HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Flashing to Pass: An Observation
Date: 20 Aug 92 14:46:29 GMT
Reply-To: tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett)
Organization: Auspex Systems, Inc.  Engineering

In article <Bt9Boy.Hu2@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott 
Coleman) writes:
> Well, around here it's a) more like rush MINUTE, and b) my commute doesn't
> involve any freeways, and you don't see too many big semis cruising down 
> residential sidestreets. ;-)

GO AHEAD -- RUB IT IN.

Rush hour isn't like rush hour in San Jose either -- it's like rush
day.  But then there's only 1.25 million here to rush.


Tom Pickett 
tpickett@auspex.com
SHO  GOZE
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving,rec.autos
From: theune@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Peter Theune)
Subject: Re: WASHINGTON DC PARKING TICKET Limit before been booted or towed ?
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 11:53:58 GMT

agupta@agupta.enet.dec.com (Abhijit Gupta) writes:


>I received two parking tickets on separate occasion while visiting Washington
>DC in the last one year. I am planning to take my car again this week and I
>was wondering after how many tickets do the authorities start putting the
>boot or start towing the car.

>If two tickets are too many then I would rather rent a car rather
>than risk my car. By the way I had appealed both the cases but I lost both
>the times. I understand that the response gathered here would be speculative
>but I still would like to know when do the cops start getting nasty. Please
>don't flame this note.

>Abhijit


I listened to a NPR show last week (Derek Mcginty), when he hosted among
others, the head of the DC parking inforcement section.

The head weinie said that although the law allows booting after two
parking tickets, their practice was to boot only after three outstanding
tickets.  However, I would assume from your post that you are from out
of town. In your case, you might want to use extreme caution. Or, baring
that, park legally. (Good Luck!!).  BTW I have heard that they are
planning an amesty for parking fines that would eliminate the "extra"
fines and just allow you to pay the base fine. You might want to call
the Parking people and check on that.

Peter Theune
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
Johns Hopkins Rd. Laurel Md. 20723
From: csroach@eng.clemson.edu (Shane Roach)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Am I over driving in overdrive?
Date: 12 Aug 92 18:03:18 GMT
Reply-To: csroach@eng.clemson.edu
Distribution: usa
Organization: College of Engineering, Clemson Univ.

In article 21952@hubcap.clemson.edu, csroach@eng.clemson.edu (Shane Roach) writes:
>I'll agree that 240 mph is a pretty high number, but it isn't that unrealistic.  
>It is rather damn fast, though.  Backstretch seats at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
>give you a real appreciation for just how damn fast it is.
>
>
>Shane Roach
>csroach@eng.clemson.edu
>
>
>
>
Dammit.  Pesky new newsreader chopped off the first, and most pertinent, paragraph
of my post.  I said something like the Corvette's ZF 6-speed has a 6th gear that is
about a 0.5:1, a VERY DEEP overdrive.  There is also a nice wide gap from 5th(.75-80)
to 6th.  With an intermediate gear or two in there you'd have a nice high top speed,
maybe approaching that 240 mph you said was unrealistic.
 
Shane Roach
csroach@eng.clemson.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost)
Subject: Re: Illegal Acceleration?
Organization: CenterLine Software, Inc.
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 19:56:10 GMT

In article @rpi.edu, johnsh@aix.rpi.edu (Hugh Johnson) writes:
>I have wondered about acceleration and the law.  Could I possibly be
>breaking some inane law by accelerating up to, but not exceeding, the
>posted speed limit very rapidly?  For example, using the full 0 to 45
>potential of my car?  

In NH these actions are prosecuted by two different laws.  The obvious
one is reckless driving, which would certainly apply to full
accelleration at an intersection for no reason -- if something
appeared in your path (a likely thing at an intersection) you'd have a
hard time avoiding it.  The other law is misuse of power, which is
usually used to prosecute people for burning out.

I always thought they ought to prosecute tire-burners for air
pollution, but whatever works :-).

jim frost
jimf@centerline.com
From: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ron Bense)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Flashing to Pass: An Observation
Date: 21 Aug 92 17:40:43 GMT
Reply-To: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ronald Bense)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.autos.driving, tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett) writes:
>In article <23936@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ron Bense)
>writes:
>> mile backups at 11 or midnight. Rush hour on I-95 south of DC starts
>> somewhere around 4:30 - 5 AM, at least the earliest bumper to bumper
>> back-up I've seen on it was 20 miles long by 5 AM. I-66, the only other
>> freeway, isn't much better, nor is the beltway.

>My gosh!  I didn't think there was worse traffic than what we've got!
>Ya got the Bay area beat, except when we get a backup over the mountains
>into Santa Cruz for the requisite daily crash on Highway 17.

Here;s some info for you, provided you don't have a map of the DC area
handy. I-66 comes in from the west, is 2 lanes wide for most of its
length, and has another 4-lane freeway (tollroad from west) empty into
it. Inside the Beltway (approximately 8 miles out from the center of
DC) it is an HOV-3 road, meaning you need 3 people in your car to legally
drive on it. I-395 is another spur from 95 that heads into DC from the
south, as is i-295 which meets up with i-395 (a small loop in virginia).
None of these "interstates" go through town, the all end in stop lights,
except for 295 which connects to 395, which only puts you back where
you came from. I-270 comes in from the nw in Maryland, and it is a 6
lane freeway that splits into a 2 and a 3 lane freeway that connects
to the beltway, south and west respectively. That's all the freeways
there are. Everything else (to the best of my knowledge) are 4 lane
highways with *lots* of stoplights on them, many of which are not synchronized.
Pleasant dreams, as this should make you feel better about your traffic.
:)

As for backups, try a truck accident at the beltway on i-95 north. The
backups have been reported to start in Frederick, which is approximately
45 miles south of the beltway. Or yesterdays twin accidents on the beltway,
causing two sections of 17-25 mile stopped traffic, as the beltway was
shut down in 2 places. (this was a first in 3 years for me)

Ron

Potassium Benzoate included as a preserver.
From: paraska@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Pete Paraska)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Tailgaters abound!
Date: 19 Aug 92 15:33:18 GMT
Reply-To: paraska@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Peter Paraska)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.autos.driving, pv9955@albnyvms.bitnet writes:
       <stuff deleted>
>
>There is a common courtest between drivers.  When somebody wants to pass,
>they will "flash to pass" or flick their high beams at the person in front.
>If somebody flashes me, I will move over and let that car go.
>But up here, if somebody wants to pass, they will approach at a fast speed
>and stick to my ass.  No lights.  They just expect that I will move over.
>                                            ^^^^^^
RightO!  I drive fast (i.e., 70 mph in 55 zone).  Usually in the left
lane where this activity should be relegated to.  BUT---When someone
is gaining on me from the rear and I'm in the fast (LEFT) lane, I get
out of their way!  THIS is common curtousy.  I don't wait for them to
flash.  It's called body (albeit CAR body) language.  If someone has
to flash you, you've probably already got them irritated.
Note that this curtousy technique is only efficient if you look in
your rear view mirror often as you should be.  A recent driver safety
test in the "In Sync" magazine which Erie Ins. publishes gave the save
frequency for looking in the rear view mirror as every 7-10 sec.

I have another point to make here.  This is just a premise.  I find
that when in heavy traffic moving near the speed limit, if I leave the
"three-second" distance in front of me, someone will pull in and now
we are way too close together.  Is this a possible reason for tailgating?

>Sincerely,
>Peter Volpe
>native of New York City!


|/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////|
| Pete Paraska (paraska@oasys.dt.navy.mil)                      (301)-227-1650|
| David Taylor Model Basin, CARDEROCKDIV, NSWC                                |
|\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\|
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost)
Subject: Re: Copnsequences of getting a ticket
Organization: CenterLine Software, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 13:54:03 GMT

waco@cbnewse.cb.att.com (john.l.broughton) writes:
>>To illustrate just how bad it is in California now, someone recently
>>received a traffic ticket for running a stop sign while riding a
>>bicycle.  The fine is $298.  That's not a typo; it's almost $300!

>  With the exception of the high fine, it appears CA has its traffic
>  enforcement policy together.  Why is it bicycle riders think themselve
>  immune from traffic laws?  When I see a bike rider at an intersection
>  with a red light, 99% of the time the biker rider goes through the red
>  light.

My question is: if the bicycle rider is not carrying ID, and is not
required to have a driver's license, what's to stop him from giving
false information?  (Besides the fact that it's illegal; so was
running the stop sign.)

"No officer, by ID is at home.  My name is Jack Clark and I live at
1250 West Addison."  (Of course this particular line wouldn't work on
a cop who's a sports fan, but he'd crack a smile! :-)

jim frost
jimf@centerline.com
From: tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Flashing to Pass: An Observation
Date: 17 Aug 92 15:45:56 GMT
Reply-To: tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett)
Organization: Auspex Systems, Inc.  Engineering

In article <Bt4oGI.L6E@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott 
Coleman) writes:
> Something I've noticed (and perhaps some "old timers" can back me up on 
this)
> but didn't "Flash to Pass" used to mean "I am about to pass you," as in you
> are following someone on a two-lane country road, you see that the way is
> clear for you to pass, so you flash the car in front of you to let the
> driver ahead know you're about to swing out so he won't accidentally swing
> out himself (to pass someone in front of him?) and hit you. 

I practiced this over the weekend, and in many cases it still works
(I'm not old an old-timer).  On Highway 138 (the Mojave) and on Highway
46 (the road James Dean died on), the flash to pass on a two lane
highway works pretty well.  It's on Interstate 5 or 101 both of which are
multilane freeways, that I have trouble getting around people.  They seem
to think that because there is more than one lane, they can cruise in
the left lane at any speed they choose.

Another thing I have noticed for many years now, especially on I-5,
is that the left lane of traffic is the cruising lane, while the passing
lane has become the right lane.  It's more prevalent on weekends and
holidays when there aren't a lot of professional drivers on the road.
Very weird.


Tom Pickett 
tpickett@auspex.com
SHO  GOZE
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan)
Subject: Re: Tailgaters abound!
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 21:01:44 GMT


In article <1992Aug20.170518.11698@cbfsb.cb.att.com> ashaw@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (andrew.shaw) writes:
>From article <Bt9CHH.I4n@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, by khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman):
>> derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:
>> 
>>>"Only a fool breaks the TWO second rule".  It rhymes, it fits it's easily
>>>rememberable.  
>> 
>> Actually, it's only a 2-second rule up to maybe 45MPH, after which you're
>> better off with a FOUR second following distance. 
>
>I thought the advantage to the 2-second (as opposed to the older
>n-car-lengths) rule was that it was speed-invariant.  Thus 2 seconds
>at 30mph gives you 88 feet to stop in, while 2 seconds at 60mph gives
>you 176 feet.

Let's examine this statement more closely.

According to a recent test of four sports cars by Consumer reports(*), a
Mazda RX-7 has a braking distance of 119 feet from 60MPH. This distance
set a record(**) for the shortest stopping distance, so it's safe to say
that 119 feet is a MINIMUM figure - chances are your car will take
longer to stop on dry pavement at 60MPH. So, with your following
distance of 176 feet, that gives you 176-119 = 57 feet in which to
react, or 0.647 seconds to a) assess the situation, and b) move your foot
from the gas to the brake. And that's only if you're driving an RX-7; if
you're in a Corvette with ABS, you'll have 176-126 = 50 feet = 0.568
seconds to react. And God help you if you're driving a car with poorer
braking performance than a $30,000 sports car, or you're driving in the
rain, or if you're a little bit tired, or...

Now you see why a 4 second following rule is a NECESSITY at higher
speeds.


(*) September 1992 issue, if you want to check my facts for yourself.

(**) What this means exactly was not explained in the article, but I
assume that the RX-7 was either the fastest stopping car CR has ever
tested (as opposed to the fastest stopping car ever reported in an
independent test).

Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman)
Subject: Flashing to Pass: An Observation
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 12:38:39 GMT

klui@corp.hp.com (Kenneth K.F. Lui) writes:

>In article <1992Aug15.061724.1@eagle.wesleyan.edu> dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu writes:
>>tailgated on such a road - Flashing is rude as you technically have
>>no place to go at the moment, and can be confusing or ambiguous. 
>>
>I agree with the above; and as a general rule, I usually don't
>flash people if they have no place to go and they're on the
>left-most lane.  

Something I've noticed (and perhaps some "old timers" can back me up on this)
but didn't "Flash to Pass" used to mean "I am about to pass you," as in you
are following someone on a two-lane country road, you see that the way is
clear for you to pass, so you flash the car in front of you to let the
driver ahead know you're about to swing out so he won't accidentally swing
out himself (to pass someone in front of him?) and hit you. 

Then there's the Autobahn version which basically means "get the hell out
of the way you slow ass piece of poo-poo!" normally used when someone on a 
multilane protected access road is blocking your way.

We all know that the latter is used fairly often on American roads, and is
often met with resentment on the part of the vehicle being flashed. One guy
posted to this very forum saying that he would INTENTIONALLY block vehicles
that flashed him, even if he was going 54 MPH in the passing lane.

Is the former variant still used? Was it EVER used? My car has the "flash to
pass" feature built in, and although the owner's manual mentions the feature
it doesn't mention the sorts of situations in which you might want to use
the feature. 

One other way to use your lights, should you be so inclined: when a semi 
passes you, you can flash your lights to let the trucker know that his
trailer is now clear of the front of your car and it's safe for him to 
merge back into the right lane. He'll thank you by blinking his "thank you
lights" (for want of a better term; they're little Christmas-tree lights
which line the edges of the trailer and are on an independent circuit from
the head- and running lights). I haven't done this in years, however, since
I'm usually travelling a wee bit faster than the trucks are. ;-)
--
Scott Coleman                                                    tmkk@uiuc.edu

Free Advice: It is inadvisable to read Bush's lips at an official banquet.
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: steve@lawday.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Steve Bridges)
Subject: Re: LIDAR - A detector alone is not enough!
Organization: NCR Corporation - Law Department
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 16:36:37 GMT

mpalmer@encore.com (Mike Palmer) writes:

>Having just viewed an article on CNBC about the new LIDAR guns, it would 
>appear that a detector alone is useless.  What is needed is a countermeasures
>unit that locks on to the laser beam & jams it.  Since we're talking about 
>light here the FCC shouldn't have much say in it.  It should be real easy
>for a detector to switch on a laser beam & direct it toward the gun to 
>'blind' it.  Sounds like a good business oportunity here.

Mike is right.  I just got a speeding ticket based on being clocked by a
LIDAR.  The thing basically works like a military GLD (Ground Laser
Designator).  If you get lased, it's too late.  The thing works great.  The
cops let me try it out while they were filling out the ticket.  It is
almost instantaneous (something like 1/30th of a second.  If you happen to 
have a LIDAR detector, and a car gets lased near you, there might be enough 
reflected energy to set off a detector.  The cops nailed me at 1600' away.

>Also, since the LIDAR depends on finding a flat surface on the car, from which
>to bounce the beam, cars with sloping hoods and little flat surface at the
>front should be much harder to capture.  It should be relatively easy to
>eliminate flat surfaces.  Matt black cars would also be more stealthy.

Yeah, but if you are in a state that required front license plates, there
is a ready made flat surface.

Steve
--
Steve Bridges, Programmer/Analyst| NCR - Law Department, WHQ-5
steve@lawday.DaytonOH.NCR.COM ___| Phone:(513)-445-4486 622-4486 (VOICEplus)
Reserve sci.military moderator| "The airplane does not recognize attitude,
providing a maneuver is conducted at one G" -- A.M. "Tex" Johnston
From: neilw@informix.com (Neil Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Copnsequences of getting a ticket
Date: 15 Aug 92 03:19:13 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <jimf.713800443@centerline.com> jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost) writes:
>waco@cbnewse.cb.att.com (john.l.broughton) writes:
>>>To illustrate just how bad it is in California now, someone recently
>>>received a traffic ticket for running a stop sign while riding a
>>>bicycle.  The fine is $298.  That's not a typo; it's almost $300!
>
>My question is: if the bicycle rider is not carrying ID, and is not
>required to have a driver's license, what's to stop him from giving
>false information?  (Besides the fact that it's illegal; so was
>running the stop sign.)
>
>"No officer, by ID is at home.  My name is Jack Clark and I live at
>1250 West Addison."  (Of course this particular line wouldn't work on
>a cop who's a sports fan, but he'd crack a smile! :-)

A friend of mine that just got a ticket said they used her name and
address to run a check through DMV.  I suppose you could claim you 
don't have a driver's license, though.

--Neil

-- 
Neil Williams: neilw@informix.com

Seen on my last trip on United: "If you are seated in an exit row 
and can not (sic) read this card... please notify a crew member."
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving,rec.autos
From: russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto)
Subject: Re: WASHINGTON DC PARKING TICKET Limit before been booted or towed ?
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 92 20:41:07 GMT
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park

In article <1992Aug13.205720.29759@ryn.mro4.dec.com> agupta@agupta.enet.dec.com (Abhijit Gupta) writes:
>
>I received two parking tickets on separate occasion while visiting Washington
>DC in the last one year. I am planning to take my car again this week and I
>was wondering after how many tickets do the authorities start putting the
>boot or start towing the car.
>
>If two tickets are too many then I would rather rent a car rather
>than risk my car. By the way I had appealed both the cases but I lost both
>the times. I understand that the response gathered here would be speculative
>but I still would like to know when do the cops start getting nasty. Please
>don't flame this note.

I don't think they are supposed to get nasty unless there are UNPAID
tickets.


-- 
Matthew T. Russotto	russotto@eng.umd.edu	russotto@wam.umd.edu
Some news readers expect "Disclaimer:" here.
Just say NO to police searches and seizures.  Make them use force.
(not responsible for bodily harm resulting from following above advice)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost)
Subject: Re: Flashing to Pass: An Observation
Organization: CenterLine Software, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 14:55:21 GMT

khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) writes:
>One other way to use your lights, should you be so inclined: when a semi 
>passes you, you can flash your lights to let the trucker know that his
>trailer is now clear of the front of your car and it's safe for him to 
>merge back into the right lane. He'll thank you by blinking his "thank you
>lights" (for want of a better term; they're little Christmas-tree lights
>which line the edges of the trailer and are on an independent circuit from
>the head- and running lights). I haven't done this in years, however, since
>I'm usually travelling a wee bit faster than the trucks are. ;-)

My father, who travels a lot as a salesman, told me that this bit of
courtesy is the one thing that will make a trucker appreciate the
driver of a four-wheeler more than anything else.  It's not that
common on a fairly empty highway, but in dense traffic (ie the
downtown section of the MA Pike) I've had the opportunity to signal in
this manner many times.  These are the situations when it's most
valuable for both you and the trucker.

I don't just do it because it's a nice thing to do, I do it because
it's a *safe* thing to do.  Contact with one of those truck wheels
will turn most cars into vapor in an instant.  Anything I can do to
help the trucker avoid killing me is a good thing :-).

jim frost
jimf@centerline.com
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: kucharsk@solbourne.com (William Kucharski)
Subject: Re: Illegal Acceleration?
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 22:38:51 GMT

While reading article <118@io.trident.datasys.swri.edu>, I noticed that
johns@trident.datasys.swri.edu (Stephen Johns) said the following:
 >In Texas it is called "Exhibition of Acceleration" and they will give you a
 >ticket.  I am not sure what the exact definition is, but spinning your tires
 >is included.

Remember also that the "exhibition of acceleration" ticket is subjective at
best.  For example, squealing tires followed by acceleration to 40 MPH in the
following 1-3 seconds is probably exhibition of speed, as opposed to having
your foot slip off the clutch, producing an embarrassing drag-strip like squeal.

For that matter, applying full throttle to a 5.0 Mustang in 1st - 3rd gears
tends to break the tires loose regardless of your intent. :-)
-- 
| William Kucharski, Solbourne Computer, Inc.     | Opinions expressed above
| Internet: kucharsk@solbourne.com   Ham: N0OKQ   | are MINE alone, not those
| Snail Mail: 1900 Pike Road, Longmont, CO  80501 | of Solbourne Computer, Inc.
| President, "Just the Ten of Us" Fan Club        | "Dittos from Longmont, CO"
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving