John H. wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:57:26 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 12/3/2015 12:38 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

I've driven on the Autobahn in Germany and also on the Autostrata in
Italy. You can't compare Rt I-95 anywhere to either one. This was
back in the 70's though, so maybe things have changed.

German drivers are very disciplined. Italian drivers are more like the fools on I-95
- haul ass and bypass. I think maybe we're letting too many Italians into the
country.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!


I love driving in Europe except for the road signs. They drivers stay in
the right lane, unless passing. Cops will ticket if you don't.

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.


.... But you are not going to the Bahamas or the West Indies in your
motor home ;-)

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 19:28:36 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:


All that driving is not something I'd want to do.

I used to really like driving but doing it for 30 years scrubbed off
some of the charm. I had logged over a million miles by the time I
retired from IBM.
We still end up putting 1500 miles or so on the rental on vacation.
Out west, that is not hard to do because things are pretty far apart.
That is why I like something comfortable.

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:29:23 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.


... But you are not going to the Bahamas or the West Indies in your
motor home ;-)

===

Heh.

Of course the vast majority of boats don't do that either, for which
we are eternally grateful.

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 21:13:44 -0500,
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:29:23 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.


... But you are not going to the Bahamas or the West Indies in your
motor home ;-)

===

Heh.

Of course the vast majority of boats don't do that either, for which
we are eternally grateful.

I feel the same way about boats that can't run skinny ;-)

We have been pushing it lately poking around in that

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 22:36:56 -0500, wrote:

Sorry I was cleaning my keyboard and it went off.

I feel the same way about boats that can't run skinny ;-)

We have been pushing it lately poking around in that
.... area between Rocky Bay and the Mullock Creek channel. The cable
line went through there and I have been looking at the bottom they
tore up for DEP. That whole area is oysters and pretty shallow. I did
have to get out and push the other day.

It is real "boaty" here now and we are going up in the mangroves a lot
to get away from the crowd. Mud Creek is a nice poke.

http://gfretwell.com/aerials/clean%20map.tif

There are some nice looking fish back there but there are not that
many people who know how to get in or even that it exists.

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:58:20 -0500,
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:27:31 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 13:32:51 -0500,
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 12:28:33 -0500, John H.
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 01:31:05 -0500, wrote:

Our La jolla friend has moved to Naples but she does not drive (health
issue). She is an Uber person.
The other day she called for an Uber ride and a Tesla showed up.
That is not your average Uber I bet.
The guy said he was testing the idea of a upscale Uber.
Only in Naples I guess.

I suppose I'm the only one who had to look up 'Uber ride'.

===

Next time you need a taxi, try Uber. I think you'll be pleasantly
surprised. They've even arrived here in small town Florida.

Lots of places are cracking down on them, mostly places with
"medallion" cabs. I heard the Keys is on them pretty bad and somewhere
over on the east coast.
Some of it is protecting licensed hacks but there is also the
uncollected tax issue.

===

Uber somehow got by the medallion cabs in NYC. If they can do it
there it's just a matter of time before everywhere. It's a great
service and people love it, so popular opinion is on their side. The
Keys are probably just trying to protect their own but they'll lose to
Uber's big legal guns eventually.

There's no more reason for uncollected taxes that there is with any
other independent contractor. It might even be easier with Uber since
there are electronic records of every fare tied back to the driver.

It was in the paper today that Florida is going to call Uber drivers
"contractors". That will remove a few protections that "employees" get
(in this case unemployment insurance) but the tax consequences are in
the driver's favor. Using a schedule C your expenses are "first
dollar". That is far better than what you might be able to get as an
employee. I have done car expenses both ways and it is no comparison.

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 12/3/2015 2:14 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very
solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany.
The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of
the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond
Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from
BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or
trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's
were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55
Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to
get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.



Many of those with the big rigs, and some with the smallers, are 'full-timers' who
don't even own a house. Or, if they own one, they spend little time there. A good
friend of ours just took off for six-months. They are volunteering in various
campgrounds in the south, stay in them for nothing, and get to see a lot of sights.
They may stay a couple weeks or months in each campground.

Most states have a program similar to this:

http://gastateparks.org/volunteer/hosts

....allowing folks to stay quite a while...for nothing.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 19:28:36 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:

On 12/3/15 4:56 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:14 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very
solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany.
The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway.
Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for
driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of
the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond
Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far
as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of
75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing
around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State
line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from
BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or
trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's
were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding,
narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55
Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to
get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.




All that driving is not something I'd want to do.

Very many 'full-timers' do much less annual driving than you think. I go and return,
every time. Full-timers just go. They may spend several weeks in one campground.

But honestly, Harry, I'd much rather see you remain in your basement.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 17:10:20 -0800, Califbill billnews wrote:

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 1:12 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:04 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Little old ladies in Kias are telling you that you are #1 if you drive
around here.


I do 70 when possible on the interstates, but no more. I-95, the last
time I drove to Florida, was crowded. I take a special delight after
some yahoo blasts past me at more than 80 and see the guy pulled over a
few miles down the road by the police. My wife's new car gets 30+ mpg at
70 mph. I like that.


My Ford F-250 gets better gas mileage at 75 mph than it does at 60-65
mph. Weird, but it has to do with the gearing and when the torque
converter locks and unlocks. If I keep the RPM's up high enough
so it can climb steep hills without the TC unlocking (or downshifting
out of overdrive), my gas mileage goes up to a whopping 15 mpg from
about 13. :-) Fortunately, I don't drive much or very far in it.
Last long distance trip was to SC, last December.

The adult day care center that I drive for has a fleet of high top,
handicapped equipped (power lift and strap-downs for wheelchairs) vans.
They are all Ford F-350 SuperDuties. Mileage is horrible ... I have
to fill mine 3 times a week sometimes ... but they are rugged. He used
to have GM and Chevy vans but gave up on them. They just didn't last,
usually having transmission failures and engine problems.




I do like my Chevy diesel. Got 20 mpg going to Williams, Az for
thanksgiving. Normal around town is 14.5

On pure interstate to and from NC, without the trailer, mine gets a tad over 22.
Around town about 15-17. With the trailer, about 12-13. Can't complain. Most of the
around town stuff is done with the motorcycle, which gets about 40, around town.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!