Well bless your heart.
17 Likes
With that ONE exception, heh.
12 Likes
In Oregon, we joke that Californians can’t drive in the Rain…
and Oregonians can’t drive by an accident.
4 Likes
I must have missed that episode of Star Trek.
2 Likes
I remember this happened around 15 years ago also. I worked at a building next to the Duval and Burnet fork off MoPac, and lived about two miles away. Because of the steep grades on the roadways, people couldn’t approach the building, and I wound up being one of around ten people who actually made it in to work because I lived up at Gracy Farms and just “skated” in on my shoes.
4 Likes
Featuring Will Riker at his sleaziest:
9 Likes
When I lived in snow country, I used a powerful leaf blower to clear the snow off, if it was fresh powder. Then if there was ice caked on the glass, I would start my car and turn the heat up full blast and then go back inside the house for 5 minutes. When I came back… Problem solved. No scraping.
3 Likes
Second. Worst. Episode. Ever.
The “Bringloidi” (probably derived from the Irish word for dream), a colony of space-Irish caricatures who try to build a poteen still in the cargo bay. Best forgotten.
(The worst episode is of course TNG Season 1, episode 4)
6 Likes
I had to look that up, but yes, ugh.
Nothing about the Ferengi was much fun— they weren’t a credible threat and their overt sexism and avarice made them a cheap foil for preachy outcomes courtesy of the post-scarcity federation. TNG played the Ferengi for humor, but I just found them tiresome.
And then there’s the trope where the away team is challenged and judged by a nigh-omnipotent alien, and human nobility wins the day. I get that this is a central axiom of the Star Trek ‘verse, but I look around myself and can’t help feeling that nobility is in short supply around here. I guess things are going to get a lot better over the next few centuries?
5 Likes
And clear the radiator and hood vents. Once after a heavy snow in NYC when I was a child a neighbor ran the car while digging it out from under feet of snow. The front grill and hood vents were blocked . The engine caught fire. I think it was an old car and something like the hoses and wire insulation burned. I’ve seen heavier snows since but no more cars catching fire.
2 Likes
It does no LESS good than idling anywhere else, like, in traffic, waiting at lights, waiting in any sort of drive-through…
If Germany has laws against this, I assure you, it’s “virtue signalling”.
Let’s concentrate on things that actually make a difference. Like not driving. Not living in such a way that driving internal combustion engine vehicles is necessary…
1 Like
Yes it does, it reduces fuel efficiency. With a modern fuel injected engine it is necessary to let the engine achieve oil pressure but then it should be driven – less than a minute or so and driving gently to bring the temperature up.
National Resources Canada ran an experiment where they idled modern, non-carbureted cars before setting off at -18 degrees Celsius, which is just under 0 degrees F. Cars that idled for five minutes had 7% to 14% worse fuel economy than their no-idling counterparts, while cars that idled for ten minutes fared 12% to 19% worse.
Not driving would be a better solution to that problem.
3 Likes
You’re a bit behind the times there.
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Tata Motors.
2 Likes
Unless you consider ice free, fog free windows and a comfortably warm interior to be good. Sometimes it is patently unsafe to begin driving before the windows have defrosted.
Having said that, this thread did help me to realize that warming up the engine as we used to do in my carbuerated engine childhood is no longer needed so thanks for that.
5 Likes
In winter it is common for morning temperatures to be 0 degrees Fahrenheit where I live. Janiary temperatures usually dont rise above freezing. And public transport isn’t an option. Warming the cabin is a necessity
Current weather:
8 Likes
Still needed. My car’s revs start at about 1500 and drop to 750 after about 20-30 secs (some sort of automatic choke function I guess). Only then has oil reached all parts of the engine. I was told it is better on the engine in the long run to not engage gear and move off - i.e. not out any strain on the engine - until the revs have dropped.
…my car was gone.
UK insurers specifically warn against this and make it clear they will not pay any theft claims in these circumstances.
2 Likes
Nice WTForecast you’ve got going there.
2 Likes
Haha, city rat vs country mouse. I lived so rurally that someone stealing my car would have meant, SHOCK! A VISITOR!!! PUT ON SOME COFFEE!
Lock your doors with the fob, dude.
4 Likes
Some older cars still require the fob - attached to the key - to be in the ignition or the engine stops.
Great to know your residential location allows this. There were some car thefts from dumb fucks who left their cars warming in their drives last time UK had a severe snowfall winter - they were surprised their insurers said ‘nope’.
3 Likes
Great comments — we live in coastal Virginia - home to many people from all over the US … on our rare snow days you can spot all the Northerners … we all have our cars completely cleaned of snow.
1 Like
