HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dos@major.panix.com (Dave O'Shea)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Tailgaters abound!
Date: Sun, 06 Sep 92 21:54:33 EDT
Organization: Hurts rent-a-dungeon, Inc.

jmm2948@zeus.tamu.edu (Jeffrey M. Mayzurk) writes:

> In article <1992Sep03.030018.4358@eng.umd.edu>, russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew
> >In article <1992Aug30.181406.4622@access.digex.com> jimb@access.digex.com (J
> >>
> >>As a motorcyclist, I should add:  Don't get NEAR the back of a sportbike.
> >>We can outstop just about anything.  (JUST ABOUT...  Don't start arguing.)
> > 
> >If you do, it won't be _your_ lawyer suing the car driver.
> 
> 
> Actually, if memory serves me correctly, the law in most states is 
> written so that if you hit someone from behind, for whatever reason,
> you are at fault.  It doesn't matter if the guy in front of you locks 
> up his brakes or whatever -- it's your fault because either you "failed to
> maintain control of vehicle" (as it would say on the accident report), or
> you weren't paying attention or possibly following too closely.  Either way,
> fault is almost automatically assumed by the guy at the rear.

Ain't necessarily so. In most cases, unless a cop actually observes, or
sees physical evidence of a violation, no summons will be issued. (An
example would be someone getting rear-ended at a red light.) In the case
of a both-vehicles-moving accident, most insurance companies will assume
that the blame is shared, at least to some extent. This is usually due
to something like an idiot switching lanes right in front of someone,
then discovering that he doesn't have enough clearance in the lane that
he's leaving; slams on brakes, causes accident.

A good rule of thumb that most adjusters use is that in light traffic,
the person hitting from the rear is at fault. In heavier traffic, the
blame is usually shareable.

Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: lenkeit@firebird.rtp.dg.com (Matt Lenkeit)
Subject: Freon Ban
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 17:50:19 GMT
Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC

Anyone know what the deal is with freon bans 
in the near future. Will we be forced to upgrade
the systems in our cars when the freon charge
runs out or just have to suffer without AC? When/Is
there a ban planned in the future. I have heard rumblings 
in other newsgroups and was wondering if I should
stock up now!

-Matt
From: jtchew@csa3.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: 4x4  vs  4x2  ???
Date: 8 Sep 92 21:18:27 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
Reply-To: jtchew@csa3.lbl.gov
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.254.198
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   

>I'm considering buying a pick up truck.  I'll be using it in snow country
>30% of the time.

Your usage seems to be well into the area where 4WD is worthwhile.
What it gives you is a LOT better assurance of getting somewhere 
when traction is marginal.  Snow, mud, and sand are good examples.  

4WD doesn't make it handle any better or stop any quicker, given
equal tires.  A sliding tire is a sliding tire.  But when the
traction available off the drive wheels is less than that needed
to move your vehicle, it's plainly better to have four drive wheels.
Some people's locations and recreation habits make this important.
4WD is also found convenient by many California skiers who never
get off paved, plowed roads, because in most instances the CHP will
accept 4WD and decent M+S tires as a substitute for chains.

But a lot of people who have 4WD would be better off in terms of price,
mileage, and maintenance with 2WD.  Many a Blazer, Bronco, etc. is
used essentially as a station wagon.  They seem to have become chic,
not a quality I'd ever have associated with Dad's '65 Scout!

Finally, practice in successively tougher situations until you've
learned how to drive it in this new performance regime. I used to
work for a pretty good off-road driver who would go out in his 2WD
pickup on bad days and yank out incompetents who had gotten their
4x4s in too deep, literally.  (I also knew somebody who sank a Jeep
up to the door handles in a bog, but that's another story.)  A 4x4
is a machine, not a magic carpet.

Good luck,
--Joe
"Just another personal opinion from the People's Republic of Berkeley"
From: ah335@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Richard Banks)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: What is engine braking?
Date: 6 Sep 1992 06:00:55 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: ah335@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Richard Banks)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, RHK765@paccvm.corp.mot.com (B.M. Kwong) says:

>Engine braking means to use the engine itself to assist the braking
>process.  The engine is like a big pump and it absorbs kinetic energy.

It would seem like do this excessively might damage the engine?
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: scs8@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Sebastian C Sears)
Subject: Re: Tailgate
Reply-To: scs8@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Sebastian C Sears)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 05:36:51 GMT

In article <1992Sep7.193753.3578@wvnvms.wvnet.edu> un023331@wvnvms.wvnet.edu writes:
>A cop stopped me said I was tailgateing him, but I didn't think I was. I was 
>yelled at and threatened with a ticket. I thought he was just in a bad mood
>and tried to find somebody to yell at, I wonder if he could really give me a 
>ticket, and if the court will uphold him.

	In Virginia at least, yes. I got two tickets for "Following Too Close"
	and "Improper Use of High Beams" for flashing an unmarked cop at
	night because he was going 55 in the left lane passing a truck 
	(speed limit was 65). Yes, I know, I am a butthead... but the fact
	remains, you can get a ticket for that... at least if you're two
	college students in an old convertible w/top down @ night...

=Stanley, Idaho===============Sea-Bass Sears====================New York City=
   o  1979 Yamaha XS750|Perception      )    Corsica|     |       1985  Toyota
 _/\_>       Just ride!|             o /            ||~~~~~~\___       4Runner
O,> /O   e-mail: scs8@ |  ~^~^ <====<\/====> ^~^    ||_--____--_)   Just about
cunixb.cc.columbia.edu |Just  ~^~^~^ / ^~^~^  kayak!|  ()    () anything else!
"Look at Ned, he turned into a danged midget."  "Ned's weird"  - William Nealy
==============================-->DoD #0516<--=================================


Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: bpita@ctp.com (Bob Pitas)
Subject: Re: Tailgaters abound!
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 15:16:34 GMT
Organization: Cambridge Technology Partners

In article <1992Aug28.203227.12056@cabot.balltown.cma.COM> welty@cabot.balltown.cma.COM (richard welty) writes:

>In article <1992Aug27.182155.3578@ctp.com> bpita@ctp.com (Bob Pitas) writes:
>>  Just remember that the car in front of you takes just as long
>>as you do to stop,
>
>er, if the car ahead of me is being driven by a trained threshold
>braker, and i lock 'em up, then he'll stop more quickly than i will

If the guy in front of you is eating bannanas and throwing the peels out his
window...

>up until the point that i rear end him, at which point the two cars
>will be come a coupled system ...

Yeah, well, if I'm driving a 1979 Cadillac Eldorado and the car ahead of me is
a new RX-7, he may stop a little smidgeon faster...  I think you know what I
was talking about, though, didn't you?

>
>so we actually will take the same length of time to stop. i guess it
>depends on how you look at it.
>
>cheers,
>  richard
>-- 
>richard welty                            518-393-7228
>welty@cabot.balltown.cma.com
>  ``if you can read this, mario, you're too close''
>    -- bumper sticker seen on a CART safety truck



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        ___          
       / _ \                 '85 Mustang GT                        Bob Pitas
      /    /USH              14.13 @ 99.8                      bpita@ctp.com
     / /| \                  Up at NED, Epping, NH           (Cambridge, MA)

"If you go fast enough, driving in traffic is like driving in a parking lot"
Disclaimer: These opinions are mine, obviously, since they end with my .sig!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: pvmason@cco.caltech.edu (Peter V. Mason)
Subject: Re: Another Ticket Question : -(
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 23:02:15 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.203128.7095@news.columbia.edu> scs8@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Sebastian C Sears) writes:
>
>	Sorry to bring up another ticket question, but here goes:
>
>	Does anyone know a reliable way to find out which states have
>	reciprocity with which states (i.e. which tickets transfer to which
>	states)? I have asked in the states I got the tickets in and in my
>	home state of Idaho, but both DMVs claimed that all tickets transfer.
>	I don't believe them, it sounds like they say it just to scare you.
>
>	If anyone has any ideas, I'd like to hear them... e-mail's good, so
>	is posting as I read this group all the time.
>
 Virginia and California do.  I know from personal finiancial pain;  not
only the cost of the ticket, but a violation on my record for
insurance purposes for three years. This was for a ticket in VA, residence
in CA.  I would assume vice versa also.  
How about compiling replies and sending a summary to this thread?

Pete Mason
From: shaig@Think.COM (Shai Guday)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Laser-shielding-- the REAL THING!!!
Date: 10 Sep 1992 17:09:59 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: merlin.think.com

Hi,

	What range of wavelengths would you need for LIDAR?
Does this material come in thin sheets?  When do we open
a net franchise? 8^)

	Shai
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: wong@tds213.uucp (Freeman Wong)
Subject: Does a cop need to show you the RADAR reading?
Organization: Burns Fry Limited
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 14:13:01 GMT


I have a friend who got a speeding ticket the other day (58km in 40km
zone).  The cop never showed him anything to support the charge, in
fact, the conversation were minimal:


Cop:     Can I see your license, btw, you were going a little bit too
         fast.
Friend:  "Hand over license"
Cop:     "Walk back to patrol car, come back with said ticket"
Friend:  "Took ticket, said will defend it in court and drove away"


I am wondering if the cop is required to do a little bit more such as
showing my friend the RADAR reading.  Any comment on the legality of
the cops procedure?


KW.
Subject:  where to by Whistler Radar Detector
From:  walko@backyard (Leslie A. Walko)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Organization: Bellcore - Information Technology, Morristown, NJ
Reply-To:  walko@bellcore.com
X-Gateway: ALEX.ims.bellcore.com
Date:  Mon, 14 Sep 92 16:44:05 EDT
To:  news-post@ctt.bellcore.com
Message-ID: <1992Sep14.205346.6620@ALEX.ims.bellcore.com>
Are there any dealers for Whistler Radar Detectors in 
Northern New Jersey?  If so, where?

I'd like to buy a Whistler 5000SE since the Escort 3100 I have
give too many false alarms.

Thank you very much,

	--Leslie
	
---------------------------------------
Leslie A. Walko                       |  Internet: walko@bellcore.com		
Bell Communications Research          |  uucp:  ...!bellcore!backyard!walko
444 Hoes Lane, Room RRC 4C-734        |  Phone:    908/699-2726
Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.            |  Fax  :	   908/336-2836
From: dmarshal@Stars.Reston.Unisys.COM (Dave Marshall)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Does a cop need to show you the RADAR reading?
Date: 5 Sep 92 22:10:47 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Unisys Corporation, Reston, VA

In article <1992Sep4.141301.3262@tds213.uucp>, wong@tds213.uucp (Freeman Wong) writes:
> 
> I am wondering if the cop is required to do a little bit more such as
> showing my friend the RADAR reading.  Any comment on the legality of
> the cops procedure?
>
I got a ticket in January off of mobile radar.  One of the first things I asked
was whether I could examine the radar to see its reading.  The policeman
(Fairfax County, VA) told me, "I am not required to show you the radar."  No
matter what I said, he wouldn't show it to me.  I thought I would have an
easy court win, in which I could stand up to Big Police and Secret Radar.

Not so fast.  The judge, when I recounted my story, "explained" how the
police are trained to leave the radar in a "no lock on" mode so that they
can get everyone's speed.  Therefore, at the time I got pulled over, my
reading wasn't there anymore.  Furthermore, that the policeman wasn't
able to show me the reading was INDICATIVE that he was a better trained
policeman than the average.

This post shouldn't be construed as negative towards the policeman.  We had
a very pleasant chat after my court appearance.  He explained in some
detail how they work their mobile radars.

My experience at home was in direct opposition to the time I got pulled
over on the Delaware Memorial Bridge.  When I claimed that there was NO WAY
I could have possibly been doing 65 mph in a 50 mph zone, the policeman
took me back to his car.  The radar showed 65, and then we went through
a NUMBER of calibration tests (with tuning forks) until I agreed that his
radar was functioning correctly.  Fortunately, he let me off with a warning:
"If you speed in Delaware again tonight, you will go to court TONIGHT."

 
-- 
                                           Dave Marshall
                                           dmarshal@stars.reston.unisys.com

Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: dos@major.panix.com (Dave O'Shea)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Power sources for radar dectectors
Keywords: radar detectors
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 09:28:32 EDT
Organization: Hurts rent-a-dungeon, Inc.

russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto) writes:

> In article <3skPqB3w165w@major.panix.com> dos@major.panix.com (Dave O'Shea) w
> >
> >All the cars I've owned have had a spade lug available on the fuse block
> >for this purpose. It's a good idea to use a fuse (1a, mostly) in the
> >actual wiring to the detector.
> 
> Hmm.  I'm not disputing you, just curious:  Why is it a good idea to
> put a fuse on the wiring itself if you wire to the fuse block (as
> opposed to the battery)?

If you didn't, and a short developed, say, where the power line for the 
radar detector rubs against some metal part, you could have a nice fire 
on your hands.
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: harling@pictel.com (Dan Harling)
Subject: Re: Tailgaters abound!
Organization: PictureTel Corporation
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 17:12:31 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.174453.11145@linus.mitre.org> ptrei@bistromath.mitre.org (Peter Trei) writes:
>     In the ideal case, traffic would continue in the two lanes down
>to the cones, then cars would take turns, merging the two streams
>evenly and fairly. 

If they could do this without coming to a near-complete-stop, this
would be ideal; however, the "turbulence" caused at the point of
merging forces both lanes to crawl while people let each other into the
remaining lane.


>     This practice does not slow down anyone who was behind me to
>start with - cars get through the one-lane section at the same rate
>regardless of order of entry...

This is not true unless the remaining lane has already been stopped by
someone trying to merge at the last minute.

Merging earlier allows you to maintain a higher speed, which would
avoid the stops and traffic backups that normally occur because
somebody decided to stay in the lane until the very end.  However, all
it takes is the first driver (who is usually too unaware of the
surroundings to realize that the lane is ending, until it is too late
to merge at speed) to back up traffic.
____________________________________________________________________________
Daniel A. Harling                        (harling@pictel.com)
PictureTel Corp.             Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
Peabody, MA  01960                 PictureTel, but they ought to be!
From: shaig@Think.COM (Shai Guday)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: LIDAR baffle?
Date: 9 Sep 1992 14:26:08 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: merlin.think.com

Following the recent discussion on Lidar and plates (or tags)
I noticed a vehicle on I-95 shoot by me at 85+ this weekend.
I managed to pick out a radar detector clipped to his visor
and as he drew away I noticed that his plate was covered by a
semitransparent light blue sheet of material.  Could this be some
form of Lidar discourager?  I could not figure it out.

From: glaird@hpscit.sc.hp.com (Gordon Laird)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:44:26 GMT
Subject: Need real info on 'Stalker' radar.
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving

    Okay, from those of you who really know.  What is 'stalker' radar?
    Is it used in a specific localized setting such as photoradar?  Or, is it
    a replacement for the more general and long distance units currently being
    operated on K and previously X bands?
From: dos@major.panix.com (Dave O'Shea)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Tailgaters abound!
Date: Sun, 06 Sep 92 22:12:39 EDT
Organization: Hurts rent-a-dungeon, Inc.

rhorwell@crab.tc-suns (Roland Faragher-Horwell,crab) writes:

> 
> In article 1864ckINNqb1@agate.berkeley.edu, shyguy@ocf.berkeley.edu (David S.
> >>
> >>Actually, if memory serves me correctly, the law in most states is 
> >>written so that if you hit someone from behind, for whatever reason,
> >>you are at fault.  It doesn't matter if the guy in front of you locks 


> I was in the front car of 5 sitting at a red light.  A 6th (pickup truck) was
> paying attention, and slammed into the 5th car.  Each car was pushed into the
> one in front of it (I started to pull forward when I saw what was happening, 
> not fast enough! ).  Anyway, the pickup truck's insurance paid for everyone's
> damage - however, my insurance agent told me that if his insurance was bad or
> wouldn't pay - the person behind me would be responsible for my damage.

The way that this would have worked if you had to go to court is that
you would have filed suit against the owner of the car that actually
struck you, and he would have filed against the owner of the car behind
him, etc, etc. Doesn't make much sense, but it keeps the lawyers rich.

Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan)
Subject: Re: where to by Whistler Radar Detector
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 14:12:07 GMT


In article <1992Sep14.232345.6628@ALEX.ims.bellcore.com> walko%backyard@vttux1.vtt.fi (Leslie A. Walko) writes:
>
>
>Are there any dealers for Whistler Radar Detectors in 
>Northern New Jersey?  If so, where?

Since you asked this at least three times so far, I assume your need
must be urgent. ;-)

I've seen Whistlers at K-Mart, Western Auto, Sears (in their catalog),
and even Radio Shaft (they sell a detector under their own name which is
obviously a Whistler because of its distinctine shape).

Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Subject: Re: Objects falling from vehicles
Reply-To: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 20:31:40 GMT

Not exactly a fall from a vehicle but...

About 1972 a truck travelling the interstate between Tucson and Yuma AZ crashed and spilled STP over the road.  It took 3 days to clean the goop off.  Ever hit
an STP patch while travelling 80?
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: lowry@watson.ibm.com (Andy Lowry)
Subject: Re: Tailgaters abound!
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 20:34:58 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
	<BuF1ot.4Kn@news.cso.uiuc.edu> <1992Sep11.151320.13822@osf.org>
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

In article <1992Sep11.151320.13822@osf.org> kenny@osf.org (Kenneth Crudup) writes:
 > "Reasonable and sensible" == "plodding and slow". Nothing else. The asleep-
 > at-the-wheel contingent takes to the road.

Wrong!!!  Reasonable and sensible in this context means recognizing
you're in an inherently dangerous situation and acting accordingly.
Probably less likely to be "asleep-at-the-wheel" than some reckless
drivers I know, who don't recognize their own vulnerability and don't
think exhaustion is any reason to stop driving.

 > Kenneth R. Crudup, Contractor, OSF DCE QA

Hmm... QA = Quality Assurance?  Presumably you take a fairly defensive
approach to this, like testing things rather than assuming
they're	 correct?  But not driving.  After all, it's only your life
that's at stake, not your job!
--
Andy Lowry, lowry@watson.ibm.com, (914) 784-7925
IBM Research, P.O. Box 704, Yorktown Heights, NY  10598
From: khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Holiday Driving Fatalities
Date: 6 Sep 92 16:32:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bu60Lq.HCF
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

I think I've figured out why highway deaths go up so sharply on holiday
weekends. All the morons who never drive on the expressway except once or
twice per year all come out at the same time and get in everyone else's way.

I took a short trip to a nearby city yesterday (about 1 hour's drive each way).
There were more left lane hogs (a.k.a. moving roadblocks) and other idiots 
on the road than I could count. Like the clueless individual who straddled 
BOTH lanes with her van. I couldn't believe it! It's as if she thought she
was supposed to follow the white dashed lines, so she made sure she drove
right over them. Plus the usual gaggle of goslings who pull out into the 
left lane for absolutely no reason, the snails who "pass" a semi by changing
to the left lane, inching forward until they're about half way past, and then
match his speed, stop on the on-ramps even though there's plenty of room for 
them to merge, etc. etc.

SHEESH! ;-)

--
Scott Coleman                                                    tmkk@uiuc.edu

Free Advice: It is inadvisable to read Bush's lips at an official banquet.
From: dos@major.panix.com (Dave O'Shea)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: What is a "jake brake"?
Keywords: brake
Date: Sun, 06 Sep 92 22:08:35 EDT
Organization: Hurts rent-a-dungeon, Inc.

behanna@phoenix.syl.nj.nec.com (Chris BeHanna) writes:

> 	You should have seen the sight (and smelled the smell) I saw (and
> smelled) on U.S. 30 just West of McConnellsburg, PA.  It is a very mountainou
> area and the grades are VERY steep.  A trucker had to pull over because his
> trailer brakes were ON FIRE.  You could barely see through the smoke, and the
> smell of burning brake pads was unbearable.
> 
> 	I'd take the Jake Brake over/in addition to conventional brakes every
> time.  Put up with the noise and quit whining.

From the little experience I've had with heavy vehicles, I'd say that you
want every bit of stopping power you can get. But isn't there some way to
control the noise? Not knowing much about the actual construction of this
system, I can't imagine whether a "muffler"-type device would be practical.