Chatty Charley thread for the week of March 31st 2008

Am I First ?

Yes but only because the wife called me for breakfast. Good going it isn[t easy with this group I thought winter was over but I got up to about 4 inch of snow this morning (Utah) So much for March going out like a lamb

WOW 4 inches of snow, that sux. I was thinking of raking up the snow mold today.

April Fools!!! A little early....

Yea, it was 70+ in Tennessee last week and it's not even reaching 55 this week.....What gives? Certainly not Global Warming!!

My tulips are up about an inch and its opening day for the Cubs. Life is sweet.

its hot!

Hey rgroves, it's a little warmer here 16 miles south!

I am buying a new Radar Detector...yea me!

We were going to put out patio furnture this weekend not sure now another storm coming in wed and the weekend. Just had the trees trimed and the lawn areatted. only in the 30's today.

heck with all the ones that you have all ready plus a new one. I would be mooooor then happy to take one of the old ones.
jolleyr c550 Saloma po

I only have one. I have had a total of about 5 or 6 of them in the past, but currently only have one. I am actually going to see if a newer one will pick up any better then what I already have.

Phillies opening day yea baby

Have not lost a game so far

Dear Fire,

Which one? I have been quite happy with my Valentine One but would love to hear what has come out since I bought my unit several years ago.

david

While on the subject of contemplating new purchases, I have been thinking of buying a hybrid -- perhaps a Camry. The price of petrol seems to keep climbing. I would love to hear of the experiences and thoughts others have been having about hybrids. My brother has just bought a Prius but I would not want to be in something so small in case it was hit by something much larger.

david

i am going to see if the 995 is any better then my current one. I also want tech mode. If I could pass it by the wife without her knowledge, I would get a V1 as well.

I have heard that the STI (beltronics) is on the same battlefield of the V1. But you know those V1 zombies...lol. I would love to have the arrows, but I kept mine out of sight, so they wouldn't do much for me unless i got the remote.

I got a haircut today

Bel Sti Driver did very well in a comparison against the V1. They have pretty good info on this site. http://www.1stradardetectors.com/best-radar-detector/index.p...

It's useless for me since I live in VA and it's one of the few states where they outlaw them.

Another site is www.radardetector.net, it is a forum as this but dealing with radar detectors.

VA is the ONLY state that outlaws RDs.

And where did you say you live????

I live in Korea!...lol.

Seriously, here is my view on the whole thing...

Yes, it is illegal to use a RD in VA. But so is speeding. I rather take the lesser of the two evils.

Ticket means a lot of money and points on your record. A RD means about $100 and no points.

I actually don't speed anymore, can't afford too. I got hit a couple of times (playing with GPSr and talking to friends) when I wasn't paying attention or ignored my RD cause I thought it was a false. But for those few times where I accidently went over, it has saved me.

In Australia we call them (who speed and/or do booze) "Bloody idiots" - and for the faint hearted - that is the official government advertising slogan.

Want to speed - get on a racetrack and kill yourself - leave everyone else alone.

And while I am on my hobby horse - DON'T TAILGATE!!!

Merry Christmas everyone (hope we ALL make it that far)

On the morning news that Garmin is Coming out with a newer model yet again, it is the Garmin 6000, it has all the bells and whistles, a gps, phone support, satellete support, TTS, and a RD, a sensor for alchol, a 6x6 screen, solar powered, 20 million poi's.

APRIL FOOLS.........................

Kinda early but what the heck. Also.....The snow has left my yard....YAAAAAA!!!!!!

LETS GO METS !!!!!!!!

Until people get off their quest for bigger cars (perhaps $4.00 a gallon will do the trick), Hybrid technology won't gain much favor. I have driven the Hybrid Camry, and didn't like it at all. WAY too underpowered. Drove the Prius, and found it very uncomfortable. Drove the Honda Civic Hybrid, and finally found the right mix of comfort and power. Honda uses a slightly different slant on their Hybrid technology than Toyota. I've owned the Civic for about 6 months, and do not have a single complaint with it, or its promised economy. I'm currently getting 42 city and 45 to 48 highway. I've driven it for several 10 hour driving days, and found it very comfortable. It's obviously not the vehicle for large families, who will have to have large capacity vehicles to accomodate 5 or 6 people. But, for the wife and me, it is the perfect vehicle.
I realize that you aren't interested in smaller Hybrids (out of fear of larger vehicles), but until people begin to realize that to obtain both better city mileage AND better highway mileage, they will have to downsize, they are wasting their time looking at Hybrids as an alternative to high fuel cost.

Joel

Dear Fire,

I have the extension with the small box containing the arrows attached to sill below the speedometer with velcro. The arrows are useful.

I am most curious about what you found about the STI that puts it on the same battlefield. Perhaps I need one of those too.

david

Dear Joel,

The Camry is not that large and I do like the Civic; two of my friends drive Civics and I am often in their cars. I may have to go with the Civic then. I just have a nagging thought in the back of my head that it would be very bad if an SUV were to collide with me in a Civic.

I am curious about how the technology of the Civic differs from Toyota and which you believe is better.

david

You are absolutely correct that if you are in a BIG SUV and I'm in a Civic, and we collide, I'm going to lose! Although somewhat pessimistic, I can only hope that they collision is sufficient to kill me instantly I've kind of adopted the mind set that getting out of bed in the morning is dangerous, and if you live your life in a constant state of fear, you, in fact, have not lived at all.

Now, that being said, the Camry is classified as a mid-size car. However, Toyota manufactures the Camry Hybrid much lighter in order to help achieve the gas mileage. It's "crash worthyness" is not the same as the standard Camry. The Civic is classified as a "compact", and the Civic Hybrid is actually lighter than the standard Civic. The EPA has adjusted their mileage estimates for 2008 to reflect more realistic expectation of fuel mileage, and my 2007 does attain the 2008 estimates.

Joel

I agree with you on the speeding vs. RD. But speeding is illegal in all states
It just amuses me that VA has to be, apparently, the only state in the US that outlaws RDs. IMHO, it's silly to hold up a law that all other states have done away with, or never had.

I hate April Fools Day. I usually get suckered. :/

At least the baseball season has started. I scored tickets to the Brewers opening day so I'm pretty excited about that.

Look at it this way if you got up this morning and your name wasn't in obituary then you have another day to play with your gps . Once it shows up then you have no more worries.

Dear Joel,

I see that you found the Prius to be uncomfortable. How did you find the relative comfort of the Camry against the Civic?

david

I rather for it to be the way it is. At least most officers leave their radar on and you get plenty of warning. NC kills me with instant on.

It is always great to get up on the right side of the grass!!

The Camry being a mid-size car made it as comfortable as about any mid-sized car. As I said, it was terribly UNDER powered for its size, which caused me to shy away from it. It seemed to take a lot of throttle to get it moving, and keep it moving. I found that the Civic was as comfortable(front seats)as the Camry, although a bit more difficult to get into and out of, and the Accord didn't offer the gas mileage that the Civic did.

Joel

Dear Joel,

Thank you. I shall have to go to the showroom and see how they feel. I know the new Civics are a little larger than the old ones and that may make a difference.

david

I've been away from this site for quite awhile do to work and other things. It's good to be back!

and it is nice to have you back, we missed you;)

Miss POI

I have a lot of catching up to do!!!

wrong my friend New York dose as well. There just as bad about it as VA
jolleyr c550

Lately we have had a lot of car brakes ins in the area of my work. In the last 2 weeks they have gotten over 20 cares. 5 in front of my office belonging to my fellow drivers. 2 weeks ago I was leaving the yard and sow 2 teens on bikes looking in cars. Turns out these are the ones doing this. National City PD just got off the phone with me and ask for my help I said yes I would. I wont these kids.
jolleyr c550

Not sure what or who you were replying to,but I am guess about VA and speed traps. If so, you are right. NY is actually worse then VA

I got .7 miles on Ka today and it was over a hill and around a curve (and no, I wasn't going to Grandma's house)

Not sure what or who you were replying to but I am guess about VA and speed traps. If so, you are right. NY is actually worse then VA[/quote]

You where right asianfire I was. I should have made it more clear.

Man, on the radar detector forum, NY is infamous for speed traps and laser!!! I once went through there and there was a trap with about 20 cars and a single laser. he was popping off ppl and the cars would go after them.

asianfire
I was station in Bayonne for 12 years. We used to call that a New York ticked party. In VA we called it a ticked and screwdriver party

jolleyr c550

lol...I dont speed very often anymore. 2007 was too expensive

Ohio still uses the Bear in the Air..and they are amazingly good. they can pick off 6 or 7 in bunch, and then have help on the ground to round them up. No detector picks them up..They also give tickets for " aggressive " driving. road rage if someone is tailgating or following aggressively