30 Oct 2009, 11:58am
Commuting History Passenger rail Railroads Safety Transit Travel
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No news = good news for railroads

UP locoI’m guessing you haven’t heard much about the railroads recently.  The more they fly under the radar the better they like it because these days, when it comes to railroads, only bad news is good news.  The Union Pacific is probably happy.  Sure beats 2004 and the torrent of bad news way back then.  These days they are regarded as just one step up from the water and sewage systems.  These only make the headlines when something goes wrong.  Certainly there are still far too many accidents at grade level road crossings but few blame the railroad for this anymore.  If drivers are willing to risk absolutely everything to beat the train, just to save a minute or two and not miss the beginning of “Jeopardy” or something equally banal, well, you cannot legislate away stupidity.

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9 Oct 2009, 10:00am
Bicycles Commuting History Oil and gas prices Safety Transit:
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Dude, where’s my bike rebate?

bike kilmarnockI recently acquired, at surprising expense, a bicycle, a seven speed commuter bike with full mudguards and a wire basket that can hold two single gallons of milk. It is even more “green” inasmuch as it has a dynamo for its lights, with a neat little capacitor to keep them lit when stopped at traffic lights, not a good place to be unilluminated. My main goal, at the time of purchase, was to avoid yet another piece of garage art, well intentioned but ignored after the initial enthusiasm wore off.

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4 Oct 2009, 11:06pm
Roads Safety:
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Comments Off on Most owners mistreat their cars

Most owners mistreat their cars

 Are you running your car ragged?

Chances are, you might not even know it if you were, a recent AAA survey indicates. Some 62 percent of motorists run their vehicles hard but just 6 percent know they do.

That means almost two in three people often drive:

  • Fewer than five miles in normal temperatures or less than 10 when it’s freezing.
  • In stop-and-go traffic in hot weather.
  • Slower than 50 miles per hour over long distances.
  • On roads that are dusty, muddy or have salt, sand or gravel spread on them.
  • Towing a trailer, carrying a camper (if a pickup truck) or with items latched to a roof rack or stowed in a carrier.

Now, many motorists know they drive like that, they just don’t know that they ought to be replacing parts and fluids more often, AAA says. Owner’s manuals usually list two different maintenance schedules — one for normal driving and one for severe workouts.

So most cars likely don’t get the upkeep they should.

How about that. Looks like I’ll be going over my maintenance recommendations.

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