the 4 security guards left escorting the old lady with the cane out of the Casino. The old lady with the walker put a $100.00 bill into the slot machine and on the first spin, she hit a jackpot of $12,000. Did she think to give any of that to me for helping her - absolutely - she gave me $1000.00 and thanked me for helping her.

Stories and experiences like this are truly unbelievable and I think I am going to start a journal of my experiences with old ladies in super markets, drug stores, and Casinos. Definitely going to be a best seller.
Nice story, but at tax time expect a Form 1099 from the old lady so can pay your fair share of income taxes. Remember, gambling winnings and gifts are taxable income but you can offset those winnings with gambling losses-- so keep track of your gambling expenses and losses, cocktail girls tips are not included.

Gambling winnings are taxable income, gifts are not. The gift giver pays any taxes on the gift if any. Gambling losses are only deductible if you itemized your deductions using a Schedule 'A'

snakeweasel · May 2021

ab348 said:
Video of the two old ladies brawling would be worth seeing.

Here you go.

https://youtu.be/eUMTvzFj6Ys

snakeweasel · May 2021

abacomike said:

@ab348 said:

Video of the two old ladies brawling would be worth seeing.

The Casino has it on tape, to be sure. But as for taxes, she is allowed to “gift” up to $11,000+ each year and since I am her protector when she is at the casino, no taxes will be paid by either of us. Besides, she has to have a receipt or canceled check - which she does not because she gave me cash and told me “this is for being a gentleman”. 🤪😜🤓

I believe now it's $15,000 per year per person (i.e. she can gift a married couple $30,000). anything over that can be excluded by the $11+ million lifetime exclusion.

snakeweasel · May 2021

Been having a car free mini vacation.

qbrozen · May 2021

@explorerx4 said:
Back when I was in middle school I had a Ferrari.
Who knew an accordion could be cool?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc8RtdAWt-8

Sooo... you ask the question and then post that video as support? In which case, I’d have to answer “Nobody, because it obviously isn’t.”

explorerx4 · May 2021

Someone's a little grumpy.

qbrozen · May 2021

Lol.
I like Weird Al, though. Haha. Still can’t say it is “cool,” however. ;b

graphicguy · May 2021

roadburner said:
Mike, if I thought I would get the same treatment you received at a Kia dealer I’d go with a Stinger. Unfortunately, the horror stories I have read from Stinger owners caused me to cross it off my list; I read multiple examples of cars being damaged while being serviced- one guy found that the alleged “tech” had written the oil capacity of the engine on the engine cover with a Sharpie.

Ditto for the Supra; breld and other owners have brought their cars in for service only to find “Our Supra tech isn’t in today.” Not encouraging.

While I may yet be tempted by a F-Type or Cayman S, at my age I’m more and more inclined to stick with brands I’m extremely familiar with and have dealers that provide excellent service.

Agree with you, @imidazol97 and @abacomike …..Everyone here buys what they want. We only need to impress one person, ourselves. Sometimes it’s a model, sometimes it’s an entire brand. And, the customer service aspect seems to be the gating factor. We all know things go sideways with our cars on occasion. But, it’s how those issues are resolved which keeps us coming back.

RB….totally get your opinion of the Stinger. It really is a good car, a fun car, a car I believe you’d enjoy. But, what good is the long warranty if getting it repaired is a nightmare when dealing with the store you bought it from (or, the manufacturer).

MIke I was a bit fearful at first when you needed to get your car’s infotainment replaced. Given Kia shares the same DNA as Hyundai and Genesis, I was hoping Genesis didn’t share Kia’s dealership attitudes….particularly given how hard any Genesis to come by.

I stray from time-to-time, but always seem to come back to Acura for all those same reasons.

oldfarmer50 · May 2021

driver100 said:
@explorerx4 It must be hard making a living playing an accordion in a rock band!

This guy seemed to make it work:

graphicguy · May 2021

So, mentioned a few weeks ago the GF was making plans for us to go to Jamaica given we’re all vaccined up and ready to hit the road…..until, last night.

Turn her loose on a project and she’ll research the daylights right out of it. She was in charge of getting flights, hotel, etc. I was in charge of paying

Apparently, she found out that Jamaica is at “HIGH ALERT” for COVID. So, all the cancellations go out and everything was refundable (even the airfare).

I’m watching my Reds get their @ss kicked yesterday, yet again, while sipping on an ice cold Rolling Rock as she’s sitting next to me, fingers feverishly flying on her laptop. I was kinda thinking road trip, and told her to see what she could find. What does she find? A cruise. I like to cruise, but that whole FL thing about cruise ships not being allowed to ask if passengers are vaccinated does not sit well with me. The last thing I want on a vacation is to fear harm or illness.

All you folks living in FL, what is the governor thinking by not allowing any travel related company if they’ve received the COVID vaccine? That seems horribly irresponsible.

imidazol97 · May 2021

jmonroe1 said:

I like the chickens in the background, nice touch!

I’d like em better if they were at Chick-fil-A.

jmonroe

At ChickFilA those chickens are worth a fortune, each! The prices have slowly gone up at CFA like many other places. And the rewards program has suffered 100% inflation over about 15 months. The accumulated points used to buy a Cobb Salad with the basic chopped nuggets as the meat for 900 points; now 1800. (One can get the Cobb with no meat, grilled or deep fried nuggets, or the filets from either breaded CFA sandwich or grilled sandwich.)
The good thing about CFA is that the quality of the store product has stayed the same. E.g., the size of the Cobb salad in terms of greens and meat has stayed the same. No skimping to try to fool the consumer.
My favorite place for transparency.

bwia · May 2021

The EV tax credit is in the news again. This time, Congress wants to increase the maximum credit from $7,500 to $12,500. The maximum credit will apply to vehicles with an MSRP of up to $80,000 and made with union labor. What is not clear is whether the credit will apply to the first 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer or expanded to 600,000 as some have suggested.

If the objective is to move to zero emissions vehicles by 2035, then the emphasis should be on enabling legislation to get there in the minimum time possible at the least possible cost to the consumer. We have become accustomed to the government subsidizing EV sales and anything that interferes with that formula will drive many EV startups out of business. Further, if the US wishes to dominate the EV market as it purports to do, it should expand the EV tax credit or instead give incentives directly to the manufacturers so they can reduce their selling prices to make EVs more price competitive. Or perhaps some combination of manufacturer and consumer incentives may be optimal. By the way, some states plan to continue there own tax credits but I was shocked to see so many states not offering the credit at all.

tjc78 · May 2021

@graphicguy
We have Antigua planned for November which is also high alert right now as I believe all the islands are. Not sure exactly how we are going to handle... but you must test on the way in and out so the resort “should” be ok. Time will tell, I guess.

jmonroe1 · May 2021

@imidazol97 said:
At ChickFilA those chickens are worth a fortune, each! The prices have slowly gone up at CFA like many other places. And the rewards program has suffered 100% inflation over about 15 months. The accumulated points used to buy a Cobb Salad with the basic chopped nuggets as the meat for 900 points; now 1800. (One can get the Cobb with no meat, grilled or deep fried nuggets, or the filets from either breaded CFA sandwich or grilled sandwich.)
The good thing about CFA is that the quality of the store product has stayed the same. E.g., the size of the Cobb salad in terms of greens and meat has stayed the same. No skimping to try to fool the consumer.
My favorite place for transparency.

It is damn near hilarious to see folks lined up at Chic-fil-A at the local place that is in a very large outdoor shopping center in a stand alone building right off the main business road here. It got so bad that the shopping center had to install signs to direct Chic-fil-A customers how to enter that place. Before they did the directing the, CFA customers not caring about how they got in line, would double up down one of the main aisles thereby preventing traffic flow for the shopping center customers. Like I’ve said before I like CFA but I’ll be damned if I’ll sit in a line like that even for a very tasty CFA sandwich. Until things get back to normal they’ll never see me and I doubt they’ll ever miss me.

Around here going to CFA has almost attained a cult status. Too bad really because like I said I like CFA but I could never put up with lines like they have in my hood although I’ve heard they are geared up for it and the line moves pretty good. I’ll never know that first hand I can tell you that for sure.

jmonroe

roadburner · May 2021

@graphicguy; I just read another Kia service horror story. The dealer locked the owner’s key fob in the car. Rather than call the owner the alleged “technicians” pried on the door to get access to the latch. Of course that idiotic move scratched and dented the door jamb- but the service advisor proudly noted that, “Ya can’t see anything when the door is closed!”
But not to worry; the hapless owner also was given a complimentary bottle of touch-up paint!

roadburner · May 2021

@jmonroe- We use the CFA app on our phones. We order from home and we usually don’t need to wait more than 5 minutes once we get there.

sda · May 2021

My daughter informed me that a friend spilled part of her milk shake on the left rear floor of the TL and didn’t say anything. Later when removing items from the backseat my daughter discovered it. Luckily it ended up on the carpeted floor mat. What a pain to clean up. I tried multiple methods only to still find the mat sticky and smelling of milk shake. I took drastic measures and sprayed it down vigorously with a hose and scrubbed with soap. It’s drying in the sun. What is it with people not fessing up? Accidents
happen.

bwia · May 2021

graphicguy said:
So, mentioned a few weeks ago the GF was making plans for us to go to Jamaica given we’re all vaccined up and ready to hit the road…..until, last night.

Turn her loose on a project and she’ll research the daylights right out of it. She was in charge of getting flights, hotel, etc. I was in charge of paying

Apparently, she found out that Jamaica is at “HIGH ALERT” for COVID. So, all the cancellations go out and everything was refundable (even the airfare).

Forget Jamaica and Antigua. The Seychelles, the closest thing to Paradise is open for business. You have three main English islands to choose from, or better yet all three. Some of the best boutique hotels are located there including the Four Seasons and Kempinski. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7HiTPLIQck

sda · May 2021

The weather was gorgeous today around 73 degrees. Perfect for giving the TL a wax job before the heat of summer.

driver100 · May 2021

GG Most years there are about 150 rage/fighting incidents on planes. This year there have been 2500 filed so far. In this one the stewardess had two teeth knocked out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdaAgtkVNn4

American and Southwest have stopped serving alcohol on their flights.

henryn · May 2021

sda said:
My daughter informed me that a friend spilled part of her milk shake on the left rear floor of the TL and didn’t say anything. Later when removing items from the backseat my daughter discovered it. Luckily it ended up on the carpeted floor mat. What a pain to clean up. I tried multiple methods only to still find the mat sticky and smelling of milk shake. I took drastic measures and sprayed it down vigorously with a hose and scrubbed with soap. It’s drying in the sun. What is it with people not fessing up? Accidents
happen.

A few years back I had a girl friend who used the back seat of her car as a kind of catch bin. All kinds of things wound up back there. One day I decided to clean up and organize the mess, which "kinda sorta" bothered me. Lo and behold, when I got down to the floor mat I found half an order of McDonalds french fries. They must have been there for months, and they had not rotted, did not smell bad, and hadn't even turned color. What exactly do they put in those things that will preserve them for months?

Never mind, I don't really want to know.

28firefighter · May 2021

@sda said:
The weather was gorgeous today around 73 degrees. Perfect for giving the TL a wax job before the heat of summer.

That era of TL might be one of my favorite cars. Timeless look IMO.

jmonroe1 · May 2021

@roadburner said:
@jmonroe- We use the CFA app on our phones. We order from home and we usually don’t need to wait more than 5 minutes once we get there.

I gather your CFA has a separate line for their app customers. They might have that at our local CFA but even if they do the 2 lines I see are always within 1 car length of each other and from driving by they seem to move equally slow. Maybe there is an app line in addition to the 2 lines I see but since I haven’t been there since the Covid-19 outbreak I couldn’t speak from experience.

jmonroe

snakeweasel · May 2021

@graphicguy said:
So, mentioned a few weeks ago the GF was making plans for us to go to Jamaica given we’re all vaccined up and ready to hit the road…..until, last night.

Turn her loose on a project and she’ll research the daylights right out of it. She was in charge of getting flights, hotel, etc. I was in charge of paying

Apparently, she found out that Jamaica is at “HIGH ALERT” for COVID. So, all the cancellations go out and everything was refundable (even the airfare).

I’m watching my Reds get their @ss kicked yesterday, yet again, while sipping on an ice cold Rolling Rock as she’s sitting next to me, fingers feverishly flying on her laptop. I was kinda thinking road trip, and told her to see what she could find. What does she find? A cruise. I like to cruise, but that whole FL thing about cruise ships not being allowed to ask if passengers are vaccinated does not sit well with me. The last thing I want on a vacation is to fear harm or illness.

All you folks living in FL, what is the governor thinking by not allowing any travel related company if they’ve received the COVID vaccine? That seems horribly irresponsible.

Well there are a lot of issues regarding the so called "vaccination passport". Florida is not the only state banning it or will ban it. It does violate one privacy and possible HIPPA laws. Are you vaccinated? If so why worry? Do they check if people are vaccinated against the flu or mumps or measels or anything else?

imidazol97 · May 2021

jmonroe1 said:

I gather your CFA has a separate line for their app customers. They might have that at our local CFA but even if they do the 2 lines I see are always within 1 car length of each other and from driving by they seem to move equally slow.

Not a separate line but have parking slots. At one store the phone call/app purchasers park in about 9 parking spaces and call the number on the sign that they are at store and their # for parking slot. The GrubHub and other pickup services have a group of 5 or so parking slots on the other side of the parking lot. Not many of those used these days.

snakeweasel · May 2021

@bwia said:
The EV tax credit is in the news again. This time, Congress wants to increase the maximum credit from $7,500 to $12,500. The maximum credit will apply to vehicles with an MSRP of up to $80,000 and made with union labor. What is not clear is whether the credit will apply to the first 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer or expanded to 600,000 as some have suggested.

If the objective is to move to zero emissions vehicles by 2035, then the emphasis should be on enabling legislation to get there in the minimum time possible at the least possible cost to the consumer. We have become accustomed to the government subsidizing EV sales and anything that interferes with that formula will drive many EV startups out of business. Further, if the US wishes to dominate the EV market as it purports to do, it should expand the EV tax credit or instead give incentives directly to the manufacturers so they can reduce their selling prices to make EVs more price competitive. Or perhaps some combination of manufacturer and consumer incentives may be optimal. By the way, some states plan to continue there own tax credits but I was shocked to see so many states not offering the credit at all.

I am 100% against for various reasons. First I believe the market must determine this as when the government tries to influence the market it usually ends up in disaster. Secondly it is subsidies the wealthy as most middle class cannot come close to using the full credit. It's basically saying "let's reduce the price for the rich and the heck with everyone else".

The EV market will never be viable without sub $20k car that can do 300 miles and the batteries last over 100k miles. Currently the whole thing is a wealth transfer scam to take money from the middle class and use it to help the wealthy.

OK rant over.

imidazol97 · May 2021

snakeweasel said:

@bwia said:

The EV tax credit is in the news again. This time, Congress wants to increase the maximum credit from $7,500 to $12,500. The maximum credit will apply to vehicles with an MSRP of up to $80,000 and made with union labor. What is not clear is whether the credit will apply to the first 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer or expanded to 600,000 as some have suggested.

If the objective is to move to zero emissions vehicles by 2035, then the emphasis should be on enabling legislation to get there in the minimum time possible at the least possible cost to the consumer. We have become accustomed to the government subsidizing EV sales and anything that interferes with that formula will drive many EV startups out of business. Further, if the US wishes to dominate the EV market as it purports to do, it should expand the EV tax credit or instead give incentives directly to the manufacturers so they can reduce their selling prices to make EVs more price competitive. Or perhaps some combination of manufacturer and consumer incentives may be optimal. By the way, some states plan to continue there own tax credits but I was shocked to see so many states not offering the credit at all.

I am 100% against for various reasons. First I believe the market must determine this as when the government tries to influence the market it usually ends up in disaster. Secondly it is subsidies the wealthy as most middle class cannot come close to using the full credit. It's basically saying "let's reduce the price for the rich and the heck with everyone else".

The EV market will never be viable without sub $20k car that can do 300 miles and the batteries last over 100k miles. Currently the whole thing is a wealth transfer scam to take money from the middle class and use it to help the wealthy.

OK rant over.

Spot on. EV and variations need to compete on their own. If they're not viable, then improve them.

driver100 · May 2021

imidazol97 said:

snakeweasel said:

@bwia said:

The EV tax credit is in the news again. This time, Congress wants to increase the maximum credit from $7,500 to $12,500. The maximum credit will apply to vehicles with an MSRP of up to $80,000 and made with union labor. What is not clear is whether the credit will apply to the first 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer or expanded to 600,000 as some have suggested.

If the objective is to move to zero emissions vehicles by 2035, then the emphasis should be on enabling legislation to get there in the minimum time possible at the least possible cost to the consumer. We have become accustomed to the government subsidizing EV sales and anything that interferes with that formula will drive many EV startups out of business. Further, if the US wishes to dominate the EV market as it purports to do, it should expand the EV tax credit or instead give incentives directly to the manufacturers so they can reduce their selling prices to make EVs more price competitive. Or perhaps some combination of manufacturer and consumer incentives may be optimal. By the way, some states plan to continue there own tax credits but I was shocked to see so many states not offering the credit at all.

I am 100% against for various reasons. First I believe the market must determine this as when the government tries to influence the market it usually ends up in disaster. Secondly it is subsidies the wealthy as most middle class cannot come close to using the full credit. It's basically saying "let's reduce the price for the rich and the heck with everyone else".

The EV market will never be viable without sub $20k car that can do 300 miles and the batteries last over 100k miles. Currently the whole thing is a wealth transfer scam to take money from the middle class and use it to help the wealthy.

OK rant over.

Spot on. EV and variations need to compete on their own. If they're not viable, then improve them.

.....and I would like to know what happens to the batteries when their life is over......not easy to dispose of with lots of metals that have to be separated.

imidazol97 · May 2021

USPS. Great report. Shipped a light 16x10x5 package afternoon Thursday in Dayton sub post office. Delivered before noon on Saturday in Henderson , NV outside Lost Vegas, NV. Went via Cincinnati.

snakeweasel · May 2021

@bwia said:
Forget Jamaica and Antigua. The Seychelles, the closest thing to Paradise is open for business. You have three main English islands to choose from, or better yet all three. Some of the best boutique hotels are located there including the Four Seasons and Kempinski. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7HiTPLIQck

Well we just got back from Mackinac Island, the Grand Hotel there is one of the best in the world. And how can you beat pulling up in a horse drawn carriage (well any hotel there has that). The island is really a different experience.

snakeweasel · May 2021

@driver100 said:
GG Most years there are about 150 rage/fighting incidents on planes. This year there have been 2500 filed so far. In this one the stewardess had two teeth knocked out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdaAgtkVNn4

American and Southwest have stopped serving alcohol on their flights.

Well there goes American and Southwest for my travel plans.

jmonroe1 · May 2021

@sda said:
The weather was gorgeous today around 73 degrees. Perfect for giving the TL a wax job before the heat of summer.

Looks good. From here it looks like what @roadburner showed us recently.

FWIW, the weather here has been lousy for several days, cloudy and rain and in the 50’s. Tomorrow it’s supposed to make it to 70 with a fair bit of sun. I’ll believe it when I see it.

jmonroe

henryn · May 2021

snakeweasel said:

I am 100% against for various reasons. First I believe the market must determine this as when the government tries to influence the market it usually ends up in disaster. Secondly it is subsidies the wealthy as most middle class cannot come close to using the full credit. It's basically saying "let's reduce the price for the rich and the heck with everyone else".

The EV market will never be viable without sub $20k car that can do 300 miles and the batteries last over 100k miles. Currently the whole thing is a wealth transfer scam to take money from the middle class and use it to help the wealthy.

OK rant over.

I have a couple of problems with your comments, above.

First, the biggest tax incentive that I'm aware of for EV was $7,500. Off hand, I don't know anyone whom I would call "middle class" who does not pay $7,500 in federal income taxes. If you increase that incentive to $12,500 then I can imagine some middle class might not be able to use all of the incentive.

Second, "sub $20k car that can do 300 miles". How many new cars are available today for under $20,000? There used to be a few, such as the Honda Fit, or the base model Kia Soul. But very few. I think maybe you should have said "sub $30k", that would be more realistic.

Heck, the average new car price is WAY above that mark.

According to the valuation analysts at Kelley Blue Book reported the estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the United States was $37,876 in 2020. New-vehicle prices increased $975 (up 2.6%) from February 2019, while falling $126 (down 0.3%) from last month. Are you kidding me? Back in 2020, the average new car price was almost $38,000?

It gets worse. In 2021, Edmunds.com reported that the average new car price is probably closer to $40,000 and $39,950.

fintail · May 2021

First, it's HIPAA.

Second, a vaccine passport in nearly all cases will in fact not violate the regulation. HIPAA applies only to healthcare providers, health plan providers, and related entities, and depending on the data they use, their vendors and associates. Anything outside the healthcare realm, such as stores, restaurants, theme parks, airlines, taxis, entertainment venues, etc are not part of HIPAA and cannot possibly be in violation as it doesn't apply to them. These entities can ask for vaccine status or negative test results, and can offer or rescind service based on it. HIPAA also doesn't apply if a party is self-disclosing their own info.

Additionally, any foreign entity can require a "passport" at their discretion, and no contrarian governor will be able to do anything about it. Fortunately, most raising a stink about this aren't exactly worldly to begin with, and likely won't be traveling anyway.

snakeweasel said:

@graphicguy said:

So, mentioned a few weeks ago the GF was making plans for us to go to Jamaica given we’re all vaccined up and ready to hit the road…..until, last night.

Turn her loose on a project and she’ll research the daylights right out of it. She was in charge of getting flights, hotel, etc. I was in charge of paying

Apparently, she found out that Jamaica is at “HIGH ALERT” for COVID. So, all the cancellations go out and everything was refundable (even the airfare).

I’m watching my Reds get their @ss kicked yesterday, yet again, while sipping on an ice cold Rolling Rock as she’s sitting next to me, fingers feverishly flying on her laptop. I was kinda thinking road trip, and told her to see what she could find. What does she find? A cruise. I like to cruise, but that whole FL thing about cruise ships not being allowed to ask if passengers are vaccinated does not sit well with me. The last thing I want on a vacation is to fear harm or illness.

All you folks living in FL, what is the governor thinking by not allowing any travel related company if they’ve received the COVID vaccine? That seems horribly irresponsible.

Well there are a lot of issues regarding the so called "vaccination passport". Florida is not the only state banning it or will ban it. It does violate one privacy and possible HIPPA laws. Are you vaccinated? If so why worry? Do they check if people are vaccinated against the flu or mumps or measels or anything else?

fintail · May 2021

Money would probably be better spent on subsidizing charging infrastructure. The burgeoning affordable housing crisis probably isn't going to help in that regard.

MSRP cut-off should be maybe 50K IMNSHO. Flying past that ends up subsidizing the toys of the affluent, but in a system that still embraces trickle-down lunacy, I suppose it's par for the course.

bwia said:
The EV tax credit is in the news again. This time, Congress wants to increase the maximum credit from $7,500 to $12,500. The maximum credit will apply to vehicles with an MSRP of up to $80,000 and made with union labor. What is not clear is whether the credit will apply to the first 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer or expanded to 600,000 as some have suggested.

If the objective is to move to zero emissions vehicles by 2035, then the emphasis should be on enabling legislation to get there in the minimum time possible at the least possible cost to the consumer. We have become accustomed to the government subsidizing EV sales and anything that interferes with that formula will drive many EV startups out of business. Further, if the US wishes to dominate the EV market as it purports to do, it should expand the EV tax credit or instead give incentives directly to the manufacturers so they can reduce their selling prices to make EVs more price competitive. Or perhaps some combination of manufacturer and consumer incentives may be optimal. By the way, some states plan to continue there own tax credits but I was shocked to see so many states not offering the credit at all.

fintail · May 2021

DeSantis. Check out his CV - this is how he acts.

In related news, Rebekah Jones now has official whistleblower status. I'd trust numbers out of that gongshow maybe just above data from PRC/CCP or Russia , but that's about it.

graphicguy said:
So, mentioned a few weeks ago the GF was making plans for us to go to Jamaica given we’re all vaccined up and ready to hit the road…..until, last night.

Turn her loose on a project and she’ll research the daylights right out of it. She was in charge of getting flights, hotel, etc. I was in charge of paying

Apparently, she found out that Jamaica is at “HIGH ALERT” for COVID. So, all the cancellations go out and everything was refundable (even the airfare).

I’m watching my Reds get their @ss kicked yesterday, yet again, while sipping on an ice cold Rolling Rock as she’s sitting next to me, fingers feverishly flying on her laptop. I was kinda thinking road trip, and told her to see what she could find. What does she find? A cruise. I like to cruise, but that whole FL thing about cruise ships not being allowed to ask if passengers are vaccinated does not sit well with me. The last thing I want on a vacation is to fear harm or illness.

All you folks living in FL, what is the governor thinking by not allowing any travel related company if they’ve received the COVID vaccine? That seems horribly irresponsible.

fintail · May 2021

Just as 90s Accords were peak Accord, that was easily peak TL and maybe peak Acura. The new ones may be far superior on paper, but that was a great design.

sda said:
The weather was gorgeous today around 73 degrees. Perfect for giving the TL a wax job before the heat of summer.

fintail · May 2021

Maybe the ingredients are made out of framing lumber?

Funny how CFA has such a cult. In the PNW, years after one opens, it still gets lines around the block.

imidazol97 said:

jmonroe1 said:

I like the chickens in the background, nice touch!

I’d like em better if they were at Chick-fil-A.

jmonroe

At ChickFilA those chickens are worth a fortune, each! The prices have slowly gone up at CFA like many other places. And the rewards program has suffered 100% inflation over about 15 months. The accumulated points used to buy a Cobb Salad with the basic chopped nuggets as the meat for 900 points; now 1800. (One can get the Cobb with no meat, grilled or deep fried nuggets, or the filets from either breaded CFA sandwich or grilled sandwich.)
The good thing about CFA is that the quality of the store product has stayed the same. E.g., the size of the Cobb salad in terms of greens and meat has stayed the same. No skimping to try to fool the consumer.
My favorite place for transparency.

fintail · May 2021

We can hope these people end up on a no-fly list for the rest of their lives. IIRC, the financial penalties from such behavior can also be strong - 5 figures anyway. Maybe not cases where daddy's lawyer can get one out of it, either.

driver100 said:
GG Most years there are about 150 rage/fighting incidents on planes. This year there have been 2500 filed so far. In this one the stewardess had two teeth knocked out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdaAgtkVNn4

American and Southwest have stopped serving alcohol on their flights.

roadburner · May 2021

Not many exciting vehicles in Seabrook Island this week. Aside from the Corvette I mentioned previously the only classic/special interest cars I have seen were a Sunbeam Alpine and a ‘60s 2CV. I saw a 991 cab with a driver who looked 99- and who took about 30 seconds to extract himself from it. I did see an F82 M4(sans ZCP, sadly) and a nice ZHP sedan. I also saw a couple of 2ers, both base fours. 99% of the Mustangs and Camaros are secretary editions.
In between the 500 and the 600 we took a bike ride; there was one really interesting driveway display- the guy had 2 JLs(Rubicon and Willys) along with a ‘90s vintage Range Rover.
Speaking of Land Rovers, I was poolside reading an article in Road & Track on a new Defender that featured a roof mounted tent. My bride saw it and remarked, “That reminds me of going camping when I was a kid- why not get that?”

oldfarmer50 · May 2021

graphicguy said:
So, mentioned a few weeks ago the GF was making plans for us to go to Jamaica given we’re all vaccined up and ready to hit the road…..until, last night.

Turn her loose on a project and she’ll research the daylights right out of it. She was in charge of getting flights, hotel, etc. I was in charge of paying

Apparently, she found out that Jamaica is at “HIGH ALERT” for COVID. So, all the cancellations go out and everything was refundable (even the airfare).

I’m watching my Reds get their @ss kicked yesterday, yet again, while sipping on an ice cold Rolling Rock as she’s sitting next to me, fingers feverishly flying on her laptop. I was kinda thinking road trip, and told her to see what she could find. What does she find? A cruise. I like to cruise, but that whole FL thing about cruise ships not being allowed to ask if passengers are vaccinated does not sit well with me. The last thing I want on a vacation is to fear harm or illness.

All you folks living in FL, what is the governor thinking by not allowing any travel related company if they’ve received the COVID vaccine? That seems horribly irresponsible.

The covid passport thing runs counter to HIPPA laws. Friday my doctor called to give me lab results and I told her to just email them. She said that was against the law because of the possibility that someone other than the patient might open the email. I can see mega lawsuits if a cruise ship demanded your vaccination records and then someone got into the records.

I suppose any business can make any rules they want and it’s up to customers to decide if they want to participate or shop elsewhere.

Have you considered taking a cruise that sails from a port that makes you feel comfortable?

explorerx4 · May 2021

@snakeweasel,
I was thinking Mackinac Island but I don't remember the water looking like that and there was no horse poop on the path.

oldfarmer50 · May 2021

imidazol97 said:

jmonroe1 said:

I like the chickens in the background, nice touch!

I’d like em better if they were at Chick-fil-A.

jmonroe

At ChickFilA those chickens are worth a fortune, each! The prices have slowly gone up at CFA like many other places. And the rewards program has suffered 100% inflation over about 15 months. The accumulated points used to buy a Cobb Salad with the basic chopped nuggets as the meat for 900 points; now 1800. (One can get the Cobb with no meat, grilled or deep fried nuggets, or the filets from either breaded CFA sandwich or grilled sandwich.)
The good thing about CFA is that the quality of the store product has stayed the same. E.g., the size of the Cobb salad in terms of greens and meat has stayed the same. No skimping to try to fool the consumer.
My favorite place for transparency.

You’re going to see a lot more of that. Welcome to inflation. Businesses are having to pay a premium to get people to come back to work. In my area the min. wage is $12.50. The fast food places are offering $15. Trucking companies are offering thousands in sign on bonuses. Somebody’s got to pay those higher costs....guess who that is.

oldfarmer50 · May 2021

jmonroe1 said:

@imidazol97 said:

At ChickFilA those chickens are worth a fortune, each! The prices have slowly gone up at CFA like many other places. And the rewards program has suffered 100% inflation over about 15 months. The accumulated points used to buy a Cobb Salad with the basic chopped nuggets as the meat for 900 points; now 1800. (One can get the Cobb with no meat, grilled or deep fried nuggets, or the filets from either breaded CFA sandwich or grilled sandwich.)

The good thing about CFA is that the quality of the store product has stayed the same. E.g., the size of the Cobb salad in terms of greens and meat has stayed the same. No skimping to try to fool the consumer.

My favorite place for transparency.

It is damn near hilarious to see folks lined up at Chic-fil-A at the local place that is in a very large outdoor shopping center in a stand alone building right off the main business road here. It got so bad that the shopping center had to install signs to direct Chic-fil-A customers how to enter that place. Before they did the directing the, CFA customers not caring about how they got in line, would double up down one of the main aisles thereby preventing traffic flow for the shopping center customers. Like I’ve said before I like CFA but I’ll be damned if I’ll sit in a line like that even for a very tasty CFA sandwich. Until things get back to normal they’ll never see me and I doubt they’ll ever miss me.

Around here going to CFA has almost attained a cult status. Too bad really because like I said I like CFA but I could never put up with lines like they have in my hood although I’ve heard they are geared up for it and the line moves pretty good. I’ll never know that first hand I can tell you that for sure.

jmonroe

Try Popeye’s. I hear their chicken sandwich is comparable.

oldfarmer50 · May 2021

roadburner said:
@graphicguy; I just read another Kia service horror story. The dealer locked the owner’s key fob in the car. Rather than call the owner the alleged “technicians” pried on the door to get access to the latch. Of course that idiotic move scratched and dented the door jamb- but the service advisor proudly noted that, “Ya can’t see anything when the door is closed!”

But not to worry; the hapless owner also was given a complimentary bottle of touch-up paint!

Why didn’t they just call the owner to bring down the spare key?

oldfarmer50 · May 2021

sda said:
My daughter informed me that a friend spilled part of her milk shake on the left rear floor of the TL and didn’t say anything. Later when removing items from the backseat my daughter discovered it. Luckily it ended up on the carpeted floor mat. What a pain to clean up. I tried multiple methods only to still find the mat sticky and smelling of milk shake. I took drastic measures and sprayed it down vigorously with a hose and scrubbed with soap. It’s drying in the sun. What is it with people not fessing up? Accidents
happen.

Throw the mat in the washing machine.

oldfarmer50 · May 2021

snakeweasel said:

@bwia said:

The EV tax credit is in the news again. This time, Congress wants to increase the maximum credit from $7,500 to $12,500. The maximum credit will apply to vehicles with an MSRP of up to $80,000 and made with union labor. What is not clear is whether the credit will apply to the first 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer or expanded to 600,000 as some have suggested.

If the objective is to move to zero emissions vehicles by 2035, then the emphasis should be on enabling legislation to get there in the minimum time possible at the least possible cost to the consumer. We have become accustomed to the government subsidizing EV sales and anything that interferes with that formula will drive many EV startups out of business. Further, if the US wishes to dominate the EV market as it purports to do, it should expand the EV tax credit or instead give incentives directly to the manufacturers so they can reduce their selling prices to make EVs more price competitive. Or perhaps some combination of manufacturer and consumer incentives may be optimal. By the way, some states plan to continue there own tax credits but I was shocked to see so many states not offering the credit at all.

I am 100% against for various reasons. First I believe the market must determine this as when the government tries to influence the market it usually ends up in disaster. Secondly it is subsidies the wealthy as most middle class cannot come close to using the full credit. It's basically saying "let's reduce the price for the rich and the heck with everyone else".

The EV market will never be viable without sub $20k car that can do 300 miles and the batteries last over 100k miles. Currently the whole thing is a wealth transfer scam to take money from the middle class and use it to help the wealthy.

OK rant over.

I somewhat agree with what you say but mostly because it seems unfair that EVs bought mainly by upper income individuals are being subsidized by taxpayers who can only dream about affording one.

bwia · May 2021

snakeweasel said:

@bwia said:

Forget Jamaica and Antigua. The Seychelles, the closest thing to Paradise is open for business. You have three main English islands to choose from, or better yet all three. Some of the best boutique hotels are located there including the Four Seasons and Kempinski. Enjoy!

Well we just got back from Mackinac Island, the Grand Hotel there is one of the best in the world. And how can you beat pulling up in a horse drawn carriage (well any hotel there has that). The island is really a different experience.

Please refresh my memory; what is so special about Mackinac island? Frankly, I can't see someone spending no more than a day on that island.

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