Skier speed trap hell

[Glenn]

I love cars and I enjoy driving. I also spend enough time on the road to see how bad people are at driving. It's scary as hell to see someone puttering along in the left lane, swerving.....and when you pass them(on the right)...they're texting or talking on the phone. It's crazy how many feet you travel per second a highway speeds; and you see people not paying attention.

 

[benski]

As a college student, I feel like most people my age don't like driving. I know many people who don't have there license, and we are always carpooling, and often looking for ways to avoid driving. I think the big drunk driving and texting meanwhile driving campaigns combines with a desire to do both meanwhile in transit makes driving feel like a chore to my generation. I think this is also why millennial tend to put off moving to the suburbs.

 

[ss20]

As an avid NASCAR fan, something I often talk about with other racing fans is the death of American car culture. Not only is working on cars not a thing anymore, just owning them is viewed as too much of a "hassle", as benski said.

The truth is when you're in high school getting a car is far too expensive (especially insurance). And is it worth it so the kid can commute to/from a minimum wage job? Then in college, they live on-campus or in-town, as quite a few colleges now require first year students to live on-campus, and without a car. So now the individual is in their early 20s, and, demographics would indicate that a young professional at that age is most likely to live in a city, where they can use mass transportation.


Somewhere along the line people stopped equating cars with freedom and personal independence. Independence has started to mean going to university and living away from home....and with that, cars just became another large, costly appliance.

My $0.02. And for the record, after skiing, the biggest thing I couldn't live without is a car.

 

[cdskier]

Somewhere along the line people stopped equating cars with freedom and personal independence. Independence has started to mean going to university and living away from home....and with that, cars just became another large, costly appliance.

When I went to college (a mere 18 years ago), I was thrilled to find that my top choice let freshmen have cars on campus. I just couldn't have imagined being without a car even in college (and I went away to college 5 hours from home).

 

[Scruffy]

Speedometers can be plus or minus 5mph at highway speeds. Also, sometimes people put the wrong size tires on their vehicles and that also changes speedometers. This is why cops generally let you slide for 10 mph over. I have seen cops write tickets down to under 10 over in order not to bury people in fines and insurance increases.

I agree 100% with the variation in speedometers and different sized tires, and I knew someone would bring this up
But, that in and of it's self is not why cops let you ride for +10mph, they're generally not that magnanimous. In fact it'd be up to you as the car owner, to keep your car in compliance. The real issue is most cops don't want to be bothered fighting a fight in court with someone over a small speeding infraction and a small fine, especially if the infraction get's pleaded down. A 15mph or over is less likely to get pleaded down, or if it does it still results in a traffic infraction and a fine, so it's a fast in and out in court for the cop, and more of a sure thing for conviction.

 

[Scruffy]

When I went to college (a mere 18 years ago), I was thrilled to find that my top choice let freshmen have cars on campus. I just couldn't have imagined being without a car even in college (and I went away to college 5 hours from home).

Me too. College 5 hours away. Drove myself there and back in my MGB from day one, my parents never set foot on the campus. It's a shame that insurance is so high now for young men, it was high when I was young, but now it's crazy--it's the lions share of the cost of ownership usually--especially for a used or free from family member car. It's too bad young people don't see the freedom a car can offer. I can understand that if you live in a city, a car is a hassle, but that of course depends on the city, some are more car friendly than others.

 

[thetrailboss]

Police in Bridgewater, on VT Route 4, issued over 2,300 tickets last year. Oh, and the 25 mph school zone doesn’t even have a school.

http://www.wcax.com/content/news/Vermonts-top-speed-trap-is-a-defunct-school-zone-480793251.html

Some things don't change. That is a huge speed trap.

 

[ss20]

Cars were everything in my teens. My car gave me access to skiing, a nice job, going out with friends, and since the parents were at home... my car gave me a private place for many romantic "firsts"

 

[gregnye]

Somewhere along the line people stopped equating cars with freedom and personal independence. Independence has started to mean going to university and living away from home....and with that, cars just became another large, costly appliance.

I'm so glad the car dependence is ending in this country. And this is coming from someone who drives commercially for work. Cars are unsustainable modes of transportation that prevent social interaction. Not to mention how unsafe they are. We have just become accustom to the daily car crashes and loss of lives cars create.

People always are often impressed at the low miles on my car. Really I only use it to go skiing and take public transit into work. I would 100% sell my car if there was a reliable train to the ski areas I frequent.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Just remember you'll be rolling along at the speed limit ... or less

If everyone drives at the speedlimit tragic flows much better. Cars merge together nicely eliminating traffic jams. By everyone driving the same and constant speed you would be amazed how much faster you arrive even driving slower.

Sent from my SM-G930F using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[BenedictGomez]

It would get rid of all drunk driving

Would it? Probably not for a while.

The technology is not so good that they'll allow you to be bombed as a solo passenger. In fact, this will probably be an early issue, and it wouldn't surprise me if people could get DWI while alone in a self-driving car even if an "accident" is the fault of the non self-driving car.

Not only is working on cars not a thing anymore

Some of the auto manufacturers are partly to blame for this. You'd need to be a mechanic who works on tons of different cars to know all the manufacturers that are guilty, but I've definitely noticed a trend towards intentional and needless complications of "placement" of things. Sometimes things that should be EASY to fix yourself, are made extremely complicated so you have to bring the car into the shop.
Really bizarrely placed and extraordinarily difficult to reach spark plugs, for instance.

Cars are unsustainable modes of transportation that prevent social interaction.

Talking on horseback is worse.

 

[x10003q]

I'm so glad the car dependence is ending in this country. And this is coming from someone who drives commercially for work. Cars are unsustainable modes of transportation that prevent social interaction. Not to mention how unsafe they are. We have just become accustom to the daily car crashes and loss of lives cars create.

You are grossly mistaken. Car dependence will NEVER end in the USA. People need to get to work and mass transit will NEVER be able to accommodate all the workers and the locations where they work.

People always are often impressed at the low miles on my car. Really I only use it to go skiing and take public transit into work. I would 100% sell my car if there was a reliable train to the ski areas I frequent.

I lived in NYC for 15 years and I did try to figure out a train trip to Killington. It was an expensive nightmare that can take twice as long as a car trip.

 

[x10003q]

If everyone drives at the speedlimit tragic flows much better. Cars merge together nicely eliminating traffic jams. By everyone driving the same and constant speed you would be amazed how much faster you arrive even driving slower.

Sent from my SM-G930F using AlpineZone mobile app

This might be true on highways during rush hour when roads at overcapacity.

It is definitely not true when highways are at normal capacity or less than normal capacity. It is also not true when speed limits are arbitrarily set lower than the speed limit the road was designed to handle.

 

[Smellytele]

Would it? Probably not for a while.

The technology is not so good that they'll allow you to be bombed as a solo passenger. In fact, this will probably be an early issue, and it wouldn't surprise me if people could get DWI while alone in a self-driving car even if an "accident" is the fault of the non self-driving car.

If the tech was at the point where as he said he could take a self driving car from NJ to VT and be reading a book or taking a nap then yes.

 

[Smellytele]

Some of the auto manufacturers are partly to blame for this. You'd need to be a mechanic who works on tons of different cars to know all the manufacturers that are guilty, but I've definitely noticed a trend towards intentional and needless complications of "placement" of things. Sometimes things that should be EASY to fix yourself, are made extremely complicated so you have to bring the car into the shop.
Really bizarrely placed and extraordinarily difficult to reach spark plugs, for instance.

On my wife's vehicle you have to take the front end apart to change the headlight.

 

[Smellytele]

You are grossly mistaken. Car dependence will NEVER end in the USA. People need to get to work and mass transit will NEVER be able to accommodate all the workers and the locations where they work.

Lets get rid of all those rail to trails and start a trails to rail movement!

 

[VTKilarney]

The simple reality is that the United States does not have the infrastructure for mass transit to meaningfully replace automobiles. This is the result of a decades long policy of preferring automobile infrastructure over mass transit infrastructure. Automobiles are not going away because of this. The example of taking the train to Killington is a good example. It just doesn't make sense if you have an automobile.

 

[2Planker]

Model is Passport SR7 (w/ optional Escort ZR3 jammer). Great performance from a nice stealthy unit. Takes the traditional detector to the next level w/ jamming capabilitities. Works GREAT !

http://www.blinder-laser-jammer.com/escort-passport-sr7-radar-detector.htm

Pretty sure that will be illegal. Well....at least for probably the first decade or so of self-driving cars.



Escort makes a great product. What model is yours? I'm probably due for an upgrade as mine is about 8 or 9 years old. Only the Lord knows how many times its' paid for itself over those years.

 

[ThinkSnow]

The truth is when you're in high school getting a car is far too expensive (especially insurance). And is it worth it so the kid can commute to/from a minimum wage job? Then in college, they live on-campus or in-town, as quite a few colleges now require first year students to live on-campus, and without a car. So now the individual is in their early 20s, and, demographics would indicate that a young professional at that age is most likely to live in a city, where they can use mass transportation.
Somewhere along the line people stopped equating cars with freedom and personal independence. Independence has started to mean going to university and living away from home....and with that, cars just became another large, costly appliance.QUOTE]

Are you basically saying that high school kids these days can't be bothered with a low paying job in order to afford a vehicle, which in turn teaches them how to save money, and prioritize-- perhaps because its easier to be coddled by mom & dad? And when in college are then complacent to continue to allow mommy & daddy to take them to and from campus because they can't be bothered doing these things for themselves because they won't end up living in the horrible suburbs like their parents did? If this is the case, then isn't it the parents fault for not instilling these values initially?

 

[Jully]

The truth is when you're in high school getting a car is far too expensive (especially insurance). And is it worth it so the kid can commute to/from a minimum wage job? Then in college, they live on-campus or in-town, as quite a few colleges now require first year students to live on-campus, and without a car. So now the individual is in their early 20s, and, demographics would indicate that a young professional at that age is most likely to live in a city, where they can use mass transportation.
Somewhere along the line people stopped equating cars with freedom and personal independence. Independence has started to mean going to university and living away from home....and with that, cars just became another large, costly appliance.QUOTE]

Are you basically saying that high school kids these days can't be bothered with a low paying job in order to afford a vehicle, which in turn teaches them how to save money, and prioritize-- perhaps because its easier to be coddled by mom & dad? And when in college are then complacent to continue to allow mommy & daddy to take them to and from campus because they can't be bothered doing these things for themselves because they won't end up living in the horrible suburbs like their parents did? If this is the case, then isn't it the parents fault for not instilling these values initially?

Lol. I read that as the cost of owning a car has increased compared to what you earn from a minimum wage high school level job.

Your point about universities varies by the school. If you're going to school in a city, I hope to hell you don't bring a car. I live in Boston and all the BU kids with cars adds a ridiculous amount of congestion. If you're going to Colby College in Maine though, then you might have a point.