The Other View

I found this video Educational and Alarming...!!

Don't you just love the feeling of having new tires on your car....... The safe and securness of that brand new rubber...... Wow the video at the link below has me wondering about the tires that I have bought over the years.... Click on the link below and see for your self....... It is a must see before you go out and purchase your next set of tires......

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4
826897

How old are your tires....??

Slippery when wet....!!

Even more when frozen....!!

I posted this blog last year but it's worth repeating...... Found some different videos from last year and will post some of the same.....

Have you ever been burned on Ice......??

Wipe Your Gaskets and Lube Your Locks....!!

I think we have all been frozen out of our car once or twice in the winter....... Now would be a great time to clean around your door gaskets....... After cleaning, wiping down the gasket with brake fluid will do wonders as far as preventing freeze up....... I only recommend brake fluid for it wont damage the rubber gasket....... Lubing the key and lock mechanism will help a lot..... Most doors freeze up due to dirt and lack of lube..... Graphite works great on the key hole.......

Have you ever been frozen out.......??

Are you prepared for Road Hazzard...??

If you were to have an emergency on the road today, how prepared would you be ?..... Could you change a flat tire or would you be afoot ?....... Do you have a fire extinguisher on board ?..... If someone was hurt in an accident would you have any first aid supplies handy ?..... Without reading an official survey I would assume that two out of three people are unprepared in the event of an emergency...... One out of two would probably be unable to change a flat tire.....  There are so many things that should be on the road with us that we never think about unless we actually need it....... Spare tire, jack and lug wrench..... Flares........ First aid kit....... Flashlight....... Jumper cables....... A gallon of antifreeze and a quart of oil would be handy also just in case you run low...... If you should have to change a flat on a busy road or highway then it might be helpful to have cones or warning triangles....... Water and possibly a warm blanket in case of an accident or becoming stranded in the winter ...... So check those tires and your spare.... It would amaze you as to how many are not prepared for a flat tire.......

How much junk is in your trunk...... ?? 

Simple oversight can be costly...!!

1. Insurance
According to Missouri driving laws all drivers in the state are required to maintain a liability policy, and you must carry proof of insurance with you at all times while driving. If you are stopped by an officer of the law and cannot show him or her proof of insurance, your license will be suspended for sixty days for the first offense, for one year for the second offense, and for two years for any subsequent offenses.

Just noticed the other day that my insurance card in my truck was expired and remembered that the new one was still on my desk with the rest of my important mail..... If pulled over I might have been at a great disadvantage with the current law that is on the books....  Living in the modern world of computers you would think that a cop could find out if you have insurance instantly when they run your plates.... Or maybe they already can and this is a cash generator.... They know everything else about you when they do... There are so many things that you can get a ticket for these days that I wonder how I have gone all these years without getting pulled over.... Rolling Stops.... Right on Red without coming to a complete stop.... The dreaded weaving..... Is weaving against the law..?? I have been stopped for it before..... Tail light out.... How are we supposed to know that..??  Don't forget the open container.... Empty beer can or not if it's open and even if it's laying in your back floorboard they can get away with giving you a ticket and will have cause to give you a field sobriety test.... So get that aluminum out of your car..... Make sure you have that insurance card for it can be a costly item if caught without it.......

Think maybe they are running the ship too tight ?

I'm happy to see 3.50 a gallon ?

The thought of $3.50 a gallon  had people up in arms a couple of years ago..... Driving home last night and seeing $3.55 a gallon didn't look so bad..... But one has to wonder..... Are they really going to stabilize or are we looking down the road to some more fleecing ?.... I'm thinking that we might be good until election time but who can predict the future ?

What do you think the future holds......??

No not the song by Foghat....!!

There is a proposal to bring the speed limit back to a national average of 55 m.p.h....... It would save gas...... Probably save lives...... Might even give us a break on our automobile insurance... And it would be much nicer for the motorcycle riders..... One of the reasons I quit riding was the fast heavy  traffic..... No one even saw you on the road flying at 70 or 80... The question is would it help or hinder the attempt to cut down on road rage ?...... The world is in a hurry and I'm sure that traffic tickets would be on a sharp rise if the speed limit was reduced....... I for one never did like traffic going as fast as it does .... I would love to see a slow down....... Do you think we are ready to gear down....??

How far do you trust your tires....??

How do you know when your tires or your brakes are worn out ?...... With the hazards on the road one never knows when one of the steel belts might be damaged on the inside..... Thin glazed over pads are also not visible unless inspected.....Tread wear is a good indicator but never reliable for some tires wear faster than others and others break down in the middle before the tread ever wears out...You never know what your brakes are going to do until you encounter an actual situation where you have to hit them hard.... Steel belts usually wont show fatigue..... They will usually just no longer hold air and in worst case scenario they will blow out on the highway.....  Looking at the tires on the junk pile today had me wondering how people would let these tires go this far before replacing them.... Then you see a lot of people running around on the  donut ...... As the price of tires increase and we slowly slip into recession there will be many more cars on the road that will not stop properly..... Many are replacing the brake pads without spending the extra money to turn the rotors ..... The two most important things on a car are the tires and brakes...... Stopping the car and maintaining control will keep you alive..... Windshield wipers will help you see..... Ball joints, struts, and shocks keep you stable..... Lights, horn, seatbelts, and indicator lights..... Car safety has evolved ...... How far would you let a set of tires wear...??

Is your car as safe as it should be....??

Can you argue this one....??

Some of the comments I have heard about this sign has had me shaking my head.... Many people believe unless they actually see kids then the speed limit is the normal 40 thru 55 or whatever the  speed limit is..... Then there was an officer that pulled me over for doing 35 in the 20 zone that thought it meant from sunup to sundown until I explained to him that I was a teacher and I knew exactly what time the kids went home for the day..... He was nice about it and did not give me a ticket..... But when a cop needs to write a few tickets this is the place to go for every other car will be ignoring this sign..... A lot of the school districts have signs that read 20 mph when flashing..... This is a lot easier to know exactly when this law applies.... Even if they forgot to turn it off at least you would know you need to slow down..... There are a lot of road signs that need to be re-written...  One of my favorites is "Stop for pedestrian in crosswalk"  ....Wel Duh..!!!!... Should it not read " Be Prepared to stop for Pedestrian".... The one that says "Slipery when wet" or "Slow Children" has always made me grin.....

Do you have any favorites....!!!!

Will $ 3.50 a gallon change your lifestyle...??

Are you doing anything different to conserve gas..... I was just doing my taxes and looked at my mileage last year compared to the year before and discovered that I drove 5000 less miles than the previous year ..... So the price of gas must already be slowing down the amount of miles that America drives in a year....  Home offices are on the rise and people are just cutting down on the amount of time that they spend on the road..... I have begun to line up al my errands to complete at the same time instead of running out each day to tackle one..... Carpools are on the rise..... If I have a trip that takes me into the city I make sure that the rush hour is avoided..... Some companies have changed their work hours to allow their employees to avoid the rush hour traffic..... I eat out less and if I'm not playing music then I find myself at home more than I am out...... Higher gas prices will have an effect on the economy in the trickle down process....... The best advice I can give anybody this summer is whenever possible....... Walk...!!

Common sense stuff that everyone else has told you about, more or less

• Make sure you car is in good running order, (tune up, exhaust, oxygen sensor, etc.)
• It's not a bad idea to make sure there are no gas leaks. Gas spilling out on the road doesn't help your mileage either.
• If you drive a car with a huge car top carrier that has nothing in it, you may want to take it off and reduce air drag. The same goes for long horn cattle rack mounted on the hood. Would be pilots who fly their hands up and down out the window might cause some air drag too. While we're at it, a big slobbery dog with his tongue hanging out the window isn't the most aerodynamic thing either, but I am getting picky here. Except for the dog. "Did you ever drive behind a car with a dog slinging slobber back on you?"
• Tires inflated to the proper level are a good idea too. In fact, it might even be more important than gas mileage if you drive a late model SUV with some of those suspect tires.
• Lastly, change you oil at the proper intervals. An engine runs better when it is being lubricated properly and not churning up molasses-like dirty oil in the crankcase.

What has the gas prices changed about your habits...??

Winterizing is soon to be over....!!

Got rid of those noisy studded snow tires today..... Tax time is the deadline for your taxes and to have those studded tires off your car or truck..... If not you can get a ticket with a hefty fine..... This time of year it's good to think about the hot weather ahead and to check the Cooling system and the A. C. system..... A Spring tune up and one good cleaning makes for a happy car...... Fill up that C D box with some hot tunes and get ready to roll with the windows down.......

Are you ready to roll with the heater off....??

It's time to de-salt your car.....!!

Not all the salt that is put down on the roads in the winter gets washed away in the rain.... There are large deposits on the underside of your car.... Left over time it can increase your chances of rusting on the lower panels..... There are car washes that have a good underwash and it's recommended to visit one in the Spring..... A lot of salt is also on the inside of your car coming off your shoes..... Inside the doors also will accumulate  salt buildup.....  The only way to remove the salt on the inside is with elbow grease...... If you wipe your door gaskets down with brake fluid and lubricate the locks with graphite you will find it much easier to enter your car...... Door hinges need to be lubed after the hard winter.....Wiper blades take a  hit in the winter so if you have not already replaced them, then count on it very soon...... Clean your headlights and the lights around your license plates...... If your license plates are not well illuminated and visible then you have a 90% chance of being pulled over...... Look on the bright side, it's a sure sign of spring........

Where is your favorite car wash........??

Do you really get out in that stuff....?????

Those of you that have to drive in the snow, you need to watch this instructional video on avoiding accidents on snow covered roads...!!

Video in first comment below....!!

Dangerous Places To Drive....!!

          Do you know of any poorly thought out intersections..... In light of todays bus accident it had got me thinking about all the dangerous intersections that our high paid engineers have put out there for us over the years....  The intersection that the bus accident happened at today was never designed for the amount of  traffic that it sees in the morning and evening...... It seems that progress and growth comes along and the old roads inherit the new traffic....  It seems that it takes several deaths and some visits from the media before out Govt. will recognize that there is a problem.... How many had to die by Northwest High school before something was done about the traffic light situation there..?  Another poorly thought out intersection out here is Dulin Creek and MM.... I would love to see the I Q of the brainchild that designed that one...... Enough venting from me......

Do you know of any Engineering feats of stupidity.....??