I’ve been driving half my life now, being 32 years old and getting my license when I was 16.  One thing I’ve always been keen to do is vehicle maintenance, wanting at one time as a youth to be a mechanic.  What I can’t do myself is usually done by some of my very talented friends, and thankfully none hate me yet when I ask for help.  In my 16 years of driving I’ve also never bought a new car, always a higher mileage used one and the few weeks after purchase are usually followed by routine maintenance because I never trust the seller and want to ensure the car is running up to par.  This is all stuff most garage & driveway mechanics can do themselves.

• Change oil & filter
• Adjust tire pressure
• Fill washer fluid
• Check all bulbs
• Check all belts for signs of cracks
• Replace wiper blades
• Replace air filter
• …and on and on

Part of the new-to-me car ritual for myself and many others is the dawning of an air freshener to help cover the smell of rank ass, wet dog or cigarette smoke the previous owner left for you.  I’ve done it myself, standing in the auto parts store or mega box store’s auto section wondering what exactly black ice smells like, or if I am too manly for a clip-on-vent style freshener thus putting me back to the traditional tree section.  There’s a solution for all of this, but it’s in a different isle. Continue reading »

I wrote an article here on Randomn3ss on how to drive 1,000 miles in one day a while back. Since that writing, I’ve made the 2,000 mile round trip to the Midwest about fifteen times. I’ve driven through every kind of weather, every season, and maybe every emotional state possible, along with five actual (U.S.A.) states, of course.

I figured it was the right time to look over the list and see what needs updating, since I’ve decided to fly and rent a car for the next trip coming up in a couple weeks. Yes, hard to believe, but fifteen trips is enough – remember that’s thirty 1,000 mile days. (Yikes. One month of 17 hour driving days. I need a nap… for a month.) It’s safe to say I’ve experienced just about every possible driving scenario. I don’t think there is any way I can make it more efficient, can take less time, or make it much different or better at this point.

All the points in my first article still hold up, though I admit I don’t play the Alphabet Game. I’m more interested in looking for odd signs and billboards – I write them down and send them on post cards to a friend of mine. One of my favorites: Set back in a large field, a huge billboard with only an 800 number and “OUR DRIVERS ARE PEOPLE” on it. As opposed to… frogs, rocks, what? Another: A bait and tackle shop named “Bite Me!” And the “Kum & Go” convenience store is always good for a chuckle.

One important time saver I would add: Only get gas/make stops on the side of the highway you’re driving on (i.e. you will make a right turn at the end of the exit ramp). You lose a lot of time having to go over/under the highway/freeway to get to a gas station. It can be a challenge. Sometimes you can’t see far enough ahead to know which side they’re on unless you see the name of the place really high up on a pole on your side. I have my stops down at this point, but I recommend writing them down as you go, for both sides – as you’re heading in one direction, also write down what you see on the other side of the road for the return trip.

Another possibly important item to invest in: A lumbar support pad/pillow. I had to get one out of necessity after my accident (mentioned in the previous article), and even though I don’t need it as much for short little trips at home, it’s a back-saver on the long hauls. It helps you not get fatigued too soon in the trip, saves you from having a sore back at the end of the day, and helps you stay alert because it forces you to have good posture.

It is critical to take really good care of your vehicle, and have emergency roadside coverage. When I stop for gas, I always circle my car and check it all out. And I never miss my scheduled maintenance.

Stay in the right lane (of a divided highway) when you are several miles away from your next exit. Nothing is more maddening than being in the left lane only to have a semi or two come up on the right and block the informational signs, and the exit. (Especially if you have a full bladder.)

Be prepared for the time zone changes messing with your head. For me, I ‘lose’ an hour coming back east, and for some reason, it always makes the day seem so much longer, even though it’s the same 1,000 miles. It’s best to change your car’s clock to the time zone of your destination right when you begin your drive, then you won’t have to sit there to figure out what time it ‘really’ is and how much further you have to go.

Use the trip counters: If you have a car that has two trip counters, use them both. I pick one for the whole day’s miles, and the other for the current driving leg’s miles. For example, on the leg miles, when I’m at about 120-130 miles, I start planning the next stop. Then after filling up, I clear that counter back to zero. The day’s miles helps me know that I’m staying on track time-wise. It’s always great to know I’m a quarter there, then half way, then two-thirds, etc. It gives me something to do, and when I’m down to that last 50 miles and I’m on time, I start smiling as I know it’s almost over.

Pack smart: Pack so that only the essentials you must have that night and first thing in the morning are in one or two bags if you are too tired to haul everything out of the car when you arrive (and you don’t have anyone waiting to help you). This is really beneficial when there’s bad weather, too. (It’s frustrating to carry luggage in the rain, sleet or in sub-zero weather.) Some things, like food, you might not be able to leave in the car overnight depending on what it is and the time of year (think -10 degrees or 95 degrees, both of which I’ve experienced) – fruit, for example, won’t last. Of course, keep valuables in the trunk and don’t have anything visible from the windows that would invite a break-in if, both while you’re driving and if you’re parking in a lot or on the street.

I have only done two back-to-back 1,000 mile days, a long time ago, driving from Boulder, CO, to southern NH/Boston, MA area. It was brutal, and I don’t recommend it in general. My feet and ankles were swollen for a couple days, and it took me a week to fully recover. This misadventure was back before I created this 1,000 mile day system, so maybe it wouldn’t be quite as hard now. But 2,000 miles is 2,000 miles and is pretty unforgiving if you’re not prepared, car and body.

Driving 1,000 miles in a day is not for everyone. Lots of people ask me how I do it, especially after so many trips. I don’t have a simple answer. Sometimes it’s a breeze and I love it: The road is clear, the weather lovely, the is traffic light and the day flies by. Other times, it honestly is really, really hard. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep leaving the Midwest, there is nothing more grueling than hitting the mountains in western PA at night at hour 12 of driving, knowing there’s 5 more hours – and if there’s snow, multiply that hard factor by 10, and add an hour or so.

Part of my motivation, as mentioned in the previous article, is saving money, and part of it is personal, having to deal with the reason for the trips in the first place – I need to go and be of help, and so it helps me feel good about the sacrifices needed to make the traveling work. I suppose part of it is to prove a point to myself about my ability to be focused, to have the necessary driving skills, and the physical and mental strength to do it over and over. Really, I just do it because I can and because I must.

The bonus is that I still like the solitude, the countryside, the hum of the road, even after all these trips; and, I love to drive, plain and simple. Also, being pretty untouchable for a whole day ranks pretty high. Other than saying “thanks” to some service folks, I have a whole day completely to myself to think and not think, to turn the phone off, to have no distractions or things pulling at me that I “should” do. My job as I see it is to drive (safely and efficiently), and more importantly, listen to and know my own mind and heart. That is worth it for me right there.

One would have to live under a rock, in a cave, on mars to have not heard about the $700 billion bailout program Bush is asking for, the press won’t shut up about it.  The big 3 auto makers are trying to get their grubby little hands on $25 billion of those dollars so they don’t go under.  Some random stat that I can’t find but know I read / heard is that roughly one in 10 Americans is employed somehow by an auto maker in the US.  Seems a bit high to me, but regardless, they are asking for a metric shit-ton of money so they don’t fold.  Fine.

Photo by: Yogi

But, don’t show up at the doorstep of the house you are at to beg for money and ask where you can valet park your private fucking jet!  Not only did the auto exec’s fly in on private jets, they didn’t even jet-pool!  A quick Google search shows that a private jet can cost around $4,000 per hour!  Checking a few major ticket sites online, It shows that it is roughly one and a half hour to fly from Detroit to Washington D.C., or $6,000 each way.  I can book a 1st class ticket for a wee tad over $800, roundtrip! ZOMGWTF?!

Gas is at a national average of about $4.00 per gallon right now and as much as you hate your local gas station for changing the price daily, and what seems hourly sometimes, they don’t actually profit as much as you think they do. They are simply passing on the costs that they have to pay for fuel. The fuel suppliers still want big profit margins though, so many of them have started to cut the gasoline in their tanks, creating a mixture with ethanol. This has caused some bit of concern as Consumer Reports studies prove E85 delivers substantially worse gas mileage. While E85 is up to 85% ethanol and costs on average 15-20% less than low grade gasoline (for those cars that can run it), it is still not readily available across the country and according to Consumer Reports, can end up costing more per gallon than gasoline when you figure the mileage in.

Almost all cars can run a slight amount of ethanol mixed into their gas and the big gas companies started to slip in this corn-fuel without really telling anyone. On most pumps in my area small stickers have started to appear, some say Contains up to 5% Ethanol while others say Contains 10% Ethanol. The wording, at my best guess, is very deliberate. Those pumps that say up to could have only a trace amount of ethanol in them, and based purely on my own speculation, I think the oil companies get a kick-back for using ethanol because it does burn cleaner.

The gas station around the corner from my house has been the cheapest in the area for the last two years running, which is good for me I guess. As of writing today, they are 6 cents cheaper per gallon than the gas station that is a block from my work. While my Civic only fits about ten gallons of gas and I’m only saving sixty cents, those sixty cents adds up. I noticed about two months ago a sticker on the pumps that read Contains 10% Ethanol but didn’t think much of it. It was about that time that I started to notice better gas mileage in my car though, again, not really linking the two together.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve reset my trip odometer and then divided the miles driven by the gallons to refill to get my average miles per gallon. No specific reason, just curious. Currently, my Civic is in dire need of an alignment, pulling to the left fairly hard, is 2,500 miles past due for an oil change and I haven’t changed the air filter since I bought it more than four years ago. Basically, I’m doing nothing to increase the miles per gallon. Even so, I routinely get between 29-31 miles per gallon with my daily driving. Last few fill-ups, I’ve been averaging between 33-35 miles per gallon. My driving style hasn’t changed, I haven’t been doing more highway driving and the weather has been so hot that I’ve used the air conditioning. The only explanation for this nearly 10% gain in average miles per gallon that I can come up with is the 10% ethanol in the gas, as I’ve been filling up at the same gas station for the last several months.

Mixing ethanol may not give the same effect in all cars, in all driving conditions, but now out of nothing more than superstition I will continue to only fill up at the gas station around the corner from me and / or any that clearly say Contains 10% Ethanol.

Being that yesterday was Earth Hour Day 2008, it inspired me to reflect on what I’ve read recently about climate change and going greener, to look at how I’m doing with going greener, and it made me wonder how others are evolving (or not) into a greener lifestyle.

This is the third article I’ve done on going greener, and another thing that inspired me to write again were a few recent magazine articles. In one, a national magazine who shall remain nameless but that regularly has a lot of articles on going greener and living more naturally, showed a photo of their whole staff and listed what each of them did to to live sustainably every day. I don’t think some understood what that meant really, and some seemed 25 years behind the times. “I turn the heat down when I leave the house.” Wah? Wow. Baffling, but then they’re in the business of making a magazine, not living the magazine every minute, I suppose. Another person listed “returning hangers to the dry cleaners”. Wow. Hmmm. Do we want to burst her bubble about the damage dry cleaners do to the environment and their employees’ health? You don’t need dry cleaners to clean most items that says “dry clean only”. Yes, she could have thrown the hangers away, which isn’t good, but the bigger help to the environment clearly is not to go to dry cleaners. All you have to do is smell the air at the dry cleaners to know it’s not good for anyone’s lungs. Thank goodness there is change happening in the industry and there are green dry cleaners springing up. And, thankfully several of the staff did more significant things like switch to a vegetarian diet, consciously choose a tiny apartment over a McMansion, and bike to work every day.

The other couple articles I read were about scientists who challenged my thinking and green way of living by asserting that the only way to really help the environment is to be politically active constantly, to push for change with manufacturers and politicians. That recycling and buying compact fluorescent light bulbs and using cloth napkins and composting and everything else is pretty “useless” compared to changing policies, industries and government nationally and globally.

Gulp. Blink. Blink blink. Crap.

And I immediately agreed, and disagreed. Yes, we need that kind of massive change, now – just look at recent articles about the massive ice shelf in the Antarctic breaking off – without a doubt. And, we need huge systemic change in every facet of life and industry if we’re going to really affect climate change. But to tell people what they’re doing doesn’t help, misses the point and hurts the progress being made all over the world – everyone has to start with what they can touch and do and know in their daily lives. It makes them CARE. Which then will make them want to do more, which then will hopefully make them see the crucial need for political action. If it’s not personal for them, they won’t do it. The more green you go, the inevitable step after doing all the daily living green things is political action.

Lots of people don’t care, or God forbid, can be inconvenienced with going green, I have learned. If I ask them about it, they usually get a glassy-eyed look and offer a non-explanation for why they don’t make the effort to fill in the blank (recycle, conserve, whatever). I get all kinds of people just shaking their heads at my commitment to it and writing me off, figuratively patting me on the head and saying “that’s nice”, mumbling something about a tree hugger, and then moving on quickly to something that doesn’t make them uncomfortable. I am always saddened, maddened, perplexed or a combination of the three by this. I can even say at times it challenges why I’m friends with some people. That is the hardest part about going green.

I don’t care about their opinion of me ultimately, whether it’s about going green, being vegan, not letting them put down my Midwestern home state with their uninformed assumptions about it, or whatever it may be – you can see I have an opinion about them as well (which I’m not exactly thrilled about; I strive to be non-judgmental and compassionate, but it doesn’t work all the time). We are all entitled to our beliefs. And I understand people have their priorities, difficulties, time and/or money constraints, or whatever it may be in their lives… but it’s the Earth, the air, the water, what allows us to live and breathe and have problems and joys and grief and love that we’re talking about here.

It all serves to inspire me to do more. I have joined more environmental groups, contributed more money, written to the president and senators about national green issues and continued to find more ways to go green on a personal level. I think if I counted my green activities, it would easily number a few dozen. Want to hear a few more? (Read other common, not always easy, and creative green choices in my other articles on Randomn3ss.)

1. I keep empty one-gallon water jugs in the kitchen to fill up with the cold water that comes out of the tap while waiting for the hot water to make it upstairs (second floor) from the basement. I use it to water my plants.

2. I make sure at least one and usually two meals a day are eaten without heating them up.

3. In my city the government doesn’t provide garbage service, so we haul our garbage to the places we go anyway to dump it – at the grocery store, gas station, wherever, saving a private truck from coming to our house and idling while the guy parks, takes his time to pick up the bag and throw it in, and head on to his next stop. (See # 8 below.) We have very little garbage, because…

4. We recycle greeting cards, tissue paper, wrapping paper, magazines and shiny paper like ads and junk mail, newspapers, cardboard, #1-7 plastics, aluminum, glass, office paper, tin and other scrap metal, phone books, and I take a bag of clothes, shoes and other household stuff to a charity thrift store every time I buy new things, to have less stuff for me to manage, and less stuff in the garbage. I also choose items with the least amount of packaging, and even don’t buy some things (gasp!) if the package can’t be recycled.

5. I park my car so that I can drive straight out instead of having to back up to get out. Studies say it saves on gas. It’s certainly easier, and saves time. I also get more exercise because often the only way to do that is park farther away from the entrance of where I’m going.

6. I now shop closer to home to save on gas consumption. It has been easier than I thought it would be, and saves me a lot of time and gas money.

7. I was given over 100 votive candles, so I’m using less electricity for lights.

8. I turn my car off if I’m going to idle for more than 10 seconds after reading that it takes less gas to restart the car, contrary to most people’s belief.

9. I keep glass jars to use for food storage rather than buying those disposable (or not) plastic food containers. Glass can be used for years, and won’t stain and get stinky and sticky like the plastics do – they break down, which means chemicals being released into the food.

10. I never buy note pads. I cut up paper to reuse for a variety of purposes.

11. This year I’m planning to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which is a great way to support local farmers, have great produce, and save money and time: From Local Harvest, “CSA is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become “members” (or “shareholders,” or “subscribers”) of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments… The number of CSAs in the United States was estimated at 50 in 1990, and has since grown to over 1000.”

12. I have a system for washing and rinsing dishes that uses very little water, including, obviously, not letting the water run unnecessarily. We use a natural dish soap, too.

13. We keep a big bucket in the bathroom and when we turn on the shower, we let the bucket fill up with the cold water while waiting for the hot water (see #1 above), and when the bucket is full, use that water to flush the toilet.

I’m going to stop listing things now. When I wrote “want to hear a few more?” above, I didn’t know it would go to thirteen. But I’m not actually surprised: In going through my activities, it’s clear to me it is a real lifestyle. I look for the green opportunity and choice in everything I do, at work, home, traveling and play. When I add the thirteen to those listed in other things I’ve written, it makes me smile, and feel like and know I’m making a difference, even if others continue to believe otherwise. I disagree: It makes a difference to me and to everything I touch.

There is no way to be perfectly 100% green 100% of the time. It’s not possible, though I’ve read about some people in Japan and other places where they have to go to crazy lengths to conserve in ways people in the U.S could never even fathom. But going greener is a great process, and even though you’re never done, you never get to the end, it’s a great journey worth deciding to take for life. I have learned a lot (and, some day I’ll learn to write down my sources every time and add them to the bottom of the articles), about the world, and myself – a double green gift.

I now have to return to compassion and take back my put-down of the person whose green glory is ‘only’ turning down her thermostat when they leave the house. They are on a green journey, too, thankfully. Good luck on yours – don’t stop at Earth Hour, or Earth Day (April 22nd). Commit to “Earth Life”, for the good of the planet, and for your personal world.

Props to Matt for sharing this insane video of Ken Block driving the DC Shoes rally car down a mountain while snowboarders do tricks around and on the car. Ken even takes the care over some of the bigger jumps right along with the riders.

I could go on for days about my issues with “conservatives” – namely, those of a Republican, Christian, and homophobic variety (see “Congress”). However, I came across one (of many of course, let’s be real – fanatics are usually assholes) example of a liberal being a complete shithead.

Yeah – shithead. That’s the technical term for the person I’m about to describe.

Actually, I don’t even know who I’m talking about. Why is that? Because all I know is that this asshat drives a crappy silver Saturn wagon with the bumper sticker reading… wait for it… Continue reading »

Winter snow fell early this year here in the northeast and for the last 12 years I have never been stranded, mostly due to some careful steps to help avoid common harsh weather driving. Here are 20 tips to help you drive through this winter and hopefully avoid getting stranded, getting into an accident or being terrified.

Photo by: chris runoff

Clean off your car. Before you go anywhere, clean your entire car off, not just the windows. Make sure you clear the snow off all top services of your vehicle, the headlights, tail lights, turn signals, fog lamps and all side windows. You need to do this not only so you can see what’s going on around you and so other drivers can clearly see your turn signals. Additionally, here in Pennsylvania, if you don’t clear the top of your car off and snow or ice fly off and damage another car while you are driving, you can be held criminally responsible. Worst case scenario, an icy snow chunk from your roof slides off and goes through the windshield of the car behind you, causing several accidents. Also pay special attention to your wiper blades, making sure ice is not stuck to them and they lay completely flat against the window.

Let your car heat up. Get in your vehicle, turn it on and let it idle while you are cleaning the snow off. I’d also suggest you don’t turn the heater fans on. Without boring you with the technical details, you will get heat in the cabin area much faster by allowing the car to first come up to temperature. Most modern cars have some sort of temperature gauge, when it moves, turn your heat on. Additionally, wait to drive until your vehicle has come up to temperature if possible. Often times the heat of your body compared to the cold interior temperature of the cabin can cause the windows to frost up fairly fast. You can’t combat that with the defroster setting if the car isn’t heated up fully. If you have a rear defogger, turn that on as well.

All wheel (or 4-wheel) drive does not make you a superstar. More and more cars are coming with AWD, including the entire Audi and Subaru lines, and as an option to many more makes and models. Most trucks come with an option to be put into 4-wheel drive. While it is very true that having all wheel or 4-wheel drive makes driving safer, it does not make you a superstar race car driver. Yes you will get much better footing while accelerating and cornering, it does not aide one bit in stopping. The downside here is many drivers with AWD often drive faster than they would in a traditional 2-wheel drive vehicle, either because it simply feels better driving (having owned an AWD car, I will agree it feels better / safer), or because of some ad campaign they’ve seen on TV or read in a magazine ad. Stopping is more important than moving in snowy, icy conditions. AWD also does not help on black ice, so please keep pace with traffic, not passing traffic.

Turn your headlights on. Here in Pennsylvania there is a pretty straightforward, simple law about headlights and inclement weather driving. If your windshield wipers are on, so should your headlights. This is very important when driving in the snow, as visibility is at its lowest. In addition to allowing you to see better, it will allow other drivers to both see you coming and see you going.

Photo by: Iain Cuthbertson

Follow the 5-second rule. When I went through my motorcycle safety coarse more than 10 years ago, they taught us the 3-second rule, something I’m somewhat surprised wasn’t taught in my high school driving class. The basic principle is to find an arbitrary spot on the road, say a speed limit sign or a dotted line marker and watch the vehicle in front of you pass it, then count the seconds until you pass the same point. For winter driving, I’d suggest at least 5 full seconds, more if you can get away with it. This should give you adequate time should you need to brake in a panic situation, without hitting the car in front of you.

Use your turn signals. This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves of drivers, not using your turn signals. If you are going to selectively use them, use them in the snow. It will greatly reduce your chance of being rear ended.

Practice driving in a parking lot. OK, this is where the disclaimer comes in to play. Trespassing onto a business’ parking lot, even if they are not open at the time to learn how to stunt drive is in no way legal. Be aware of this. That said, learning how to slide in a big, open parking lot helped me a lot as a 16 year old, both fun and scary. If the snow is deeper than the height of any curbs, avoid learning that day, you could really ruin your car. In the parking lot, at a slow speed, put your car into a slide by corning hard and let it slide to see what happens. Once that is done, you will now know what it is like to not have any control. Things you can do to help you recover while sliding in a turn are,

• Look where you want to go, not where you are going. This is one of the first things they teach race car drivers. Looking where you want to go will lead your body to put the car in that direction.
• Don’t brake. It seems somewhat counter-productive, but don’t panic and hit the brakes. Your car uses 70% of the front brakes to come to a stop or slow down, in a hard turn this will cause your car to slide in the direction you are going, not helping you come out of the turn properly. Worst case, your back brakes lock all-together and you spin out
• Let off the gas. By letting off the gas, your car will slow down without using the brakes. This can drastically help you when out of control.

Spending some time in a parking lot at a slow, safe speed can help you on a real road should you ever start to drift out of control.

Be aware of snow clogged inside your wheels. If you have your car parked outside during a snow storm with any wind, or you find yourself driving in deep snow, become aware that snow is probably packed on the inside of your wheels. This can cause your steering wheel to vibrate very badly at faster speeds and worse, prohibit your brakes from working properly. If this has happened, the only easy way to clean them out is at a self service car wash with warm water. Should this happen to you, drive as slow as you possibly can until you can remedy the situation.

Let ABS do its job. ABS is an anti-locking braking system where a computer inside your computer pumps the brakes at a high rate of speed to avoid them locking up in a panic braking situation, thus helping you to avoid sliding or skidding. The feeling in your brake pedal and steering wheel can be a bit shocking if you have never experienced it and often causes drivers to let off the brakes. Here again, if you can practice this at a slow speed in a parking lot, you will know what it feels like and be prepared should you ever need to use it.

Photo by: woodleywonderworks

Pump the brakes if you don’t have ABS. Pumping the brakes when you feel you start to slide can be nearly as effective as ABS, so if your car does not have them, try this method.

Crawl through turns. Take your time when approaching intersections and turning. Depending when the last snow plow came through, and the direction it was going, the corners often have excess snow built up in them. If you go into a turn too fast, the built up snow could be enough to get your car to slide sideways. This is a place where taking your time really pays off.

Stay in the rut. Often times, even the best Department of Transportation crews can’t clear all the snow off the roads, or clean it off fast enough. Cars will create ruts in the snow from driving, in bad conditions, there may only be one set of ruts in each direction on a multi-lane highway. Staying in the ruts will give you best chance of keeping your tires in contact with the road surface.

Avoid lane changes. For the same reason I advise you to stay in the ruts, making lane changes, even at slow speeds, can often be enough to start your car spinning. Unless you really need to, I’d strongly advise being a follower here.

Be careful of turning lanes. Turning lanes are created to elevate traffic backing up in high volume areas, however these lanes are often used far less during winter storms. If the turning lane doesn’t look safe, don’t use it. I know this is probably against some law somewhere, but if there is not a lot of traffic on the road, this may be your safer bet.

Travel with someone. If it is really bad out and you must travel, travel with a friend or family member. If you manage to get stuck in deep snow, having a friend can help push your car out. It is also peace of mind as well.

Have your cell phone charged before you travel. If you get in an accident or are stranded, a dead cell phone won’t help you any. Be sure you have it fully charged before leaving for the trip.

Only go where you must go. If the weather is bad, you probably don’t need to go out to the bar or make that trip to the gym. Put it off for a day, until the roads are clear and you can safely drive. I’d rather be stuck at my job for a few extra hours or sleep there over-night instead of wrecking my car and spending the evening in an emergency room or worse, stuck out in the cold.

Tire choices can be really important. Here in Pennsylvania, we have all four seasons and in most cases, all season tires will do just fine, sometimes dedicated snow tires are needed for other parts of the country. If you have performance tires or summer only tires, avoid driving in the snow, or seriously look into a second set, your tires were not meant to be in the snow. Almost as important, the condition of your tires, balding tires won’t do any good. The basic test to find out if you need your tires replaced is to stick a penny head first into the treads. If the tread comes up over Lincoln’s head, you should be OK. If it doesn’t, replace immediately.

Concrete freezes faster than blacktop. Be aware that most bridges have a concrete surface to them and a lot of on / off ramps are made of concrete. This freezes much faster than blacktop, so take extra caution when crossing these items. Some stretches of road are entire concrete, be careful of not only of the concrete, but where the two road surfaces meet each other.

Turn the radio off. Driving in snow can cause some really strange sounds, these sounds can be important to know if you are slipping, sliding or on solid road. If you must have the radio on to hear what traffic conditions are, turn it down to the lowest setting you can. With the radio off, you can also focus on driving.

Driving in the snow doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds, but use your head. Put down your coffee cup while driving, keep both hands on the wheel, and pay attention. If you don’t feel comfortable driving in the snow, don’t. Wait until the roads are clear and then go. Give yourself adequate time and be prepared for delays and slow goings. Leave for school, work or appointments well in advance so you will show up on time.

Bonus 21st tip. Make sure your windshield washer fluid is full, and try to use some that doesn’t freeze. You’ll use your windshield wipers more than you think when it’s snowing or has just snowed. Keeping it full means you will be able to see clearly, using special washer fluid for the winter that has anti-freeze agents in it will help ensure that you can use it when you need it and won’t freeze the moment the fluid hits your windshield.

The concept of advertising is something I fully understand, both as a consumer and someone who does advertising, mostly for my blogs and photography. What I’m not fond of is paying to advertise for someone else. Lets forget about the argument on clothing and brand names for a minute, that is a whole rant unto itself. Lets look at the automotive industry for a minute.Car salesman (and woman) are considered to be some of the scummiest people on earth, usually paired right next to lawyers. No one likes to deal with these types of people and I can honestly say that in all the years of buying cars, I’ve never bought one from a major car dealership for this very reason. Likewise, I cannot tell you of one positive experience anyone I know has had at a dealership, no one has ever said to me, “Mike, the experience I had buying my car at … was amazing!” This leads me to my rant for today.

Why on earth do car dealerships insist on branding a car with their name, logo, website and whatever else they can throw at it? While driving home recently I was behind a pick-up truck, the tailgate had the dealerships emblem, there was a license plate frame that had the name, phone number and website of the dealership and there was a hitch cover in place, again adorned with the dealerships name and logo. No dealer tag though, which leads me to belive that the person driving it did not work there. I’ve also seen several Hummers and Jeeps that have the exposed spare tire attached to the rear of the car have vinyl covers on them, silk screened with the dealerships name, logo, website and phone number on it. Never once have I been behind a car and said, “self, that’s a fine looking car, I should probably go to that dealership and talk to them about buying it.”

It gets even worse! Here in Pennsylvania we have no front license plate law, meaning we only have a rear one. Most cars on the market today come with smooth front bumpers and have the holes and brackets to accept the front plate for those states which require it hidden under a layer of paint and thin plastic. This is done for aesthetics by the car manufactor, but does give provisions for a plate to go there. Some dealerships feel it is their duty to put a vanity plate in the front advertising their dealership, this plate is usually also surrounded by one of their custom license plate frames. Don’t wreck my car!

I have no problem with the manufactor of the car putting their name and logo on it, I like my Civic just fine and think Honda is a good brand. I have in the past stripped off these logos because I prefer a cleaner look to my cars, but often times the sun faded paint still shows the emblems after a few years and painting a whole car just for that reason is a bit silly. I also don’t buy new cars, but my Mother does. The last few she bought I went with her and have always requested that on delivery all stickers, badges, emblems and license plate frames from the dealership are removed. Most dealerships will do this for you if you ask, but they often give a sour face when you request it.

August 15, 2007 marked the first day that I, Adrienne, have been to court…

TRAFFIC COURT, that is!

In mid-July, I was pulled over on my way to work for “failure to obey a steady red.” In layman’s terms, that means I ran a red light (…which I didn’t). I wasn’t speeding at the time; I mean, seriously, I was on my way to my former job, there’s no way I would speed to get there. But two cars behind me were speeding and ran the red after I went through the yellow and did they get pulled over?? Nooooooooo. Of course not.

Whatever, so I get off the main road, get my ticket issued, and cry a little bit (I’m Catholic and have a guilt complex, so although I pay for everything, I am still certain my parents are going to kill me). I also remember as I am pulling over that I had gotten my license picture taken the day before and chose to put my hair in a side ponytail and wear a sweatband for it (stay classy, Philadelphia!). But the police officer was very nice and actually kinda cute (in fact, if you’re reading this Officer Matt and you pulled over the chick in the Acura coupe, call me!). He was the one who suggested that I plead “not guilty” and he would “see what he could do about the points.”

Points???? Oh, hell yeah, I’m pleading not guilty!!

So I did and today I made an appearance at the district court for Montgomery County. My appointment was for 9:45am so I showed up at 9:30am. Of course, I had to pay for parking at a meter so I put in every nickel I could find in my ride. Jerks. I walk in to a crowded waiting room which I expected to be filled with vagrants. Then I remember that I’m on the Main Line and everyone has more money than I do. I immediately make up, in my head, all the crap they are in for to entertain myself, but pretty much it’s all traffic violations. And soon enough, it’s just going to be me and another person in the waiting room, as everyone else gets called and processed.

I approach the counter, sign in… and I wait. And wait. And wait. It gets to the point that the 75-year-old man at the counter quips “I’m getting sick and tired of looking at you” (in a joking way, of course, because made sure to look hot, in case the cop did show up and wanted to ask me out). An hour later, he gives my citation to another officer who takes me in as a mercy case and we head to the court room. He’s not bad looking, but he’s definitely married with kids. I can tell these things.

Now, let me tell you… despite the fact that it’s a district court, it’s still kinda intimidating. The judge is all in her robes and shit and she’s definitely holding a gavel and the cop is on the side of the courtroom where the good guys on Law & Order sit and I’m just kinda shaking a little bit on the “bad people left hand side.” So we’re all sitting and smiling and verifying my name and the cop is like “Are you worried about the points?” and I was like “Uh, I’m kinda worried about everything. I just got fired so I don’t have any money either.” And then the officer was like “I recommend that we withdraw the charges.” And the judge was like “Sounds good to me, especially since Miss Isaac waited for an hour.” And I was like “Fuck yeah, rock on!” Just kidding, I was like “Thank you officer, your honor, I won’t ever do anything wrong ever again.”

Isn’t that the most accurate rendering of a court transcript that you’ve ever read? Yes, clearly I am a master writer.

Actually, I’m just really too excited because I basically just got the best karma boost ever and totally got out of my first traffic violation. I mean, considering all of the other illegal things I’ve never gotten busted for doing, this is freaking awesome. Do any of you have better stories of your brushes with the long arm of the law? I should really go read to blind kids or something to re-boost my karma, but I’m just gonna go lay at my mom’s pool instead. Oh, and obey all traffic signals from here on out.

WOOHOO!!