No AAA member, what if I get a flat tire?
Tom B. Redman
I drive only a few miles a week, so I've let
my AAA membership lapse.
Is this a big gamble?
Let's say I get a flat tire on a freeway 50 miles from
home.
(I don't have a cell phone.)
So I'll just wait by the curb, with the blinking
signal, until a cop pulls up.
(can this take 2 hours?)
and no highwaymen, please.
Then I guess if I had AAA membership, AAA can tow
my car to a nearest tireshop for free.
(Is this correct?)
Because I'm not an AAA member, a tow would cost me
something like 200 dollars?
Thanks for the informed commments.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now
http://companion.yahoo.com/
Rich Greenberg
Tom B. Redman <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
>
>I drive only a few miles a week, so I've let
>my AAA membership lapse.
>
>Is this a big gamble?
Depends. Do you carry a GOOD spare in your car? Are you physically
capable of changing a tire?
>Then I guess if I had AAA membership, AAA can tow
>my car to a nearest tireshop for free.
>(Is this correct?)
I don't think so. They will change the tire if you have a spare, and
tow you to the nearest AAA repair shop or other shop of your choice.
Its free for the first (I think) 5 miles, per mile beyond.
>Because I'm not an AAA member, a tow would cost me
>something like 200 dollars?
Yes.
Geoff Miller
If you get a flat tire, you get off your pimply derriere
and bloody well *change* it. You _do_ know how, right?
And you _do_ have a useable spare tire in your car, right?
if not, then *why* not?
You shouldn't be calling AAA for a flat tire, anyway.
Not only should any licensed driver know how to change
a tire as a matter of principle and basic competence,
but more importantly, somebody else might need that tow
truck worse than you do, for a legitimate breakdown.
Did you ever think of that? I realize that basic
consideration of others isn't exactly in vogue at the
moment, but it's possible that you might've once caught
a fleeting glimpse of a Clue in that regard as some
fully socialized adult secreted it about his person.
Ever tried to get a tow truck during rush hour? Do you
know why it usually takes a couple of hours for one to
arrive? I'd bet dollars to dog shit that it's because
the drivers are so busy changing flat tires for the lazy
and incompetent.
And I'd further be willing to wager that most of those
drivers are women. Women often -- hell, *usually* --
deliberately cultivate an infuriating ignorance and
helplessness when it comes to matters automotive. And
of course, they don't want to risk geting their little
handsies dirty or horror of horrors, breaking a nail.
Anyone who can't or won't change a flat tire has no
business driving an automobile. Period. If getting
your hands dirty is a concern, go down to OSH and drop
fi'dollah on a cheap pair of work gloves to keep in
your trunk. And long fingernails look silly, anyway.
Geoff
--
"Do any men at all vote for the Democrats anymore?"
-- Ann Coulter
Karen MN
in a major metro area, and it wasn't unusual at all to wait 2 or 3 hours or
more for someone to show up after calling them.
For flats, provided you're physically capable of it, learn to change it
yourself (they taught us that in driver's ed class). It's not that hard if
you've got the right tools. And provided you can get the nuts loose -- when
they put those on with an air wrench, they can be REALLY tough to get off!
"Tom B. Redman" <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote in message
news:2003120118565...@web41802.mail.yahoo.com...
Jerry L
unable to change a tire?
"Geoff Miller" <geo...@u1.netgate.net> wrote in message
news:bqg7n8$a...@u1.netgate.net...
Karen MN
> drivers are women. Women often -- hell, *usually* --
> deliberately cultivate an infuriating ignorance and
> helplessness when it comes to matters automotive. And
> of course, they don't want to risk geting their little
> handsies dirty or horror of horrors, breaking a nail.
WHOA! Sweeping generalization there. I'm a woman, and a small one at
that (under 5'), and I have changed all my own flats except for one on a new
car where even with a cross-wrench and a mallet, I couldn't get the darn
nuts loose. Of course, if I drove some big truck with huge tires that I
couldn't even lift, I might opt for paying to have someone else do it. :)
If I can possibly do it myself, I would rather, than to sit in the car
waiting for someone to offer to help who may or may not be there to actually
help.
Nonymous
bumper-to-bumper warranty period. I even used it once - got a free tow to
my dealership when the engine went kaput on me.
Even after the warranty expired, the roadside assistance was still
available, but now at a cost - I'd have to cover all expenses for the tow,
etc. and I suppose the company providing the service would've tacked on some
sort of service charge (basically, they're just taking your call and
arranging with a tow company local to where you claim to be to come help you
out) . Personally, the fact that I'd have to pay for it didn't bother me...
at least I had a number to dial in case I fell into a dire situation. If my
car dies out on a deserted road, at 3:30AM, in February, the last thing I'm
worried about is getting a *free* tow.
I'm now driving a Jeep that also came with roadside assistance. Don't know
what happens when the warrantly runs out (guess I should look it up).
Puzzler
>You shouldn't be calling AAA for a flat tire, anyway.
>Not only should any licensed driver know how to change
>a tire as a matter of principle and basic competence,
>but more importantly, somebody else might need that tow
>truck worse than you do, for a legitimate breakdown.
>Did you ever think of that? I realize that basic
>consideration of others isn't exactly in vogue at the
>moment, but it's possible that you might've once caught
>a fleeting glimpse of a Clue in that regard as some
>fully socialized adult secreted it about his person.
Are you suggesting the disabled should not drive? How about an older
person?
Be careful with generalizations.
Geoff Miller
Jerry L <jlevi...@adelphia.net> top-posts:
> Did it ever occur to you that the person might be old
> or sick or physically unable to change a tire?
Yes, it did occur to me. It also occurred to me that
the odds are against it, and that the person is as hale
and hearty as the proverbial day is long.
(Ol' Jer must be a liberal. They loooove giving total
strangers the benefit of the doubt. And that's the
difference between liberals and conservatives in a
nutshell: where people are concerned, liberals deal
in possibilities; conservatives deal in _probabilities_.
Jerry: "B-but...the person might be sick or a geezer or
a gimp!" Geoff: "But given the odds and the thought-
lessness of people in general, he probably isn't.")
Did it occur to *you* to learn to use a text editor so
you can delete unnecessary quoted material from your
followups?
Jerry L
doubt. I even gave you the benefit of the doubt that you had some
intelligence but I was wrong. And I didn't want to delete any of your
original message. I wanted everyone to see what an idiot you are.
"Geoff Miller" <geo...@u1.netgate.net> wrote in message
news:bqgjb2$3...@u1.netgate.net...
Geoff Miller
Puzzler <dev...@yahoo.com> is all aghast:
> Are you suggesting the disabled should not drive?
I wasn't at the time, but now that you mention it...
> How about an older person?
Definitely not. I think that upon reaching the age of
seventy, a person should be presumed to be unfit to
drive and should have to prove himself worthy of the
privilege on an annual basis. And I suspect that a
lot of people would agree with me on that score. The
trouble is finding politicians who have the balls to
stand up to the AARP.
> Be careful with generalizations.
Why? This one flushed *you* out of the tall grass, didn't
it?
Danny Low
<Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
>I drive only a few miles a week, so I've let
>my AAA membership lapse.
>Is this a big gamble?
>Let's say I get a flat tire on a freeway 50 miles from
>home.
Its not much of a gamble with a flat tire as modern tires are very
rugged. Unless the tire is ripped to shreds you can probably drive
long enough to reach a gas station that can fix the flat. And it is
not that hard to change a tire. The hardest part is the lugs are
usually rusted tight but a big Maglite also makes an excellent hammer
to loosen the lugs.
The gamble is if something major happens such as your radiator hose
springs a big leak and you suddenly have no coolant. Many insurance
companies offer road side assistance as an option to their car
insurance. There are independent companies that offer road side
assistance in competition with AAA. If you use a specific service
shop, call them and they will send someone to tow you to their place.
Find an emergency phone on the highway if they are available and call
for help. On well travelled freeways there are tow trucks who cruise
the freeway looking for breakdowns but those should be avoided. They
usually charge an arm and a leg for the tow and probably will take you
to their cousin's shop where your other arm and leg will be ripped
off. It is better to wait for the highway patrol.
However the best action find out who your repair shop uses as a tow
service and have their number on speed dial on your cell. However this
only works if you are in your home area.
Danny
Don't question authority. What makes you think they
know anything? (Remove the first dot for a valid e-mail
address)
The Real Bev
An AAA towtruck guy told me that it would cost $7/mile after the 7 miles
AAA allowed. I didn't ask if there was a minimum for non-AAA members.
I signed up for the 100-mile version the same day. Wish the 4
calls/year would roll over.
--
Cheers,
Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I never understood why anyone would go to the trouble to write a novel
when you can just go out and buy one for a few bucks." -- lpogoda
The Real Bev
>
> Jerry L <jlevi...@adelphia.net> top-posts:
>
> > Did it ever occur to you that the person might be old
> > or sick or physically unable to change a tire?
>
> Yes, it did occur to me. It also occurred to me that
> the odds are against it, and that the person is as hale
> and hearty as the proverbial day is long.
Along these lines, why do people just leave their disabled car in
traffic with the blinkers going? You may not be able to push a Caddie
uphill, but a normal person ought to be able to push an ordinary car
over to the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done it and
still could if I had to.
But I mostly don't carry a spare because I'd have to leave it loose in
the bed of the truck where it would be a nice gift for anyone passing
by. Lucky so far, the only tire problem was when half the tread peeled
off on the freeway. Didn't lose any air and I drove slowly to my
destination, borrowed a car, etc...
I wouldn't hesitate to call the Auto Club if I needed service. I paid
for the service just like anybody else. If people are lying in the road
bleeding, the Auto Club is NOT the proper agency to call.
Barb
handy too). If you have a garage change or rotate your tires, or any
other service where they take off your wheels and put them back on, DO
NOT let them tighten the lugnut or bolts with an air wrench!!! This is
guaranteed to turn a simple tire change into a tow job if they do.
Hand them your tire iron and sweetly ask them to "loosen the lugnuts a
little for you" -- they won't be able to do it.
Also, carry a cross wrench instead of a straight tire iron - you can
add extra oomph to your effort by putting your weight (via your foot)
on the side that needs to go down while pulling up on the other side.
Reverse process when tightening lugnuts after changing wheel (very
important).
I had a blowout on I-40 in Knoxville a month ago and had the tire
changed in a couple of minutes...Sure beats waiting for AAA!
Gordon Burditt
>traffic with the blinkers going? You may not be able to push a Caddie
>uphill, but a normal person ought to be able to push an ordinary car
>over to the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done it and
>still could if I had to.
I could easily push a car several blocks if it died on a level
residential street, and I've done it before. Ok, it was slowly,
and with some rest stops, but it was made slower by trying to keep
out of traffic lanes while pushing. A ripped-to-shreds tire would
make it harder to push, but I could probably still do it. However,
I'd be hesitant to try to push even a single tire out of traffic
lanes on a 60+MPH freeway in rush hour, especially if it's around a
nearly-blind curve. I'd likely get hit (and killed) before even
getting into position to push the car. It's not hurting myself
pushing the car that's the issue.
On the couple of times in 30 years when I've had a tire blow out,
and the one time I was stupid and thought I could make it to the
next gas station but couldn't, and the time the engine just lost
power and quit on me, all on the freeway, I managed to get to the
side of the road and out of traffic with the momentum I had left,
without hitting anything or even coming close to hitting or being
hit. All of these happened in at least moderate traffic.
The one situation which I almost got stuck in the actual middle of
the freeway was a HUGE backup (I later found out there were helicopters
landing to take injured to the hospital, and the whole freeway was
shut down for many hours, and I arrived near the end of it), where
after several hours I came close to running out of gas.
Gordon L. Burditt
Justice Gustine
during commute hour they will get you off the road and often on the
way for no charge - all in the name of keeping traffic moving.
http://www.tamcmonterey.org/safety/fsp.htm
I see the trucks all the time, either assisting or just lurking in
turnouts.
"Tom B. Redman" <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
--
"A Sound Mind. A Healthy Body. Pick One" Mr. Hedge
junkm...@intertainiaremove.com
wrote:
>No, I'm not a liberal. I'm a human being that gives the benefit of the
>doubt. I even gave you the benefit of the doubt that you had some
>intelligence but I was wrong. And I didn't want to delete any of your
>original message. I wanted everyone to see what an idiot you are.
I missed it, where in the original message did the person have a
physical disability. That's an important factor.
later,
tom
>
>"Geoff Miller" <geo...@u1.netgate.net> wrote in message
>news:bqgjb2$3...@u1.netgate.net...
>>
>>
>> Jerry L <jlevi...@adelphia.net> top-posts:
>>
>> > Did it ever occur to you that the person might be old
>> > or sick or physically unable to change a tire?
>>
>>
>> Yes, it did occur to me. It also occurred to me that
>> the odds are against it, and that the person is as hale
>> and hearty as the proverbial day is long.
>>
>> (Ol' Jer must be a liberal. They loooove giving total
>> strangers the benefit of the doubt. And that's the
>> difference between liberals and conservatives in a
>> nutshell: where people are concerned, liberals deal
>> in possibilities; conservatives deal in _probabilities_.
>> Jerry: "B-but...the person might be sick or a geezer or
>> a gimp!" Geoff: "But given the odds and the thought-
>> lessness of people in general, he probably isn't.")
>>
>> Did it occur to *you* to learn to use a text editor so
>> you can delete unnecessary quoted material from your
>> followups?
>>
>>
>>
>> Geoff
>>
>> --
>> "Do any men at all vote for the Democrats anymore?"
>> -- Ann Coulter
>>
>
*********************************************************************
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*********************************************************************
Larry C.
<justice...@aol.com> wrote:
>Well a lonnnng list of replies and no one mentioned the FSP? If it's
>during commute hour they will get you off the road and often on the
>way for no charge - all in the name of keeping traffic moving.
>
>http://www.tamcmonterey.org/safety/fsp.htm
>
>I see the trucks all the time, either assisting or just lurking in
>turnouts.
Maybe it's because most readers of the group don't live in Monterey county
California.
I have visited there often and have never seen the trucks but of course I
try to avoid State 68 during commute hours.
--Larry C.
Timothy J. Lee
Tom B. Redman <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
>home.
>(I don't have a cell phone.)
>So I'll just wait by the curb, with the blinking
>signal, until a cop pulls up.
>(can this take 2 hours?)
Make sure that the place you have pulled over into is large enough
so that you or your car won't be in the way of or dangerously close
to freeway traffic, and you and your car are not just around a blind
curve or just over a hill where freeway traffic cannot see you until
the last second. Also try not to stop near where an onramp is forced
to merge or where a lane is ending, since drivers in these areas are
concentrating on the forced lane change.
Then you open the trunk, remove the spare tire and wheel changing
tools, and proceed to remove the wheel with the flat tire and install
the spare tire / wheel. Consult the owner's manual of your car for
instructions.
If you haven't looked at the spare tire in a while, check it to make
sure that it is in good condition, and that there is enough air in it
(as well as making sure that all of the tools needed to change it are
there and in good condition).
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.
Me
"Tom B. Redman" <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
>
>
> I drive only a few miles a week, so I've let
> my AAA membership lapse.
>
> Is this a big gamble?
Do you know how to change a tire? If so, its not that big a deal unless
the weather is really lousy. There are other reasons why your car could
break down besides just a flat tire, but if you want, you could
certainly buy a can of fix-a-flat from any auto parts dealer to help
with a flat tire.
> Let's say I get a flat tire on a freeway 50 miles from
> home.
> (I don't have a cell phone.)
> So I'll just wait by the curb, with the blinking
> signal, until a cop pulls up.
> (can this take 2 hours?)
>
> and no highwaymen, please.
>
> Then I guess if I had AAA membership, AAA can tow
> my car to a nearest tireshop for free.
> (Is this correct?)
If you tend to drive mostly in the same area, you could always get a
rider on your auto insurance to pay for towing. You need to keep a list
of tow truck operators with you when you drive, and a cell phone is
probably a good idea. AAA will tow for free upto a certain number of
times per year and certain distance and you do not have to find the tow
truck operator either, you just dial the toll free number on your AAA
membership card to arrange a tow or other road side service. For a flat
tire, it is unlikely you'll need a tow though, the AAA people will
simply send someone out to change the tire. Of course, make sure your
car's tires are in good condition and the rest of your car is well
maintained so that you reduce the likelihood that you'll need emergency
road side service.
For info on AAA, see http:/wwww.aaa.com
Me
geo...@u1.netgate.net (Geoff Miller) wrote:
> Jerry L <jlevi...@adelphia.net> top-posts:
>
> > Did it ever occur to you that the person might be old
> > or sick or physically unable to change a tire?
>
>
> Yes, it did occur to me. It also occurred to me that
> the odds are against it, and that the person is as hale
> and hearty as the proverbial day is long.
>
> (Ol' Jer must be a liberal. They loooove giving total
> strangers the benefit of the doubt. And that's the
> difference between liberals and conservatives in a
> nutshell: where people are concerned, liberals deal
> in possibilities; conservatives deal in _probabilities_.
So how exactly did you compute the probability that gave rise to your
inconsiderate statement about the OP? Probabilities are based on
numbers. Where are your numbers? Just off the top of my head, I would
wager that the OP is elderly since the elderly are fast becoming a
majority, at least in the United States.
Me
geo...@u1.netgate.net (Geoff Miller) wrote:
> Puzzler <dev...@yahoo.com> is all aghast:
>
> > Are you suggesting the disabled should not drive?
>
> I wasn't at the time, but now that you mention it...
>
>
> > How about an older person?
>
> Definitely not. I think that upon reaching the age of
> seventy, a person should be presumed to be unfit to
> drive and should have to prove himself worthy of the
> privilege on an annual basis. And I suspect that a
> lot of people would agree with me on that score. The
> trouble is finding politicians who have the balls to
> stand up to the AARP.
Actually, I know a lot of elderly people who would agree with you.
There's nothing wrong with resting the elderly for driving ability. In
fact, in some areas, AARP offers a course for the elderly about how they
should judge their driving ability (since no states have laws about it)
and they offer tips on how the elderly can drive safely, such as
reminding them about their slower reflexes.
Me
The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
> Geoff Miller wrote:
> >
> > Jerry L <jlevi...@adelphia.net> top-posts:
> >
> > > Did it ever occur to you that the person might be old
> > > or sick or physically unable to change a tire?
> >
> > Yes, it did occur to me. It also occurred to me that
> > the odds are against it, and that the person is as hale
> > and hearty as the proverbial day is long.
>
> Along these lines, why do people just leave their disabled car in
> traffic with the blinkers going? You may not be able to push a Caddie
> uphill, but a normal person ought to be able to push an ordinary car
> over to the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done it and
> still could if I had to.
Only a fool would get out of a disabled car in heavy traffic and push
the car to the side. Its a good way to end one's life unless there's
a cop blocking the lane so that inattentive drivers do not slam into the
disabled vehicle. Even then, moving a car manually across several lanes
of busy traffic would do more harm than just waiting for a tow truck.
> But I mostly don't carry a spare because I'd have to leave it loose in
> the bed of the truck where it would be a nice gift for anyone passing
> by. Lucky so far, the only tire problem was when half the tread peeled
> off on the freeway. Didn't lose any air and I drove slowly to my
> destination, borrowed a car, etc...
You really don't carry a spare tire on your truck? That's insane.
Why don't you simply get a mounting bracket to keep the spare on
the tailgate or under the truck? My dad drove pickup trucks for
at least 30 years and he always had room for a securely attached
spare tire on all his trucks.
> I wouldn't hesitate to call the Auto Club if I needed service. I paid
> for the service just like anybody else. If people are lying in the road
> bleeding, the Auto Club is NOT the proper agency to call.
True.
Justice Gustine
>On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 20:51:59 -0800, Justice Gustine
><justice...@aol.com> wrote:
>
>>Well a lonnnng list of replies and no one mentioned the FSP? If it's
>>during commute hour they will get you off the road and often on the
>>way for no charge - all in the name of keeping traffic moving.
>>
>>http://www.tamcmonterey.org/safety/fsp.htm
>>
>>I see the trucks all the time, either assisting or just lurking in
>>turnouts.
>
>Maybe it's because most readers of the group don't live in Monterey county
>California.
FSP is in the entire bay area - and this cross posted all over the
place includes ba.general.
Brigitte J.
>
> And I'd further be willing to wager that most of those
> drivers are women. Women often -- hell, *usually* --
> deliberately cultivate an infuriating ignorance and
> helplessness when it comes to matters automotive. And
> of course, they don't want to risk geting their little
> handsies dirty or horror of horrors, breaking a nail.
I am female and I resent this kind of comment. I know how to maintain my
vehicle and how to change a tire. On several occasions I have changed my
own flat tire. But when I'm wearing a dress, stockings and heels I won't do
it. Would you? I don't believe Ann Coulter would either.
Brigitte
Nonymous
> > traffic with the blinkers going? You may not be able to push a Caddie
> > uphill, but a normal person ought to be able to push an ordinary car
> > over to the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done it and
> > still could if I had to.
>
> Only a fool would get out of a disabled car in heavy traffic and push
> the car to the side.
If the disabled car is blocking traffic such that the traffic can barely
move, then the traffic isn't all that dangerous.
Jason McClelland
news:i-WdnZ1pd6n...@giganews.com...
And as soon as you push the car enough out of traffic so that traffic can
move again, it becomes extremely dangerous, as impatient assholes start
driving by around you, almost clipping you because they are too impatient to
wait another minute for you to get completely out of their way. I had a car
die on me and block an extremely busy 2 lane highway (880 S) during evening
rush hour on an overpass (Montague). The vehicle behind me was a semi that
tried to move over to the left lane, but didn't have enough room, so I
brought 880 to a halt. I got out and began to push my car up the overpass
to move it over to the other side where there was more of a shoulder. As
soon as there was barely enough room for people to squeeze by, they did,
many people still coming as close to me as they could so that they could
yell profanities at me and flip me off, as if I wanted to be there. There
are a lot of idiots on the road.
Another case in point- I stopped once on my way to school to help a woman
whose car brokedown on an uphill offramp (coming off 85 on to Stevens Creek
to De Anza). She was trying to push her car uphill by herself. I got out
and started pushing so she could just steer and we could get her out of the
way, and once again, *many* people thought it wise to drive by incredibly
close so that they could flip us off and call us assholes for blocking the
road, as if the woman wanted to be there.
Another case in point, when I worked at Sun Micro six years ago, a married
couple that also worked at the Milpitas campus were either sideswiped by a
car, or had car problems, I forget which. Either way, they pulled over to
the side of 880, and the husband started to get out of the car to push it,
and was hit and instantly killed by another car. The wife then ran over to
try to help her husband, and sadly she too was hit and instantly killed by
another car.
I was young and dumb; now I just call the CHP. Trying to mess with a dead
car in any kind of traffic is dangerous and dumb.
Geoff Miller
The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> writes:
> Along these lines, why do people just leave their disabled
> car in traffic with the blinkers going?
It's my impression that there's a myth to the effect that
this is what you're "supposed" to do. It's probably a
mutation of the (equally stupid) idea of leaving cars in
place after a collision instead of getting them out of the
roadway, so that the cop who responds can see what happened.
Short answer: because they're idiots.
> You may not be able to push a Caddie uphill, but a normal
> person ought to be able to push an ordinary car over to
> the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done
> it and still could if I had to.
I pushed my '90 Supra one time. I thought I was going to
step on my own scrotum. One wouldn't expect it of a Jap-
anese car, but the thing was heavier than the contemporary
Firebird.
> But I mostly don't carry a spare because I'd have to leave
> it loose in the bed of the truck where it would be a nice
> gift for anyone passing by.
That's why pickups are equipped with a bracket underneath
the rear of the bed, where the spare can be secured in
place. Japanese trucks even have nifty, built-in chain
hoists to lower the spare with. Fitting a lock to either
set-up is trivial.
> I wouldn't hesitate to call the Auto Club if I needed
> service. I paid for the service just like anybody else.
Yabbut so did everybody else, and so that cancels out
across the board and we're back to Square One: using
your membership privileges responsibly. That obligation
isn't negated just because you paid for your membership.
> If people are lying in the road bleeding, the Auto Club
> is NOT the proper agency to call.
Accidents with injuries aren't the issue. Calling a tow
truck for the automotive equivalent of a hangnail is the
issue. When you have some trivial problem that you can
deal with yourself, and probably faster at that, it's
inconsiderate and irresponsible to call for a tow truck
when there's a good chance that somebody else might need
that truck for a legitimate reason. Again, the fact that
money has changed hands between you and AAA doesn't alter
the principle of this.
Geoff
--
"You would think there were 'Straights Only' water fountains,
the way Democrats carry on so (as if any gay man would drink
non-bottled water)." -- Ann Coulter
razzlfratz
statement out of changing a flat tire.
Way to go Geoff!!!!
Dick C
>
>
> Puzzler <dev...@yahoo.com> is all aghast:
>
>> Are you suggesting the disabled should not drive?
>
> I wasn't at the time, but now that you mention it...
Why not? We have created a nation where one has to drive to
get almost anywhere. And often times transit is so poor that
the disabled have no choice but to drive.
>
>
>> How about an older person?
>
> Definitely not. I think that upon reaching the age of
> seventy, a person should be presumed to be unfit to
> drive and should have to prove himself worthy of the
> privilege on an annual basis. And I suspect that a
> lot of people would agree with me on that score. The
> trouble is finding politicians who have the balls to
> stand up to the AARP.
That makes little sense. For every story of an elderly person
doing something stupid, there are millions of elderly who
drive quite well. They know their limitations and adjust
accordingly. Unfortunately the younger people often do not
adjust their driving based upon their limitations.
--
Dick #1349
"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it."
Andre Gide, French author and critic (1869-1951).
Home Page: dickcr.iwarp.com
email: dic...@localnet.com
Geoff Miller
Jerry L <jlevi...@adelphia.net> writes:
> No, I'm not a liberal. I'm a human being that gives
> the benefit of the doubt.
What you are is an obtuse peckerhead with the intellect
of a sea anemone.
> I even gave you the benefit of the doubt that you had
> some intelligence but I was wrong. And I didn't want
> to delete any of your original message. I wanted
> everyone to see what an idiot you are.
Except that everyone already saw what I wrote when I
originally posted it. Who's the idiot *now,* Einstein?
<rim shot>
Jerry L
back and we'll talk but until then, keep your diapers clean.news:bqir0g$2...@u1.netgate.net...
Geoff Miller
Barb <ptqu...@hotmail.com> writes:
> ALWAYS carry a good spare in your trunk ( a foot or hand
> air pump is handy too).
Those are appropriate for bicycle tires, but the greater
volume of an automobile tire warrants an electric air
pump. I have one of the those, purchased at Sears, that
plugs into my car's cigarette lighter. These can be had
for $25-$35.00.
I didn't mention a pump in that ad-hoc equipment list that
I posted because it isn't strictly necessary. But it's
defintely nice to have.
> If you have a garage change or rotate your tires, or any
> other service where they take off your wheels and put
> them back on, DO NOT let them tighten the lugnut or bolts
> with an air wrench!!!
Excellent advice. I'd also advise making sure that the
guy at the counter actually puts this onto the work order
in writing before you sign it. Otherwise, he might be
preoccupied with writing up the basic order and forget.
Geoff Miller
Me <sr...@comcast.net> yammers:
> So how exactly did you compute the probability that
> gave rise to your inconsiderate statement about the
> OP?
Er, by the fact that most licensed drivers aren't gimps
or geezers. In your case, however, I know of at least
one who's obviously a feeb.
Geoff Miller
Poster Child For Down Syndrome <m...@my.com> writes:
[ "Hnnnuuuunngghh!" ]
> If you only drive a few miles a week, then why are you
> 50 miles away? I sense a troll !!!!!
Why would anybody troll about AAA membership? You should've
given the guy a chance to clarify his situation before you
spouted off.
Trolling is typically done by writing in a provocative manner
about emotion-laden "hot button" issues, not by playing subtle
games of "Spot the Inconsistency" while asking about the banal
and the hundrum.
Learn to use your text editor, won't you? Top-posting is for
'tards and lamebrains.
Geoff Miller
Brigitte J. <ba...@rocketmail.com> writes:
[ the Helpless Female Syndrome, WRT matters automotive ]
> I am female and I resent this kind of comment. I know
> how to maintain my vehicle and how to change a tire.
Good for you. Seriously. But the existence of an occasional
exception -- and they *are* out there -- doesn't invalidate a
general observation. So if you feel you're an exception, then
why take offense at something that you're the first to admit
doesn't apply to you?
> On several occasions I have changed my own flat tire.
Obviously a lesbian...
> But when I'm wearing a dress, stockings and heels I won't
> do it. Would you?
Sure -- because I'd have the foresight to equip my car with
sneakers to wear during a tire change, as well as with the
gloves and tarp previously recommended. The skirt is
irrelevant because you'd be kneeling on the tarp, anyway.
No need to bend over and risk exposing your frilly under-
garments.
(Er, you *do* wear underpants, don't you?)
> I don't believe Ann Coulter would either.
S'okay. She justifies her existence in other ways.
Geoff Miller
Earlier I wrote, in response to someone else:
>> Are you suggesting the disabled should not drive?
: I wasn't at the time, but now that you mention it...
Dick C <dic...@localnet.boo.com> responds:
> Why not? We have created a nation where one has to drive
> to get almost anywhere. And often times transit is so
> poor that the disabled have no choice but to drive.
I was being facetious. I'm aware of the devices that
exist to assit the (ObSouthPark) "handy-capable" in
their driving, and I have no issues with gimps behind
the wheel as long as they can handle an automobile
competently.
[ proposed: mandatory annual driving tests after 70 ]
> That makes little sense. For every story of an elderly
> person doing something stupid, there are millions of
> elderly who drive quite well. They know their limit-
> ations and adjust accordingly.
The trouble is, their limitations are at the root of the
issue. Unlike being crippled, which doesn't necessarily
have any bearing on the personal abilities that are rele-
vant to safe driving, the degenerating reflexes, eyesight,
and alertness that to varying degrees accompany aging are
most _certainly_ relevant. This was driven home to me
when some ditzy old broad ran a red light and nearly
totalled my Supra a few years back.
And sometimes it's the very act of compensating that's the
problem. When oldsters compensate for their limitations
beyond a certain degree, they often end up being a hazard
to others by driving timidly, hesitantly, and much slower
than the surrounding traffic. Compensating only goes so
far; at some point, the time comes to hang up the keys.
Your paragraph above seems to have been written to rebut
the suggestion that no one over 70 should be allowed to
drive. That's not what I said. My suggestion was that
people 70 and over be tested annually in order to demon-
strate to society's satisfaction that they still have what
it takes to drive a car safely. If they do, then obviously
they'd be good to go. And if not, then they shouldn't be
driving anyway, right?
It can't be denied that aging has a detrimental effect on
driving ability; it's only a question of how much and how
soon. Turning a blind eye to this, on the basis that there
are a lot of oldsters who are still good drivers, is both
logically fallacious and socially irresponsible.
> Unfortunately the younger people often do not adjust their
> driving based upon their limitations.
Paradoxically, the only way younger people get to be *better*
drivers is through experience. It's only by way of exper-
ience that people acquire a feel for what their limitations
are.
hpjeannie
>
> WHOA! Sweeping generalization there. I'm a woman, and a small one at
> that (under 5'), and I have changed all my own flats except for one on a new
> car where even with a cross-wrench and a mallet, I couldn't get the darn
> nuts loose. Of course, if I drove some big truck with huge tires that I
> couldn't even lift, I might opt for paying to have someone else do it. :)
> If I can possibly do it myself, I would rather, than to sit in the car
> waiting for someone to offer to help who may or may not be there to actually
> help.
I've found that standing on the end of the lug wrench (with hands on
the fender for balance, of course) and gently bouncing up and down
works quite well to break lug nuts loose after the gorilla at the shop
has overtightened them.
I bought my first car (a '77 Buick Skylark) from my dad, and before I
was allowed to insure it, I had to rotate the tires. All four of
them. In the driveway. Using only one jack stand plus the equipment
that came with the car (bumper jack and lug wrench).
I recommend this for anyone who owns a car. By the fourth tire you've
managed to learn the best way to do everything and you're not likely
to forget it.
Jeannie
Bob Ward
wrote:
>On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 23:41:18 GMT, "Jerry L" <jle...@adelphia.net>
>wrote:
>
>>No, I'm not a liberal. I'm a human being that gives the benefit of the
>>doubt. I even gave you the benefit of the doubt that you had some
>>intelligence but I was wrong. And I didn't want to delete any of your
>>original message. I wanted everyone to see what an idiot you are.
>
>I missed it, where in the original message did the person have a
>physical disability. That's an important factor.
>
>later,
>
That's odd - when we joined AAA, we weren't required to provide
documentation of any physical disabilities to qualify for our cards,
nor have they ever refused to accept our annual dues. Apparently they
don't require a physical disability to call for roadside assistance in
our area.
Bob Ward
wrote:
Yes, it is - because the passing drivers are determined to KEEP
moving, rather than allow you to move to the side of the road.
Bob Ward
<bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>Rich Greenberg wrote:
>>
>> In article <2003120118565...@web41802.mail.yahoo.com>,
>> Tom B. Redman <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
>> >
>> >I drive only a few miles a week, so I've let
>> >my AAA membership lapse.
>> >
>> >Is this a big gamble?
>>
>> Depends. Do you carry a GOOD spare in your car? Are you physically
>> capable of changing a tire?
>>
>> >Then I guess if I had AAA membership, AAA can tow
>> >my car to a nearest tireshop for free.
>> >(Is this correct?)
>>
>> I don't think so. They will change the tire if you have a spare, and
>> tow you to the nearest AAA repair shop or other shop of your choice.
>> Its free for the first (I think) 5 miles, per mile beyond.
>>
>> >Because I'm not an AAA member, a tow would cost me
>> >something like 200 dollars?
>>
>> Yes.
>
>An AAA towtruck guy told me that it would cost $7/mile after the 7 miles
>AAA allowed. I didn't ask if there was a minimum for non-AAA members.
>I signed up for the 100-mile version the same day. Wish the 4
>calls/year would roll over.
I just got an invite for their "premium plus" membership - gives you
one tow of up to 200 miles, plus the other three of up to 100 miles,
plus one day's use of a rental car - costs $36 more per year - I think
I'll pass.
Bob Ward
wrote:
>ptqu...@hotmail.com (Barb) wrote:
>
>>ALWAYS carry a good spare in your trunk ( a foot or hand air pump is
>>handy too). If you have a garage change or rotate your tires, or any
>>other service where they take off your wheels and put them back on, DO
>>NOT let them tighten the lugnut or bolts with an air wrench!!! This is
>>guaranteed to turn a simple tire change into a tow job if they do.
>
>Not true. Any respectable shop should use torque sticks which are
>sockets that are designed to twist when a certain torque is applied to
>it so it doesn't overtighten the lug nuts. I have the habit of coming
>home after any job that requires tire removal and untighten then
>retighten all lug nuts using my own torque wrench, and I found the
>torque sticks to work reasonably well.
Should, but most don't.
junkm...@intertainiaremove.com
True, but scale down your views to just this post. That's what the
question was addressing.
Sheesh, visionaries, can't see the trees in through the forests. :)
later,
tom
*********************************************************************
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http://www.FreelancingProjects.com
http://www.LinkSkyRise.com
http://www.Intertainia.com
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*********************************************************************
junkm...@intertainiaremove.com
I though the orginal question was, was AAA worth it, and what if you
don't have it and you have a car problem like a flat tire?
Just trying to put out some flames. :)
later,
tom
On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 20:04:24 GMT, "Jerry L" <jle...@adelphia.net>
wrote:
>Debating you is like debating my 5 year old grandson. When you grow up, come
*********************************************************************
Robert Morrisette
Sabu
"Tom B. Redman" <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote in message
news:2003120118565...@web41802.mail.yahoo.com...
>
>
> I drive only a few miles a week, so I've let
> my AAA membership lapse.
>
> Is this a big gamble?
>
> Let's say I get a flat tire on a freeway 50 miles from
> home.
> (I don't have a cell phone.)
> So I'll just wait by the curb, with the blinking
> signal, until a cop pulls up.
> (can this take 2 hours?)
>
> and no highwaymen, please.
>
> Then I guess if I had AAA membership, AAA can tow
> my car to a nearest tireshop for free.
> (Is this correct?)
>
> Because I'm not an AAA member, a tow would cost me
> something like 200 dollars?
>
> Thanks for the informed commments.
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now
> http://companion.yahoo.com/
Geoff Miller
Tom <junkm...@intertainiaREMOVE.com> top-posts:
> Has anyone noticed this thread has gotten out of hand?
Not me. I think it's groovy.
> I though the orginal question was, was AAA worth it, and
> what if you don't have it and you have a car problem like
> a flat tire?
That *was* the original question. To which one of the
responses was, nobody with any sense of consideration
for others (and who isn't a cripple) has any business
calling AAA to change a tire in the first place, ergo,
the original question contained a bad example of a
reason to join AAA.
> Just trying to put out some flames. :)
You were probably one of those kids who'd remind the
teacher that she forgot to give out the homework
assignment.
Geoff
--
My Child Was Fascist Of the Month
At Rudolf Hess Elementary School
James C. Reeves
junkm...@intertainiaremove.com
wrote:
NOPE, was the kind of kid that tried to end the dumb 'what if'
conversations so the teach would release us.
:)
>
>
>
>Geoff
razzlfratz
says...
I recently had my car die in Carmel about 7:00 PM on a Friday night and was
able to call AAA and get my car towed 150 miles to my home at no cost. Have you
ever tried to get car service and/or a motel room for just one night at that
hour in Carmel? Believe me, it is either impossible or will cost you 10 to 20
times the $36 additional membership fee. I am really glad I had that extra
membership that night. Obviously, YMMV.
Len
Had a car or two like that. Couldn't afford AAA at that time.
>If you get a flat tire, you get off your pimply derriere
>and bloody well *change* it. You _do_ know how, right?
>And you _do_ have a useable spare tire in your car, right?
>if not, then *why* not?
>
>You shouldn't be calling AAA for a flat tire, anyway.
>Not only should any licensed driver know how to change
>a tire as a matter of principle and basic competence,
>but more importantly, somebody else might need that tow
>truck worse than you do, for a legitimate breakdown.
>Did you ever think of that? I realize that basic
>consideration of others isn't exactly in vogue at the
>moment, but it's possible that you might've once caught
>a fleeting glimpse of a Clue in that regard as some
>fully socialized adult secreted it about his person.
>
>Ever tried to get a tow truck during rush hour? Do you
>know why it usually takes a couple of hours for one to
>arrive? I'd bet dollars to dog shit that it's because
>the drivers are so busy changing flat tires for the lazy
>and incompetent.
>
>And I'd further be willing to wager that most of those
>drivers are women. Women often -- hell, *usually* --
>deliberately cultivate an infuriating ignorance and
>helplessness when it comes to matters automotive. And
>of course, they don't want to risk geting their little
>handsies dirty or horror of horrors, breaking a nail.
>
>Anyone who can't or won't change a flat tire has no
>business driving an automobile. Period. If getting
>your hands dirty is a concern, go down to OSH and drop
>fi'dollah on a cheap pair of work gloves to keep in
>your trunk. And long fingernails look silly, anyway.
>
>
>
>Geoff
Len
>S'okay. She justifies her existence in other ways.
So now we have to "justify" our existence?
After watching this thread for a minute it would behove us all to be
mechanics, as it was when cars were introduced to the public.
As for women changing tires, would not a real man stop a woman from
doing so, even a stranger?
Jonathan Kamens
rather inflammatory. I think that I may have some useful information
to add to the discussion, considering that (a) I've been helped several
times by AAA over the years, and (b) the most recent time was last
night when I had *two* flat tires. I'll tell last night's story first
and then back-fill a bit....
I was driving home to Boston on the New York Thruway with my wife and
our three young children. Somebody braked unexpectedly in the snow, I
attempted to change lanes to avoid him, and I skidded. I handled the
skid wrong, and we ended up in the ditch (fortunately not too steep) at
the side of the road.
(An aside: I was too close to the car in front of me.)
(Another aside: You can bet your ass I'm going to be signing myself up
ASAP for one of those courses where they put you in a car on a big,
flat slippery surface and make you skid over and over again until you
handle it properly without thinking about it, as well as teaching you
various other advanced driving safety techniques you don't get from
driver's ed. An alternative to this is to find a big, slippery, empty
parking lot to practice in, but unfortunately all the owners of big
parking lots around here have a bad habit of putting up lots of light
posts which I'd rather not run into while practicing skid avoidance.)
In the process of going into the ditch, my left front tire blew. I
didn't realize this, however, because the car continued to drive
seemingly correctly due to all the luggage in the trunk keeping the
blown tire off the ground. So I got back on the road, and eventually
the left rear tire decided that it simply couldn't handle the load and
it blew too. I then successfully got the car into the breakdown lane
(fortunately, traffic was light so this wasn't difficult).
(Another aside: Not getting out and inspecting the car after we got out
of the ditch was really, really stupid. Fortunately, learning this
lesson cost me only a tow and one extra new tire. I won't make the
same mistake again -- if I did, the next time might be a lot worse.)
I didn't realize that I had two flat tires -- I thought I had only one.
Nevertheless, I didn't get out to change the tire, despite the fact
that I've done it before and am perfectly capable of doing so. It was
night, it was snowing and thus visibility was poor and the road was
slippery, it was quite cold, only a few feet separated me from 65-MPH
traffic, and my spare was covered by a full trunk of luggage. Contrary
by the claims made by some people here that it is irresponsible to call
for help changing a tire, that is exactly what is recommended in
circumstances such as this. See, for example,
<http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/carbreak.htm>.
I called the state police on my cell phone and asked them to send a
trooper to park behind me with his flashers on until the two truck
arrived, or at least to put up some reflectors. The trooper came and
checked on me but said he couldn't stay because there was a huge
accident up ahead. My request for reflectors was probably never
relayed to him by the dispatcher and I didn't mention it because I
didn't realize he was going to leave after talking to me (when he left
and I called the dispatcher back to ask why is when I was told that he
couldn't stay). I suppose I should have gotten out and deployed the
reflectors I keep in my trunk, but see all the above reasons for why I
felt safer staying in the car (and the reflectors were buried under
luggage as well).
After calling the state police, I called AAA. They contacted the
Thruway Authority, which dispatches all trucks on the Thruway, and a
truck showed up about a half hour later. With him parked behind us for
protection, I got out and unloaded the trunk enough to get out the
spare, and then he put the spare on the rear tire. Then all five of
us piled into the cab of his truck and he jacked up the car and towed
us eleven miles to a tire place with a motel across the street. We
left the car in the lot of the tire place and managed to get the last
available room in the motel to spend the night.
The tow truck charged $3/mile and said that my basic AAA membership
only covered the hook-up fee and the first 3 miles of towing, so I
ended up paying about $50 for a half hour of labor and 8 miles of
towing. I think perhaps I shouldn't have had to pay for the labor, but
I haven't had the chance to talk to AAA about it yet. The total bill
without AAA would have been a bit over $100 for the tire change and
11-mile tow.
It's interesting that various people have posted different numbers for
how many miles AAA pays for and what the per-mile cost is. Perhaps it
varies by location and/or AAA club, or perhaps my information is the
most current given that it's only one day old. Or perhaps the
tow-truck driver ripped me off, which I'll find out when I talk to AAA
to confirm that I was charged correctly. In any case, in our
situation, I don't think the $50 was unreasonable :-).
In the morning, the tire place did a basic inspection to confirm that
there was no other obvious damage and installed two new tires, rotating
the others so the new ones were in front (front-wheel drive car). The
price they charged was perfectly reasonable and we were on our way home
to Boston before 11am.
What AAA saved me last night was about $50 off the cost of the tow.
Without AAA membership, the Thruway Authority would have dispatched the
same tow truck to me after I call them to report that I was disabled,
and I would have had to pay the whole bill.
But AAA has proven useful in many other ways which justify (to me, at
least) their annual dues. For example:
* A couple of years ago when our starter motor wiring was flakey and
various mechanics kept diagnosing the problem incorrectly, we had to
call for AAA roadside assistance several times when we couldn't get the
car started, and they never charged us, so I'm sure our membership
more than paid for itself that year.
* Members can get no-fee traveler's checks and discounted movie ticket
vouchers from AAA offices.
* AAA tourbooks and maps, which are free to all members, are a
wonderful resource for travelers. Non-members can't even buy them, and
I don't think there's anything on the market that's comparable to the
tourbooks.
* Their TripTik service is great when you are planning a road trip, and
their Internet TripTik is the best I've used of all the Web sites for
getting driving directions.
The original poster in this thread asked whether it's risky not to
have AAA membership for roadside assistance. Personally, for peace of
mind, I think it's worth the membership in AAA or some other similar
service for the roadside assistance alone.
However, an important fact the OP mentioned is that he doesn't have a
cell phone. If you don't have a phone, and your car ends up disabled
on a highway that doesn't have call boxes, then the AAA membership
won't do you much good, since you can't all AAA for assistance. So
perhaps you ought to consider getting both the AAA membership and a
cheap cell phone :-).
As other posters have mentioned, many highways have assistance trucks
that help disabled motorists for free, including parking behind them
with big bright flashers for safety, changing tires, and giving them a
bit of gas if they run out. But you shouldn't rely on this unless you
know you'll only be driving on highways with such patrols, and in any
case it won't help if you are disabled in a way that requires a tow
(except perhaps to call a tow truck for you).
If you have a cell phone, then being an AAA member probably won't help
you get roadside assistance faster. If you're a member and you call
AAA, they'll dispatch a tow truck to you; if you're not a member and
you call the police, they'll dispatch one as well. The truk dispatched
by AAA isn't going to come any faster than the one dispatched by the
police. On a road like the New York Thruway, it's even the same truck
:-).
Joseph Michael Bay
>Me <sr...@comcast.net> yammers:
>> So how exactly did you compute the probability that
>> gave rise to your inconsiderate statement about the
>> OP?
>Er, by the fact that most licensed drivers aren't gimps
>or geezers.
Of course, since a strapping young Turk probably wouldn't
think changing a tire was beyond his abilities, he'd be
less likely to ask about road service for a flat.
--
Joe Bay Cancer Biology www.stanford.edu/~jmbay/
"We are all lying in the gutter, but some of us BLEAAAAGHH, AARGGH HRRRRRRRK"
--Oscar Wilde
Putting the "harm" in molecular pharmacology since 1998.
The Real Bev
>
> >Along these lines, why do people just leave their disabled car in
> >traffic with the blinkers going? You may not be able to push a Caddie
> >uphill, but a normal person ought to be able to push an ordinary car
> >over to the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done it and
> >still could if I had to.
>
> residential street, and I've done it before. Ok, it was slowly,
> and with some rest stops, but it was made slower by trying to keep
> out of traffic lanes while pushing. A ripped-to-shreds tire would
> make it harder to push, but I could probably still do it. However,
> I'd be hesitant to try to push even a single tire out of traffic
> lanes on a 60+MPH freeway in rush hour, especially if it's around a
> nearly-blind curve. I'd likely get hit (and killed) before even
> getting into position to push the car. It's not hurting myself
> pushing the car that's the issue.
If it happens on the freeway, the smartest thing is to leap from your
car and flee for your life before somebody hits you. I meant on surface
streets. I usually drive in the slow lane on the freeway so it wasn't
much of a problem to get out, check the tire, make the decision, etc...
> On the couple of times in 30 years when I've had a tire blow out,
> and the one time I was stupid and thought I could make it to the
> next gas station but couldn't, and the time the engine just lost
> power and quit on me, all on the freeway, I managed to get to the
> side of the road and out of traffic with the momentum I had left,
> without hitting anything or even coming close to hitting or being
> hit. All of these happened in at least moderate traffic.
My clutch died up in the mountains, so I went back down the hill and
drove 40 miles on the shoulder at 15 mph/3500 rpm. I was amazed to find
that there was driveable shoulder all the way from San Bernardino to
Pomona (scary going across on/off ramps, though), but I had to stop when
the poor car wouldn't make it up the interchange hill.
> The one situation which I almost got stuck in the actual middle of
> the freeway was a HUGE backup (I later found out there were helicopters
> landing to take injured to the hospital, and the whole freeway was
> shut down for many hours, and I arrived near the end of it), where
> after several hours I came close to running out of gas.
That would have been cool -- to have to wait several more hours for AAA
to deliver a gallon of gas.
--
Cheers, Bev
=======================================================================
"Windows Freedom Day: a holiday that moves each year, the date of which
is calculated by adding up the total amount of time a typical person
must spend restarting windows and then determining how many work weeks
that would correspond to." -- Trygve Lode
The Real Bev
Well, it's been a long time... Maybe we're nicer down here in SoCal, or
maybe everybody used to be nicer. Still, it would never have occurred
to me that somebody might be willing to door himmself just for the sheer
pleasure of killing the person pushing the car; at the very least, he'd
leave some of his own paint as evidence. At worst, my door (made of
REAL metal) might actually rip off his bumper, which is hard to explain
-- especially with all the bloodstains on the headlights.
Dave Lister
@u1.netgate.net:
> If you get a flat tire, you get off your pimply derriere
> and bloody well *change* it. You _do_ know how, right?
> And you _do_ have a useable spare tire in your car, right?
> if not, then *why* not?
>
> You shouldn't be calling AAA for a flat tire, anyway.
> Not only should any licensed driver know how to change
> a tire as a matter of principle and basic competence,
Ah, crap, loon. I pay AAA specifically to come out and take care of these
things, and you can shove your attitude about it right up your ass. I call
AAA once every 2-3 years and they can damm well perform the service I've
contracted for.
The Real Bev
>
> The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> writes:
>
> > Along these lines, why do people just leave their disabled
> > car in traffic with the blinkers going?
>
> this is what you're "supposed" to do. It's probably a
> mutation of the (equally stupid) idea of leaving cars in
> place after a collision instead of getting them out of the
> roadway, so that the cop who responds can see what happened.
>
> Short answer: because they're idiots.
>
> > You may not be able to push a Caddie uphill, but a normal
> > person ought to be able to push an ordinary car over to
> > the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done
> > it and still could if I had to.
>
> step on my own scrotum. One wouldn't expect it of a Jap-
> anese car, but the thing was heavier than the contemporary
> Firebird.
What did you expect? Supras have 6-cylinder engines, just like real
cars. While I wouldn't have to deal with the scrotum problem, I
wouldn't like to have to push a car while I was wearing heels.
> > But I mostly don't carry a spare because I'd have to leave
> > it loose in the bed of the truck where it would be a nice
> > gift for anyone passing by.
>
> That's why pickups are equipped with a bracket underneath
> the rear of the bed, where the spare can be secured in
> place. Japanese trucks even have nifty, built-in chain
> hoists to lower the spare with. Fitting a lock to either
> set-up is trivial.
Possibly. It's a real bitch trying to find anything for a 1970 Dodge
1/2-ton, though.
> > I wouldn't hesitate to call the Auto Club if I needed
> > service. I paid for the service just like anybody else.
>
> Yabbut so did everybody else, and so that cancels out
> across the board and we're back to Square One: using
> your membership privileges responsibly. That obligation
> isn't negated just because you paid for your membership.
My obligation to the auto club is to pay for my membership. Their
obligation is to come when I call and provide an agreed-upon service.
Since I am not psychic, it is a waste of time to worry about who might
need them more than I do.
> > If people are lying in the road bleeding, the Auto Club
> > is NOT the proper agency to call.
>
> Accidents with injuries aren't the issue. Calling a tow
> truck for the automotive equivalent of a hangnail is the
> issue. When you have some trivial problem that you can
> deal with yourself, and probably faster at that, it's
> inconsiderate and irresponsible to call for a tow truck
If I can deal with it myself it's a lot more efficient to do so, and I
would. If I can't, it's not going to worry me one bit that I might
deprive some more deserving person of receiving service before me rather
than after me.
> when there's a good chance that somebody else might need
> that truck for a legitimate reason. Again, the fact that
> money has changed hands between you and AAA doesn't alter
> the principle of this.
I think you're worrying needlessly about the morality of using a
purchased service. When you go to the grocery store, do you avoid
buying the last package of half-price cheese because somebody else MIGHT
need it more?
BTW, I just saw a book called "Who Moved My Cheese?" What a great
title! The book itself couldn't possibly be anywhere near as good as
that.
--
Cheers, Bev
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.
It's cheaper." -- Quentin Crisp 1908 - 1999
Dave Lister
$p...@u1.netgate.net:
> That *was* the original question. To which one of the
> responses was, nobody with any sense of consideration
> for others (and who isn't a cripple) has any business
> calling AAA to change a tire in the first place, ergo,
> the original question contained a bad example of a
> reason to join AAA.
You clearly have anger management issues, loon. I don't think any card
carrying AAA member gives a rats ass what you think about changing tires.
The Real Bev
>
> "Karen MN" <kher...@suespammers.org> wrote:
> >
> > WHOA! Sweeping generalization there. I'm a woman, and a small one at
> > that (under 5'), and I have changed all my own flats except for one on a new
> > car where even with a cross-wrench and a mallet, I couldn't get the darn
> > nuts loose. Of course, if I drove some big truck with huge tires that I
> > couldn't even lift, I might opt for paying to have someone else do it. :)
> > If I can possibly do it myself, I would rather, than to sit in the car
> > waiting for someone to offer to help who may or may not be there to actually
> > help.
>
> I've found that standing on the end of the lug wrench (with hands on
> the fender for balance, of course) and gently bouncing up and down
> works quite well to break lug nuts loose after the gorilla at the shop
> has overtightened them.
27-foot monsterhome with big truck tires. 4-corner lug wrench. Two
3-foot cheaters. Two people. Two hammers. We thought we'd end up
breaking the wrench so we took it back to the tire place and had them
loosen and retighten the nuts looser.
> I bought my first car (a '77 Buick Skylark) from my dad, and before I
> was allowed to insure it, I had to rotate the tires. All four of
> them. In the driveway. Using only one jack stand plus the equipment
> that came with the car (bumper jack and lug wrench).
>
> I recommend this for anyone who owns a car. By the fourth tire you've
> managed to learn the best way to do everything and you're not likely
> to forget it.
Maybe that's why there are so many pedestrians.
The Real Bev
> >
> > And I'd further be willing to wager that most of those
> > drivers are women. Women often -- hell, *usually* --
> > deliberately cultivate an infuriating ignorance and
> > helplessness when it comes to matters automotive. And
> > of course, they don't want to risk geting their little
> > handsies dirty or horror of horrors, breaking a nail.
>
> own flat tire. But when I'm wearing a dress, stockings and heels I won't do
> it. Would you? I don't believe Ann Coulter would either.
I think he's just trying to pull our chains.
--
Cheers, Bev
*************************************************
Never argue with a woman holding a torque wrench.
Bob Ward
<bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>Bob Ward wrote:
>>
>> On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 09:53:12 -0500, "Nonymous" <no...@nospam.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >> > Along these lines, why do people just leave their disabled car in
>> >> > traffic with the blinkers going? You may not be able to push a Caddie
>> >> > uphill, but a normal person ought to be able to push an ordinary car
>> >> > over to the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done it and
>> >> > still could if I had to.
>> >>
>> >> Only a fool would get out of a disabled car in heavy traffic and push
>> >> the car to the side.
>> >
>> >If the disabled car is blocking traffic such that the traffic can barely
>> >move, then the traffic isn't all that dangerous.
>>
>> Yes, it is - because the passing drivers are determined to KEEP
>> moving, rather than allow you to move to the side of the road.
>
>Well, it's been a long time... Maybe we're nicer down here in SoCal, or
>maybe everybody used to be nicer. Still, it would never have occurred
>to me that somebody might be willing to door himmself just for the sheer
>pleasure of killing the person pushing the car; at the very least, he'd
>leave some of his own paint as evidence. At worst, my door (made of
>REAL metal) might actually rip off his bumper, which is hard to explain
>-- especially with all the bloodstains on the headlights.
I'm talking about Southern California - and it's not a matter of the
other driver finding pleasure in killing you - he doesn't even
recognize that you exist, other than as an impediment to his forward
progress.
Bob Ward
<bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>>
>> I pushed my '90 Supra one time. I thought I was going to
>> step on my own scrotum. One wouldn't expect it of a Jap-
>> anese car, but the thing was heavier than the contemporary
>> Firebird.
>
>What did you expect? Supras have 6-cylinder engines, just like real
>cars. While I wouldn't have to deal with the scrotum problem, I
>wouldn't like to have to push a car while I was wearing heels.
>
Back in the 60's, I drove a VW bug for a while - it was so light that,
when it ran out of gas (quite often - there was no gas gauge) I didn't
bother to carry a gas can - it was easier to just push it to the
station. My next car was a 1963 Chrysler Imperial - I nearly gave
myself a hernia the first time it ran out of gas. The gas can went
back into the trunk very shortly after that.
Bob Ward
<bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>"Brigitte J." wrote:
>>
>> Geoff Miller <geo...@u1.netgate.net> wrote in message
>> news:bqg7n8$a...@u1.netgate.net...
>> >
>> > And I'd further be willing to wager that most of those
>> > drivers are women. Women often -- hell, *usually* --
>> > deliberately cultivate an infuriating ignorance and
>> > helplessness when it comes to matters automotive. And
>> > of course, they don't want to risk geting their little
>> > handsies dirty or horror of horrors, breaking a nail.
>>
>> I am female and I resent this kind of comment. I know how to maintain my
>> vehicle and how to change a tire. On several occasions I have changed my
>> own flat tire. But when I'm wearing a dress, stockings and heels I won't do
>> it. Would you? I don't believe Ann Coulter would either.
>
>I think he's just trying to pull our chains.
He'd have you putting those on in the snow as well. Whips, however,
are optional.
junkm...@intertainiaremove.com
(Dennis McGee) wrote:
>In article <Xns9445DFC5CBD75re...@68.6.19.6>, Dave Lister
>The obnoxious jerk pretty much sums up what Republicans/conservatives are
>all about these days, doesn't he. Taking for granted the original poster
>wasn't an elderly gentleman who wasn't physically able to help himself,
>then going off on a completely irrelevant rant about "libb'ruls."
Someone might call you a typical liberal creating an imaginary problem
where one was never mentioned. If the person had other complications
associated with changing a flat tire, they would have been mentioned.
Next you're going to invent a new complication, associcated with maybe
that he doesn't get enough SSI to afford AAA dues?
The Facts Maam, just the facts. :)
later,
tom
Geoff Miller
Gordon Burditt <gordon...@sneaky.lerctr.org> writes:
[...]
> A ripped-to-shreds tire would make it harder to push, but
> I could probably still do it.
Bev was talking about a *disabled* car. A car that has a flat
tire can still be driven off the road. There'd be no reason to
push it.
> On the couple of times in 30 years when I've had a tire blow
> out, and the one time I was stupid and thought I could make
> it to the next gas station but couldn't, and the time the
> engine just lost power and quit on me, all on the freeway,
> I managed to get to the side of the road and out of traffic
> with the momentum I had left, without hitting anything or
> even coming close to hitting or being hit. All of these
> happened in at least moderate traffic.
Assuming that one's car is in the right lane when it conks out,
I think all this fear of being hit is overblown. A car doesn't
suddenly become invisible just because the engine stops or a
tire blows out, right? Assuming you're not sitting in a blind
curve or below the crest of a hill, people are going to see you
and brake or steer around you just like they'd see and brake or
steer around a slower vehicle (as opposed to a _stopped_ vehicle)
in their lane.
> The one situation which I almost got stuck in the actual middle
> of the freeway was a HUGE backup (I later found out there were
> helicopters landing to take injured to the hospital, and the
> whole freeway was shut down for many hours, and I arrived near
> the end of it), where after several hours I came close to run-
> ning out of gas.
I was caught in a two-and-a-half-hour traffic jam up 19th Avenue
to Park Presidio and onto the Golden Gate Bridge one Sunday a few
years back. It was just hideous. It turned out that some guy
who had epilepsy but had concealed it from the DMV had a grand
mal seizure at the wheel of his Mercedes on the Golden Gate
Bridge and played bumper cars with the other traffic. Several
people were killed; I don't recall exactly how many.
Geoff Miller
hpjeannie <hpje...@yahoo.com> writes:
> I've found that standing on the end of the lug wrench
> (with hands on the fender for balance, of course) and
> gently bouncing up and down works quite well to break
> lug nuts loose after the gorilla at the shop has over-
> tightened them.
That's a bad idea. I sheared off a lug nut on my C(r)apri
doing that. The reason is that by standing on the wrench,
your weight places a bending force onto the lug nut as well
as a rotational force. 'Course, Miatas are probably better
made than Ford Capris were. (Apart from Trabants, what
isn't?)
> I bought my first car (a '77 Buick Skylark) from my dad,
> and before I was allowed to insure it, I had to rotate
> the tires. All four of them. In the driveway. Using
> only one jack stand plus the equipment that came with
> the car (bumper jack and lug wrench).
Excellent! Good for your dad.
Albert Roth
towing. The Insurance Companies keep track of such claims and if you have
more than they like, your premiums will go up more than you saved, or they
will cancel you altogether. I learned that from Nationwide Insurance.
Al
Gordon Burditt
>> out, and the one time I was stupid and thought I could make
>> it to the next gas station but couldn't, and the time the
>> engine just lost power and quit on me, all on the freeway,
>> I managed to get to the side of the road and out of traffic
>> with the momentum I had left, without hitting anything or
>> even coming close to hitting or being hit. All of these
>> happened in at least moderate traffic.
>
>Assuming that one's car is in the right lane when it conks out,
No, you don't get to assume that. You can assume that I am in the
rightmost *NON-EXIT-ONLY* lane most of the time. The city freeways
I drive on tend to average maybe 0.8 exit-only (or entrance lanes
about to disappear) lanes at any given time, and I think there is
one spot where there are *FIVE*. Ok, maybe you call that one a
left exit I'm taking, but in any case, from the lane I'm in, I would
have to cross 5 lanes to the right or 3 lanes to the left to get
to the side of the road. In any case, having at least one entrance
or exit lane to the right of me is the norm. Two or three are not
that uncommon.
>I think all this fear of being hit is overblown. A car doesn't
>suddenly become invisible just because the engine stops or a
>tire blows out, right?
It does become a lot harder to avoid if it's going much slower than
the normal flow of traffic (or worse, stopped). People also don't
expect a vehicle to be going really slow (on a 60MPH highway, finding
someone doing 40 is not that unusual. Finding someone doing 20
is.) in a traffic lane. This is a major reason for chain-reaction
rear-end accidents.
>Assuming you're not sitting in a blind
>curve or below the crest of a hill,
These are not that uncommon.
>people are going to see you
>and brake or steer around you just like they'd see and brake or
>steer around a slower vehicle (as opposed to a _stopped_ vehicle)
>in their lane.
If only 1 in 100 fails to do that, what's my life expectancy trying
to push a car in a traffic lane? Probably less than 15 minutes.
Gordon L. Burditt
Dick C
>
>
> Gordon Burditt <gordon...@sneaky.lerctr.org> writes:
>
> [...]
>
>> A ripped-to-shreds tire would make it harder to push, but
>> I could probably still do it.
>
> Bev was talking about a *disabled* car. A car that has a flat
> tire can still be driven off the road. There'd be no reason to
> push it.
And that leads to one thing that really gets me. Someone has a flat
tire on an area of freeway with no shoulder, but only a mile or so to
a shoulder. They stop in the freeway and change their tire, instead of
driving on to the shoulder. Just to save the cost of a new tire.
>
>
>> On the couple of times in 30 years when I've had a tire blow
>> out, and the one time I was stupid and thought I could make
>> it to the next gas station but couldn't, and the time the
>> engine just lost power and quit on me, all on the freeway,
>> I managed to get to the side of the road and out of traffic
>> with the momentum I had left, without hitting anything or
>> even coming close to hitting or being hit. All of these
>> happened in at least moderate traffic.
>
> Assuming that one's car is in the right lane when it conks out,
> I think all this fear of being hit is overblown. A car doesn't
> suddenly become invisible just because the engine stops or a
> tire blows out, right? Assuming you're not sitting in a blind
> curve or below the crest of a hill, people are going to see you
> and brake or steer around you just like they'd see and brake or
> steer around a slower vehicle (as opposed to a _stopped_ vehicle)
> in their lane.
One would think so, but last year in Washington, during broad daylight,
an SUV ran over a car that was stopped for traffic, and killed several
people inside. A couple of months earlier, a similar accident happened
when traffic was stopped on an offramp. And that offramp always stops
up. I was nearly rearended when in a traffic jam on a freeway just 2
years ago. The other car swerved to the shoulder and slid even with me.
And I mean slid, all four tires locked up.
People do not always pay attention to the cars ahead of them, and when
one stops, the car behind may not see them until it is too late. Stopping
on the freeway for any reason is very very dangerous.
--
Dick #1349
"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it."
Andre Gide, French author and critic (1869-1951).
Home Page: dickcr.iwarp.com
email: dic...@localnet.com
Gordon Burditt
>car and flee for your life before somebody hits you. I meant on surface
>streets. I usually drive in the slow lane on the freeway so it wasn't
>much of a problem to get out, check the tire, make the decision, etc...
"the slow lane" != "the rightmost lane". Freeways tend to have
entrance and exit ramps which you don't drive in unless you are
entering or exiting, but you have to cross them to get to the edge
of the road. Having at least one entrance/exit lane at any given
time seems to be the norm on city freeways, at least where I usually
drive. I know of at least one spot where I'd normally be driving
where there are 3 lanes to the left and 5 to the right to get to
the edge of the road. That's unusual, but having two entrance/exit
lanes to the right of the "slow, going straight through" lane isn't.
>> The one situation which I almost got stuck in the actual middle of
>> the freeway was a HUGE backup (I later found out there were helicopters
>> landing to take injured to the hospital, and the whole freeway was
>> shut down for many hours, and I arrived near the end of it), where
>> after several hours I came close to running out of gas.
>
>That would have been cool -- to have to wait several more hours for AAA
>to deliver a gallon of gas.
Actually, I wouldn't have had to wait long. There was a gas station
in sight, with maybe a quarter-mile walk to it, although getting
to it with the car would have been several miles. I still would
have had to abandon my car in the middle of the freeway during the
walk. Do you carry a gas can? Several cars tried to get out of
the traffic jam with a "what the hell, I'll make my own exit", and
started driving on grass. Until the first couple of cars got STUCK.
What they got stuck on, I never did find out, but that area between
the freeway and access roads has deep ditches, rocks, and ridges
too high to drive over easily. That cooled down the mass exodus
until someone found a path out which worked (seeing deep ditches
wasn't easy in the late evening), and many cars left. Until the
cop car showed up. The cops didn't actually seem to do anything
about the mass exodus (I think they were just trying to get to the
accident), but few really wanted to risk it. I was boxed in anyway,
and most of the time, still on a bridge.
Gordon L. Burditt
Geoff Miller
Len <l...@sonic.net> writes:
[ Ann Coulter ]
: S'okay. She justifies her existence in other ways.
> So now we have to "justify" our existence?
That's right. And it appears that you're behind the
proverbial curve in that respect. Best get cracking,
eh what?
> After watching this thread for a minute it would behove
> us all to be mechanics, as it was when cars were
> introduced to the public.
Except that one doesn't need to be a mechanic to change a
tire, any more than one needs to be an electrician in
order to replace a burned-out lightbulb.
I'm starting to think that there should be an "exit
exam" for minor status as there is for high school
in some states, and that in order to qualify for
adult status (let alone be allowed to vote), people
whould have to demonstrate basic life skills as well
as possession of some semblance of what I think of
as "walking-around sense."
> As for women changing tires, would not a real man stop
> a woman from doing so, even a stranger?'
Hell, no. Women are liberated now, for one thing, and
that implies responsibilities as well as privileges.
The "helpless female" archetype needs to be consigned
to the ash heap o'history.
And for another thing, any guy who stops to render
assistance to a woman nowadays will likely be presumed
to have the worst of intentions, causing the women to
screech and hole up in her car while dialing 911. Then
there'd be a SWAT team tying up traffic, not just an AAA
truck.
Geoff Miller
Dave Lister <retsil...@hotmail.com> writes:
> Ah, crap, loon. I pay AAA specifically to come out and
> take care of these things,
Oh...well if somebody else does it, that makes it okay, then.
*snort*
> and you can shove your attitude about it right up your ass.
Your saying that I have "attitude" says far worse things
about your upbringing than it does about the objective
merit of my position. I was raised to use my head and to
be considerate of others. Apparently you, on the other
hand, were raised by orangutans. How old were you when
you stopped crapping on the floor, Ook-Ook?
I have AAA Plus, and I'd call for help if I genuinely needed
it, but not for something I could handle myself. Especially
when I could handle it _faster_ by myself. You've probably
heard the saying, "Work smarter, not harder." A corollary
to that is that basic competence and self-sufficiency allow
one to *live* smarter, not harder.
> I call AAA once every 2-3 years and they can damm well
> perform the service I've contracted for.
Having the right to do something doesn't mean that doing
it is right. Yes, AAA will come and change your widdle
fwat tirey-poo for you (and the driver will undoubtedly
snicker about it afterward and hold you in boundless
contempt, as well he should). But your paying money to
AAA doesn't relieve you of the implicit responsibility
to use your membership privileges intelligently.
Geoff Miller
The Real, One-And-Only Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> writes:
> My obligation to the auto club is to pay for my membership.
> Their obligation is to come when I call and provide an
> agreed-upon service. Since I am not psychic, it is a waste
> of time to worry about who might need them more than I do.
Your obligation to use your membership privileges responsibly
isn't to the auto club; it's to your fellow auto club *members.*
Given that you're all drawing on finite resources, especially
at certain times of day, it's a no-brainer to conclude that
all members should feel absolutely free to make use of those
resources *when necessary,* but resist the urge to make use of
them when it _isn't_ really necessary.
> If I can deal with it myself it's a lot more efficient to
> do so, and I would. If I can't, it's not going to worry
> me one bit that I might deprive some more deserving person
> of receiving service before me rather than after me.
That's as it should be -- with the proviso that if something
(like changing a tire) is trivially easy do, and you simply
haven't bothered to learn yet, you have an ethical obligation
to acquire that knowledge. Think of it as "empowerment," if
that makes the idea any more palatable.
> I think you're worrying needlessly about the morality of
> using a purchased service. When you go to the grocery
> store, do you avoid buying the last package of half-price
> cheese because somebody else MIGHT need it more?
Silly analogy. Everybody needs food equally, and since there
are always other supermarkets nearby, one could always go to
one of the others if he really, really, had to have that cheese.
(Which I've done a few times when I've had a "brie jones," in-
cidentally. Brie and Stoned Wheat Thins are a _sine qua non_
with martinis out on the deck on a summer evening. And being
a Republican, I like my martinis.)
Tow trucks, however, are a finite resource. Especially during
commute periods.
> BTW, I just saw a book called "Who Moved My Cheese?" What a
> great title! The book itself couldn't possibly be anywhere
> near as good as
Saw it at Borders the other day. I haven't looked at it, though.
The story is that Werner Erhard, the founder of the "est" self-
actualization movement, originated that analogy.
Geoff Miller
Dave "Jerkoff Blister" Lister <retsil...@hotmail.com> writes:
> You clearly have anger management issues, loon.
Oh, is that the trendy new hack expression that people are
using in lieu of considered responses? It's *so* hard to
keep up with these things...
> I don't think any card carrying AAA member gives a rats ass
> what you think about changing tires.
Any card-carrying AAA member would care about having to wait
two hours for a tow truck because inconsiderate louts like
yourself have the drivers running around changing tires
instead of responding to legitimate breakdowns, though.
Where was your mother when she should've been teaching you
manners? Spreading 'em for the mailman?
Geoff Miller
The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> writes:
> I think he's just trying to pull our chains.
On the contrary, I'm as serious at the proverbial heart attack.
Don't assume that just because a certain idea isn't PC, that
the person expressing it is insincere.
I know there are lots of women out there who _don't_ cultivate
ignorance about automotive matters: hpjeannie is one, what's-
her-name who I responded to earlier in this thread seems to be
another, and it wouldn't surprise me if you were a third. (How
many random women out there would know that Supras have six-
cylinder engines?) But overall, women are appallingly and
deliberately ignorant about cars. Mechanics know this, too,
which is why women so often get "taken" at the garage.
Geoff Miller
Dennis McGee <den...@InfoAveObstacle.Net> writes:
> The obnoxious jerk pretty much sums up what Republicans/
> conservatives are all about these days, doesn't he.
As opposed to Democrats/liberals, who are so committed to
social justice in all its forms that they bristle at the
very idea of stereotyping people.
Except for conservatives, Republicans, gun owners, abortion
opponents, SUV owners, meat eaters, fur wearers, Christians,
business executives, etc.
*snort*
> Taking for granted the original poster wasn't an elderly
> gentleman who wasn't physically able to help himself, then
> going off on a completely irrelevant rant about "libb'ruls."
As I pointed out earlier, the odds are overwhelming that the
OP _isn't_ an "elderly gentleman" (or a gimp). If he is,
then he doesn't need me to acknowledge that he's exempted
from the idea that a driver should be able to change his
own tire. He knows that all too well already, and has
likely had enough time to come to terms with his condition
that he doesn't get particularly upset at comments like
mine.
And if not, well, maybe he'll burst a blood vessel in outrage
and remove himself from the equation, anyway.
I also note that the OP hasn't come back to clarify that
he's a codger. (Is "codger" more sensitive than "geezer?"
Help me out here. This is your bailiwick, not mine.)
DrPimpDaddi
>tire, any more than one needs to be an electrician in
>order to replace a burned-out lightbulb.
No shit, sherlock. There's a difference between a necessity and a luxury....
AAA probably is the latter to most folk. Not everyone wants to get grease on
their hands and suit just before their big presentation. I'm sure a grease
monkey like yourself never have to worry about that.
>
>I'm starting to think that there should be an "exit
>exam" for minor status as there is for high school
>in some states, and that in order to qualify for
>adult status (let alone be allowed to vote), people
>whould have to demonstrate basic life skills as well
>as possession of some semblance of what I think of
>as "walking-around sense."
>
There should be one for NGs as well. Guess who wouldn't be able to post then.
>
>> As for women changing tires, would not a real man stop
>> a woman from doing so, even a stranger?'
>
>Hell, no. Women are liberated now, for one thing, and
>that implies responsibilities as well as privileges.
>The "helpless female" archetype needs to be consigned
>to the ash heap o'history.
>
>And for another thing, any guy who stops to render
>assistance to a woman nowadays will likely be presumed
>to have the worst of intentions, causing the women to
>screech and hole up in her car while dialing 911. Then
>there'd be a SWAT team tying up traffic, not just an AAA
>truck.
>
There you go again grease monkey, ASSumptions. Didn't your mommy tell you... oh
wait, she was probably as stupid as you.
>
>
>Geoff
>
>--
>My Child Was Fascist Of the Month
>At Rudolf Hess Elementary School
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
...................
I do not killfile nor use do-not-call lists.
Gordon Burditt
>tire on an area of freeway with no shoulder, but only a mile or so to
>a shoulder. They stop in the freeway and change their tire, instead of
>driving on to the shoulder. Just to save the cost of a new tire.
Gee, how do they do that? Save the cost of a new tire, I mean. If
one of my tires goes flat on the freeway, it's probably unrepairable
before I realize it's flat, and ripped entirely to shreds by the
time I manage to stop on the side of the road. Now, if it was a
residential street, no problem. Saving the cost of a tire that
died on a freeway is about as likely as an outbreak of World Peace
for the next millennium. I'm much more worried about repairs to
ME or anyone else and second, body damage to the car from hitting
something or something hitting me.
Gordon L. Burditt
DrPimpDaddi
>be considerate of others.
LOL! You gotta be joking, right?
Apparently you, on the other
>hand, were raised by orangutans. How old were you when
>you stopped crapping on the floor, Ook-Ook?
Just because he chooses to pay others to change his flats? Wow, you are one
wacky kook.
>
>I have AAA Plus,
Usually, loud-mouthed idiots are the biggest hypocrites..... point proven
again.
and I'd call for help if I genuinely needed
>it, but not for something I could handle myself. Especially
>when I could handle it _faster_ by myself. You've probably
>heard the saying, "Work smarter, not harder." A corollary
>to that is that basic competence and self-sufficiency allow
>one to *live* smarter, not harder.
>
It's his dues, he can call them to deliver gas for all I care.
>> I call AAA once every 2-3 years and they can damm well
>> perform the service I've contracted for.
>
>Having the right to do something doesn't mean that doing
>it is right. Yes, AAA will come and change your widdle
>fwat tirey-poo for you (and the driver will undoubtedly
>snicker about it afterward and hold you in boundless
>contempt, as well he should). But your paying money to
>AAA doesn't relieve you of the implicit responsibility
>to use your membership privileges intelligently.
>
It's his dues, idiot.
Imagine, if everyone were as "self reliant" as you, AAA could fire all their
operators and tow truck drivers and still make a killing, just collecting
membership dues. Why, it would become the #1 Fortune 500 company!
>
>
>Geoff
>
>--
>My Child Was Fascist Of the Month
>At Rudolf Hess Elementary School
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
DrPimpDaddi
>isn't to the auto club; it's to your fellow auto club *members.*
According to whom? Oh, according to our resident asshole-hypocrite.
>
>Given that you're all drawing on finite resources, especially
>at certain times of day, it's a no-brainer to conclude that
>all members should feel absolutely free to make use of those
>resources *when necessary,* but resist the urge to make use of
>them when it _isn't_ really necessary.
LOL! There are more tow trucks than disabled cars on any given day. If there
wasn't, AAA wouldn't be making a profit.
>
>
>> If I can deal with it myself it's a lot more efficient to
>> do so, and I would. If I can't, it's not going to worry
>> me one bit that I might deprive some more deserving person
>> of receiving service before me rather than after me.
>
>That's as it should be -- with the proviso that if something
>(like changing a tire) is trivially easy do, and you simply
>haven't bothered to learn yet, you have an ethical obligation
>to acquire that knowledge. Think of it as "empowerment," if
>that makes the idea any more palatable.
>
Gee, all the ladies must be impressed when you drive-by screaming" change your
own tire, dyke!" LOL!
>
>> I think you're worrying needlessly about the morality of
>> using a purchased service. When you go to the grocery
>> store, do you avoid buying the last package of half-price
>> cheese because somebody else MIGHT need it more?
>
>Silly analogy. Everybody needs food equally, and since there
>are always other supermarkets nearby, one could always go to
>one of the others if he really, really, had to have that cheese.
>(Which I've done a few times when I've had a "brie jones," in-
>cidentally. Brie and Stoned Wheat Thins are a _sine qua non_
>with martinis out on the deck on a summer evening. And being
>a Republican, I like my martinis.)
You're a GOPer? That explains A LOT.
>
>Tow trucks, however, are a finite resource. Especially during
>commute periods.
>
Who says? A senile GOPer hypocrite....
>
>> BTW, I just saw a book called "Who Moved My Cheese?" What a
>> great title! The book itself couldn't possibly be anywhere
>> near as good as
>
>Saw it at Borders the other day. I haven't looked at it, though.
>
>The story is that Werner Erhard, the founder of the "est" self-
>actualization movement, originated that analogy.
>
>
I bet you can't afford a book. Explains why you read it at the store.
Hypocrite.
DrPimpDaddi
>two hours for a tow truck because inconsiderate louts like
>yourself have the drivers running around changing tires
>instead of responding to legitimate breakdowns, though.
Name a single person who waited 2 hours for AAA..... you can't. Because it's a
figment of your delusions to support your idiotic ASSumption.
>
>Where was your mother when she should've been teaching you
>manners? Spreading 'em for the mailman?
>
At least your mama had the good sense to kill herself.
>
>
>Geoff
>
>--
>My Child Was Fascist Of the Month
>At Rudolf Hess Elementary School
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
DrPimpDaddi
>ignorance about automotive matters: hpjeannie is one, what's-
>her-name who I responded to earlier in this thread seems to be
>another, and it wouldn't surprise me if you were a third. (How
>many random women out there would know that Supras have six-
>cylinder engines?) But overall, women are appallingly and
>deliberately ignorant about cars. Mechanics know this, too,
>which is why women so often get "taken" at the garage.
>
>
>
>Geoff
>
Not only a senile, hypocrite net kook, but a chauvenist pig to boot!
If you were really involved in auto racing, you'd know that there are women
competing in them. Your ignorance is only surpassed by your self-riteous
hypocricy.
Joseph Michael Bay
>Dave "Jerkoff Blister" Lister <retsil...@hotmail.com> writes:
>> You clearly have anger management issues, loon.
>Oh, is that the trendy new hack expression that people are
>using in lieu of considered responses? It's *so* hard to
>keep up with these things...
Oh, my, yes; ot's almost totally replaced the accusation
that one's interlocutor is an ape (argumentum ad simiam)
in polite discourse.
--
Joe Bay Cancer Biology www.stanford.edu/~jmbay/
"We are all lying in the gutter, but some of us BLEAAAAGHH, AARGGH HRRRRRRRK"
--Oscar Wilde
Putting the "harm" in molecular pharmacology since 1998.
Brian Gordon
DrPimpDaddi <drpim...@aol.comkilsanta> wrote:
>>Any card-carrying AAA member would care about having to wait
>>two hours for a tow truck because inconsiderate louts like
>>yourself have the drivers running around changing tires
>>instead of responding to legitimate breakdowns, though.
>
>Name a single person who waited 2 hours for AAA..... you can't. Because it's a
>figment of your delusions to support your idiotic ASSumption.
_I_ have, at least twice. Once with a flat when I discovered a broken jack,
and once for a jump start in my driveway, the first in CA, the second in AZ.
--
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Brian Gordon -->bri...@panix.com<-- <This space for rent> |
+ Bass: Greater Phoenix Chapter "Pride of Phoenix" SPEBSQSA Chorus +
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Bob Ward
wrote:
>
>LOL! There are more tow trucks than disabled cars on any given day. If there
>wasn't, AAA wouldn't be making a profit.
>
Actually, AAA owns no tow trucks. They make their profit based on the
fact that most members are intimidated by assholes like Geoff, so they
never use the services they have paid for.
Jerry L
news:1n7vsvk3mf0d75ptn...@4ax.com...
Bob, in all my arguments against Geoff, I never called him an asshole. Thank
you for bringing to my attention.
razzlfratz
says...
I would not refer to Geoff as an asshole. IMO he is trolling. By his own
definition in one of his posts in this thread he defines trolling as follows:
"Trolling is typically done by writing in a provocative manner about
emotion-laden "hot button" issues, ..."
I submit that just about every response or originating post he has posted to
this and other threads satisfies his own definition of trolling.
My guess is that no one really knows what Geoff's actual opinions are. For all
I know he may be the staunchest liberal and walking this planet.
Geoff Miller
Earlier I wrote:
: Except that one doesn't need to be a mechanic to change a
: tire, any more than one needs to be an electrician in
: order to replace a burned-out lightbulb.
DrPimpDaddi <drpim...@aol.comkilsanta> writes:
> Not everyone wants to get grease on their hands and suit
> just before their big presentation.
Well boo hoo hoo. Why do you think I recommended carrying
gloves in the car?
> I'm sure a grease monkey like yourself never have to
worry about that.
You're a real rocket scientist, aren't you? I think I'll
start calling you Wernher von Braunstain.
> There should be one for NGs as well. Guess who wouldn't
> be able to post then.
And yet I'm smart enough to keep you occupied, one notes.
> There you go again grease monkey, ASSumptions. Didn't your
> mommy tell you... oh wait, she was probably as stupid as you.
Unlike you, though, she was smart enough to change a tire
without screwing it up.
DrPimpDaddi
>gloves in the car?
How do gloves keep grease/oil/dirt of your suit, moron?
Not everyone wears a Jiffy Lube jumpsuit everywhere they go, like you. LOL!
>
>
>> I'm sure a grease monkey like yourself never have to
>worry about that.
>
>You're a real rocket scientist, aren't you? I think I'll
>start calling you Wernher von Braunstain.
>
Everyone would be considered one, when compared to you. LOL!
>
>> There should be one for NGs as well. Guess who wouldn't
>> be able to post then.
>
>And yet I'm smart enough to keep you occupied, one notes.
>
Yes, you're quite entertaining. Kinda like Special Olympics.... full of
amusement.
>
>> There you go again grease monkey, ASSumptions. Didn't your
>> mommy tell you... oh wait, she was probably as stupid as you.
>
>Unlike you, though, she was smart enough to change a tire
>without screwing it up.
>
Yet, she couldn't defeat cancer....
>Geoff
>
>--
>My Child Was Fascist Of the Month
>At Rudolf Hess Elementary School
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
The Real Bev
>
> On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 21:49:50 -0800, The Real Bev
> <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>
> >Bob Ward wrote:
> >>
> >> On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 09:53:12 -0500, "Nonymous" <no...@nospam.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> >> > Along these lines, why do people just leave their disabled car in
> >> >> > traffic with the blinkers going? You may not be able to push a Caddie
> >> >> > uphill, but a normal person ought to be able to push an ordinary car
> >> >> > over to the side without doing him/herself an injury. I've done it and
> >> >> > still could if I had to.
> >> >>
> >> >> Only a fool would get out of a disabled car in heavy traffic and push
> >> >> the car to the side.
> >> >
> >> >If the disabled car is blocking traffic such that the traffic can barely
> >> >move, then the traffic isn't all that dangerous.
> >>
> >> Yes, it is - because the passing drivers are determined to KEEP
> >> moving, rather than allow you to move to the side of the road.
> >
> >Well, it's been a long time... Maybe we're nicer down here in SoCal, or
> >maybe everybody used to be nicer. Still, it would never have occurred
> >to me that somebody might be willing to door himmself just for the sheer
> >pleasure of killing the person pushing the car; at the very least, he'd
> >leave some of his own paint as evidence. At worst, my door (made of
> >REAL metal) might actually rip off his bumper, which is hard to explain
> >-- especially with all the bloodstains on the headlights.
>
> I'm talking about Southern California - and it's not a matter of the
> other driver finding pleasure in killing you - he doesn't even
> recognize that you exist, other than as an impediment to his forward
> progress.
Acknowledged, but the big orange door sticking out ought to get his
attention. The only way I know for a single person to push a car is to
steer with one hand and push on the doorframe with the rest of your
body, which requires the door to be wide open.
OTOh, that's a lot of work. Screw everybody else, I'll just leave the
truck out in the middle blocking TWO lanes of traffic and wander off in
search of a telephone. Maybe a cup of coffee too...
--
Cheers,
Bev
-----------------------------------------
There's something wrong with my keyboard.
Whenever I type x I get x.
The Real Bev
>
> >Your obligation to use your membership privileges responsibly
> >isn't to the auto club; it's to your fellow auto club *members.*
Nope, sorry, don't know any of them. Don't know any people starving in
Bangladesh, either.
> According to whom? Oh, according to our resident asshole-hypocrite.
> >
> >Given that you're all drawing on finite resources, especially
> >at certain times of day, it's a no-brainer to conclude that
> >all members should feel absolutely free to make use of those
> >resources *when necessary,* but resist the urge to make use of
> >them when it _isn't_ really necessary.
>
> LOL! There are more tow trucks than disabled cars on any given day. If there
> wasn't, AAA wouldn't be making a profit.
I'm actually contributing to their profits -- I haven't needed help for
years.
> >> If I can deal with it myself it's a lot more efficient to
> >> do so, and I would. If I can't, it's not going to worry
> >> me one bit that I might deprive some more deserving person
> >> of receiving service before me rather than after me.
> >
> >That's as it should be -- with the proviso that if something
> >(like changing a tire) is trivially easy do, and you simply
> >haven't bothered to learn yet, you have an ethical obligation
> >to acquire that knowledge. Think of it as "empowerment," if
> >that makes the idea any more palatable.
I'm empowered all to hell and gone, thankyouverymuch.
> Gee, all the ladies must be impressed when you drive-by screaming" change your
> own tire, dyke!" LOL!
A few decades ago my car developed a flat in a parking lot. I can't
remember the exact details, although I know that walking to my friend's
house was involved. Took the tire off, did something or other, put a
tire back on and was tightening the last nut when a cop pulled up. Did
he offer to help? Nope, but he did offer to call the auto club for me.
What a nutless wonder. Afraid to get his hands dirty?
> >> I think you're worrying needlessly about the morality of
> >> using a purchased service. When you go to the grocery
> >> store, do you avoid buying the last package of half-price
> >> cheese because somebody else MIGHT need it more?
> >
> >Silly analogy. Everybody needs food equally, and since there
> >are always other supermarkets nearby, one could always go to
> >one of the others if he really, really, had to have that cheese.
> >(Which I've done a few times when I've had a "brie jones," in-
> >cidentally.
Trader Joe has some brie with garlic and mushrooms (champignons, for the
frog-impaired) which is excellent.
> >Brie and Stoned Wheat Thins are a _sine qua non_
> >with martinis out on the deck on a summer evening. And being
> >a Republican, I like my martinis.)
>
> You're a GOPer? That explains A LOT.
I'm a modified libertarian. I don't drink.
> >Tow trucks, however, are a finite resource. Especially during
> >commute periods.
>
> Who says? A senile GOPer hypocrite....
What are you, some kind of commie pinko liberal fag? NTTAWWT, of
course...
> >> BTW, I just saw a book called "Who Moved My Cheese?" What a
> >> great title! The book itself couldn't possibly be anywhere
> >> near as good as
> >
> >Saw it at Borders the other day. I haven't looked at it, though.
> >
> >The story is that Werner Erhard, the founder of the "est" self-
> >actualization movement, originated that analogy.
Too much information. He's the guy who held meetings where nobody was
allowed to pee, right?
> I bet you can't afford a book. Explains why you read it at the store.
> Hypocrite.
ALWAYS try to read a book at the store. Amazing how easy it is to
decide that a book isn't worth reading even if it was free.
The Real Bev
>
> On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 22:11:54 -0800, The Real Bev
> <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>
> >"Brigitte J." wrote:
> >>
> >> Geoff Miller <geo...@u1.netgate.net> wrote in message
> >> news:bqg7n8$a...@u1.netgate.net...
> >> >
> >> > And I'd further be willing to wager that most of those
> >> > drivers are women. Women often -- hell, *usually* --
> >> > deliberately cultivate an infuriating ignorance and
> >> > helplessness when it comes to matters automotive. And
> >> > of course, they don't want to risk geting their little
> >> > handsies dirty or horror of horrors, breaking a nail.
> >>
> >> I am female and I resent this kind of comment. I know how to maintain my
> >> vehicle and how to change a tire. On several occasions I have changed my
> >> own flat tire. But when I'm wearing a dress, stockings and heels I won't do
> >> it. Would you? I don't believe Ann Coulter would either.
> >
> >I think he's just trying to pull our chains.
>
I can do that. It's a lot easier if you carry your own floor jack with
you, but I made a cute little ramp-thing with a slot at the top that
makes the job fairly easy. Hint: always carry work gloves and a sturdy
raincoat in your trunk. And Channellocks. The guy who stopped
previously where I was thoughtfully left his behind for me to use.
--
Cheers,
Bev
---------------------------------
aibohphobia - fear of palindromes
The Real Bev
>
> The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> writes:
>
> > I think he's just trying to pull our chains.
>
> On the contrary, I'm as serious at the proverbial heart attack.
>
> Don't assume that just because a certain idea isn't PC, that
> the person expressing it is insincere.
>
> I know there are lots of women out there who _don't_ cultivate
> ignorance about automotive matters: hpjeannie is one, what's-
> her-name who I responded to earlier in this thread seems to be
> another, and it wouldn't surprise me if you were a third. (How
> many random women out there would know that Supras have six-
> cylinder engines?)
I only know that because a co-worker had one. I envied it. Much
slicker than my 78 POS Cad. OTOH, I ride (and sometimes fix)
motorcycles too. Extra credit?
> But overall, women are appallingly and
> deliberately ignorant about cars. Mechanics know this, too,
> which is why women so often get "taken" at the garage.
Yeah, but it happens to guys too. It happens to anybody who takes their
car to the dealer for repair. Exception is NOT made because only a
dealer has the particular expensive tool that's required.
Geoff Miller
Joseph Michael Bay <jm...@Stanford.EDU> writes:
> Of course, since a strapping young Turk probably wouldn't
> think changing a tire was beyond his abilities, he'd be
> less likely to ask about road service for a flat.
Yeah, and speaking of Istanbul, it seems that quite a few
participants in this thread worship at the Hagia Coprophagia.
It's enough to make one want to invest in Altoids futures.
Geoff Miller
DrPimpDaddi <drpim...@aol.comkilsanta> challenges:
> Name a single person who waited 2 hours for AAA..... you can't.
You should've waited until I'd had a chance to respond before
you lipped off, nibblenuts. Yes, I _can_ name a person who's
had to wait two hours for a two truck: me. And on more than
one occasion, I might add.
> Because it's a figment of your delusions to support your
> idiotic ASSumption.
Gee, I bet you feel about an inch tall now, dontcha?
> At least your mama had the good sense to kill herself.
You know more about my life than I know about it myself,
it would seem. That, or you're just engaging in more of
your patented intellectual coprophagy.
Joseph Michael Bay
>Joseph Michael Bay <jm...@Stanford.EDU> writes:
>> Of course, since a strapping young Turk probably wouldn't
>> think changing a tire was beyond his abilities, he'd be
>> less likely to ask about road service for a flat.
>Yeah, and speaking of Istanbul, it seems that quite a few
>participants in this thread worship at the Hagia Coprophagia.
>It's enough to make one want to invest in Altoids futures.
What an astounding non sequiturd.
Geoff Miller
Bob Ward <bob...@email.com> writes:
> Actually, AAA owns no tow trucks.
You're splitting hairs in a desperate, last-ditch effort
to earn Petty Points. Who actually owns the tow trucks is
immaterial. They're "AAA tow trucks" because they operate
under the name and the aegis of the AAA.
> They make their profit based on the fact that most members
> are intimidated by assholes like Geoff, so they never use
> the services they have paid for.
It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jackoff, when
advocating consideration for others gets one labeled an "asshole."
Of course, since basic thoughtfulness is something people should've
learned as very young children as part of a decent upbringing, it's
to be expected that the idea is a bitter pill to swallow later in
life when others point out one's social shortcomings. Then again,
that isn't really my problem, is it?
Bob, why don't you do something more constructive, like stick a
gun in your mouth and paint the ceiling with what passes for
your brains?
Just a suggestion, of course.
Geoff Miller
Jerry L <jlevi...@adelphia.net> writes:
> Bob, in all my arguments against Geoff,
You mean _both_ of them? Hyuck.
> I never called him an asshole. Thank you for bringing
> [this] to my attention.
That's because due to your codgertude and being in the
advanced stages of Whifflebrain, you lack the requisite
synaptic connections to come up with such ideas _sans_
assistance from others.
You probably drive for miles with the turn signal on, at
ten miles per hour below the speed limit, while peering
*through* the steering wheel.
Geoff Miller
razzlfratz <razzl...@my.domain> quotes Yr. Fthfl. Srvnt.:
> "Trolling is typically done by writing in a provocative manner
> about emotion-laden "hot button" issues, ..."
Oh, that's true as far as it goes. But then again, it's sim-
plistic to assume that it works both ways and that whenever
someone writes provocatively and many people disagree with
him, he's necessarily trolling.
What with all the contention in society these days, it isn't
terribly far-fetched to imagine that people can be both con-
troversial and sincere.
And with civility in steep decline, it also shouldn't be very
surprising that somebody who pushes for consideration for
otehrs would be met with hoots of derision.
(That's treading perilously close to _argumentum ad simiam_,
I realize.)
> My guess is that no one really knows what Geoff's actual
> opinions are. For all I know he may be the staunchest
> liberal and walking this planet.
<HUUURRRLLL!!!>