Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

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cantab
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by cantab » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:50 pm

SilentGuy wrote:And smaller cars, once again, aren't very safe. I wouldn't want to be in a ForTwo, Aveo, Yaris, or Fit in an accident.
Smaller cars are less safe only BECAUSE of large vehicles on the road. If everyone drove the smallest car reasonable, then it wouldn't be such a problem. OK, there'd still be trucks and buses, but even a large car stands little chance against an 18-wheeler.
Besides, a safe small car is safer than an unsafe large car, if you see what I mean.
Don't forget active safety either - the prevention of accidents in the first place. A car that handles well is safer. Additionally, studies have found that the safer you FEEL, the less safe you ARE, because when people feel their cars are 'safe' they drive less carefully and are more likely to have an accident.
Also, plenty of people are willing to take the much greater risk of riding a bike or motorbike. Small cars are safe by comparison.
And while large cars may be safer in general, large and high cars, like SUV's and some people carriers, are dangerous because of the increased risk of a rollover. Even with a seatbelt, rolling a car is nasty.
Personally I wouldn't want to be in ANY car in an accident.

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Silence
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by Silence » Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:45 pm

cantab wrote:Smaller cars are less safe only BECAUSE of large vehicles on the road. If everyone drove the smallest car reasonable, then it wouldn't be such a problem. OK, there'd still be trucks and buses, but even a large car stands little chance against an 18-wheeler.
I totally understand that. I do wish everybody would move towards lighter cars. All I'm saying is that in the meantime, you're in big trouble if you get T-boned by a Ford Excursion.

It's not even a matter of getting hit by large trucks. Truck drivers are extremely careful (despite getting little sleep) and courteous (they consistently move over to let you onto the freeway from an on-ramp). It's the boneheads driving SUVs while chatting on the cell phone and slurping down a shake that you have to watch out for.

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MarsGlorious
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by MarsGlorious » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:25 am

That's funny. In America you call them SUVs. We call them 4-Wheel-Drives. But yeah... They are often the most dangerous on the road.
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cantab
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by cantab » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:38 am

Yeah, in the UK they're often referred to as 'four-wheel-drives' or 'four-by-fours'. But those are inaccurate terms, since there are plenty of 4-wheel-drive vehicles that are not remotely like an SUV: the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru Impreza spring to mind. There are also I believe some SUV's that aren't 4wd.

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Spinner
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by Spinner » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:22 pm

SilentGuy wrote:It's the boneheads driving SUVs while chatting on the cell phone and slurping down a shake that you have to watch out for.
So is that still legal in the USA? Using a mobile phone while driving, that is.
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Silence
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by Silence » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:58 pm

Except in California, yes. And as for the possible ambiguity, lots people drive SUVs, too :p . Which is why they complain about gas prices.

SUV stands for "sport-utility vehicles". Boxy, powerful, 4x4 versions combinations of minivans, sedans, and pickup trucks.


I think all Subarus are four wheel drive - or "all wheel drive" as they call it. They're pretty common in mountainous, snowy areas, I think. As for the Evo...I thought it was only used in rallying, which does explain the four wheel drive.

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DX
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by DX » Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:56 pm

It is not legal to talk on a cell phone while driving in New Jersey either. Jersey cops will nail you for that like a hawk swooping down on a mouse. SUVs are extremely common in affluent areas, particularly along the coast. They are a favorite of soccer moms and beach-drivers. However, it has never been necessary to have one in a place like this...it's suburbia, not a wilderness area where 4WD is useful.
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SSCBen
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by SSCBen » Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:26 am

I live in a rather rural area and I've still rarely seen trucks or SUVs used as they should be. Most of the time I see people with families in them, though that can be expected as it's a rural area with patches of suburbia. Lately I've seen less of them. Today Drenchenator and I did see an SUV driving with the windows open. I guess they were trying to improve their gas mileage because it was pretty hot outside.
So is that still legal in the USA? Using a mobile phone while driving, that is.
I think it depends on the state but I'm unsure. SilentGuy might be right. I'd have to research it to be more certain. Here in Maryland I know that if you have a provisional license and you're caught talking on a cell phone you have to retake drivers ed. and get a learners permit again.

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cantab
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by cantab » Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:46 am

Ben wrote:Today Drenchenator and I did see an SUV driving with the windows open. I guess they were trying to improve their gas mileage because it was pretty hot outside
Or they just preferred having the windows down to using the air con, or the air con was broken.

Mythbusters tested actually, and found that at low speeds, having the windows down and the air con off was more efficient, but at high speeds, the opposite is the case. On their car the divide was 55 mph, but that might vary.

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Silence
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by Silence » Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:23 am

I didn't know about New Jersey.

Provisional and learners' permits do have a bunch of restrictions. I do have a regular license now, but our insurance company happens to have a bunch of rules for young (male) drivers anyway, and they'd increase the premiums after a single moving violation, phone usage, etc. for three years. But I wouldn't feel comfortable on the phone anyway.

As usual, the MythBusters oversimplified a little :p . I probably wouldn't want the windows rolled down more than half way on the highway. Also, some cars are actually well insulated, and on those it's feasible to have the A/C on half the time but off the rest of the time. One of our cars has a fairly small engine that can't really keep up with the A/C on when driving uphill anyway.

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DX
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by DX » Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:50 am

Yeah, they are also considering or have already banned hands-free systems too, as those were not found to be significantly safer. On that reminds me, I was the sole witness to a car crash on my old block in which a women was doing 50+ on the narrowest road in Ridgewood on a cell phone. She went over the short curb and put a huge crack in one of the telephone poles...smashed into it so hard that her car flew back about 10ft on impact. The pole was next to the sidewalk, but the car ended up facing the opposite direction in the middle of the road. This was non-fatal, but it was yet another Ackerman Ave incident, a street so dangerous that one of my neighbors poured concrete into their front wall so if a car hits it, the impact don't damage the house. Maybe a bit extreme, but their house is right on the road and has been hit before.

Did I mention that automobile safety isn't a joke?

The Jersey license process is one of the strictest, and for good reason. I don't blame them given the amount of dumb drivers that the state is producing.

Personally, I don't see the use of an SUV. If you want that kind of towing power, buy a truck. If you want 4WD, buy a truck. If you want a family car, buy a station wagon or a mini-van. Not like a mini-van is very safe, but I'd rather be hit by that as opposed to a full-size SUV, so in that sense it's safer [for the victim :p ]
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Elliott
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by Elliott » Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:02 am

On original topic: That'll teach you Americans to use so much "gas" then. I mean, why do you even call it gas anyway? Petrol is a liquid. Goddamn it..

Petrol is getting very expensive here in the UK too but since I don't drive yet, it's not a major concern for me. :D

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SSCBen
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by SSCBen » Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:17 pm

Gas is short for gasoline. I've come to dislike the abbreviation for a similar reason. When I work at a gas station, some people ask for "gas" which is rather ambiguous. Do they want propane gas? Some people look at me like I'm retarded when I ask if they want gasoline or propane. It's important to be clear...

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Silence
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by Silence » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:49 pm

But gasoline isn't pure petroleum. In that sense, our extended term is more precise than yours. :p

My deal is that I won't have to pay for gas unless I get to drive stickshift.

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cantab
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Re: Gas Broke $5 a Gallon!

Post by cantab » Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:20 pm

Petrol is short for petroleum spirit. It's the same as saying 'taxi' when you mean taximeter cabriolet.
Commonly used long terms always get shortened. However, petrol is unambiguous, whereas the meaning of 'gas' depends on context.

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