Tag: Automotive

So much for electric vehicles

  Despite all the hype about electric vehicles, including President Biden’s decision to “electrify” the US government fleet of over half a million vehicles, nobody seems to be talking much about the challenges of switching from gasoline or diesel to electric power.  Toyota has gone on record often in the past, pouring cold water on… Continue reading So much for electric vehicles

“This does not occur in nature!”

  A comment to yesterday’s article about the M16 rifle reminded me of a funny – but true – story from the 1970’s in South Africa.  I was told this by a friend who was an engineer at BMW South Africa. BMW was about to introduce its new 7 Series luxury cars.  South Africa was… Continue reading “This does not occur in nature!”

Verily, the mind doth boggle…

  I was dumbfounded (and that may be a very good word under the circumstances) to see this tweet put out yesterday by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission: I could hardly believe my eyes.  Is it even possible that educated First World residents can be so stupid as to do something like that, and… Continue reading Verily, the mind doth boggle…

Packing in the kids like sardines in a can

  So much for high-density transport!  Here’s how one Mongolian school (or perhaps a child-care center) does it.  Count the bodies as they emerge.  (If for any reason the video won’t play, you’ll find the source here.) If I counted correctly, that was 35 kids – two in the front, the rest smooshed in somehow in… Continue reading Packing in the kids like sardines in a can

The “throw-away” economy: automotive edition

  I spent an extremely frustrating two hours yesterday trying to identify the parts I needed for a minor automotive procedure.  I have the two cross-bars to fit the longitudinal rails of my Nissan Pathfinder SUV’s roof-rack, but I don’t have the screws for them.  I needed to identify what those screws were, and order… Continue reading The “throw-away” economy: automotive edition

Doofus Of The Day #1,078

  Today’s award goes to the proud (?) owner(s) of a 2021 Jeep Rubicon that they’ve just utterly destroyed, mechanically speaking. Last month, we asked you about your absolute worst towing experiences. Many of you had some great stories to share, but I think I’ve finally found one that takes the cake, and it involves… Continue reading Doofus Of The Day #1,078

Ten of the most dangerous routes in America

  Nick Austin of Freightwaves has published two articles, one in October and one last month, each listing five of the most dangerous roads for truckers in this country.  I figured they’d be equally dangerous for motorists in general, and so read the articles with interest. He’s identified ten roads/routes so far, five in each… Continue reading Ten of the most dangerous routes in America

How to load a tank onto a transporter – NOT!

  A couple of days ago, a hapless driver tried to load an Israeli Merkava main battle tank onto a transporter.  He was less than successful. Apparently he claimed that the accelerator pedal got stuck (which would be consistent with the engine revving so hard after the incident).  I guess there’ll be an inquiry to… Continue reading How to load a tank onto a transporter – NOT!

*Sigh* 24 years without hitting an animal, and then…

  I’ve done my best to be a good driver in the USA, despite coming from a country where we drove on the correct other side of the road.  It took a bit of adapting, particularly considering that my first driving experience in this country was in Los Angeles, where six-lane freeways and high-velocity, high-profanity… Continue reading *Sigh* 24 years without hitting an animal, and then…